QC Harvest Grading Rubric

A grading rubric turns ‘looks good’ into a repeatable quality score. That makes quality improvable and sell-through predictable.

• Use 4–6 categories with clear definitions and a 1–5 score.
• Score the same way every time, using the same environment.
• Track the score vs sell-through so quality connects to money.

Decision path

• If customers complain, add a category for the complaint and score it.
• If you can’t score consistently, reduce categories until you can.
• If quality is high but margins are low, review packaging/pricing, not QC.

1. Choose categories: appearance, aroma, texture/moisture, burn/smoke, trim/cleanliness.
2. Define what a 1, 3, and 5 look like for each category.
3. Score in the same place/time (avoid ‘different lighting’ bias).
4. Record the final average score and any defects.
5. Review monthly: what changes improved score and what hurt it?
6. Use the rubric as a gate: only ‘pass’ product becomes inventory.

Quick example

Public sample rubric (1–5):

This is a public rubric example. The paid Blueprint includes a scoring worksheet and weekly averages.

• Grading once, never revisiting (no learning loop).
• Using different jars/containers for grading each time.
• Not separating ‘quality’ from ‘style’ preferences.
• Skipping defect notes (defects are where improvement lives).
• Letting hype override scoring (score first, talk later).

FAQ

Isn’t grading subjective?

It can be. The rubric reduces subjectivity by defining what each score means.

How do I use this for improvement?

Look at the lowest category each cycle and improve that one thing first.

Do I need lab data here?

Not for a basic rubric. Start with consistent sensory checks and simple gates.

Want the full Blueprint?

This page gives you the map. The paid Academy contains the full SOPs, templates, and execution workflow — start to finish.

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