Hi Slacker: if you want the USDA classifications that are used on the open market for Fresh Market spuds you can look them (and many other vegetables) up at the link below. It will take a little waller'in but the info is there.

Michael

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA grades

MICHEAL357 thanks for that info but that isnt really what i was looking for, although i did save the file for future reference thanks.. What i was looking for
, i see on some farmer website or request for crops website that some people are looking for 2000lbs of #2 potatoes. so i am wondering what is a number 2 potato?

Slacker: I pulled out my grade classifications pamphlet from 1972, it has been updated in the link provided in my previous post but here is what the case was in 1972.

"consists of potatoes which meet the following characteristics:
a) Similar varietal characteristics
b) Not seriously misshapen
c) Free from:

1. Freezing;
2. Blackheart;
3. Late blight, southern bacterial wilt and ring rot and;
4. Soft rot and wet breakdown.
   d) Free from any serious damage by any other cause
   e) Size. Not less than 1 1/2" in diameter, unless otherwise specified in connection with the grade.
   f) tolerances" (which I will not list).

Does that answer your question?

Michael

michael357, i guess i am being thick in the head at the moment. I see what that says that you posted, thanks by the way, but that still is not listing what number potato that would be?

in other words

""consists of potatoes which meet the following characteristics:
a) Similar varietal characteristics
b) Not seriously misshapen
c) Free from:
1) Freezing;
2) Blackheart;
3) Late blight, southern bacterial wilt and ring rot and;
4) Soft rot and wet breakdown.
d) Free from any serious damage by any other cause
e) Size. Not less than 1 1/2" in diameter, unless otherwise specified in connection with the grade.
f) tolerances" (which I will not list). "

would the above be a number one potato?

I guess what i am searching for is the definition of a number 1 potato and the number 2 potato and if they have anymore the definitions of those numbers?

thanks in advance for your help

Slacker: according to my pamphlet #1 grade specifies the following.

a) Similar varietal characteristics;
b) Firm;
c) Fairly clean;
d) fairly well shaped;
e) Free from same as in grade #2;
f) Free from damage by any cause.
g) Size. Not less than 1 7/8" in diameter, unless specified in connection with the grade.

So, they need to be cleaner, better shaped and damage free as well as larger than a #2 grade spud to be a #1 grade.

I suspect you may be right where a beginning potato grader is when learning to grade spuds according to USDA standards. Having been there myself, I understand your desire for more clarification. The only way you can become proficient at grading unfortunately is by repetition with someone there to answer the, "well what about this one" questions, there will be many.

Michael

the fog in my brain is starting to lift. I am understanding now and i can see how OTJ training would pay off here and you said this was in the old pamphlet? because i didn't see that in the newer one on the USDA site.

How big of a potato patch do you have?

I only planted about a 30 ft row as our storage won't hold the tubers more than about 5 months depending on the variety. The best storer I've tried is a fingerling called Purple Peruvian but being small and a fingerling it is comparatively a real pain in the backside to harvest as the spuds are easy to miss while digging.

My OTJ training was in FL working for an Extension Vegetable Specialist. We did many experiments on many vegetables over many years. My least favorites were probably watermelon and potato as they were alot of strenuous work in the 90+ degree heat with 100% humidity. Nothin like pitchin 40 lb watermelon in the mid-day sun to make one appreciate the melons in the market.

The first time I graded potatoes was fun. They would come by on a moving belt and we would pull them by grade into baskets. After staring at moving spuds (while standing still) I went to step off the grading platform and almost fell on my rear, kind of like having sea legs and stepping onto dry land.

Glad I could help with your problem,

Michael

the fog in my brain is starting to lift. I am understanding now and i can see how OTJ training would pay off here and you said this was in the old pamphlet? because i didn't see that in the newer one on the USDA site.

How big of a potato patch do you have?

Michael,

Where in Fl did you do that, if you don't mind saying? South or north?

I have a place in north-central where I am trying to create some perennial low-maintenance crops and fruits. Irish potato was of course not a traditional crop in florida, but I wonder if it would be possible to perpetuate without seed-stock imported every year. If one grew a typical late-winter crop and was able to summer over some tubers and then plant a fall crop to create tubers for the next planting.

pnbrown: it was well over 10 years ago but I think most if not all the work was done north of Gainesville. If you had a friend or property in S. FL you could grow the winter crop there. Disease is always the big bugaboo for crops in FL though you could no doubt carry over tubers if stored properly. All the spuds we grew were chippers as that was the big spud crop in FL and of course, the people growing the chippers supplied the grant money.