Commercial Apple Production Information on the Internet: The Virtual Orchard and Apple-Crop Listserv

Abstract

The Virtual Orchard (VO) is a World Wide Web (WWW) site dedicated to dissemination of information on sustainable apple production. The VO also provides interactive forums for research and extension projects, including the `Apple-Crop Listserv', dealing with commercial apple production and marketing issues. More specifically, the Virtual Orchard hosts the `New Jersey Fruit Focus' sponsored by Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and the `UVM Apple Orchard', home to the Univ. of Vermont research and Extension `Apple Team'. A search engine provides keyword searching of the VO and other relevant WWW sites. During Jan.—Dec. 1997, the Virtual Orchard welcomed nearly 40,000 unique Internet visitors and served >500,00 requested files. VO WWW pages are served by an Apple Macintosh Workgroup Server located at the Univ. of Vermont. The Uniform Research Locator (URL) of the Virtual Orchard is http://orchard.uvm.edu. The `Apple-Crop Listserv' is an Internet discussion list that provides a forum for information exchange between university researchers, extension agents and specialists, students, commercial apple growers, wholesalers/brokers, retailers, and direct marketers of apples. `Apple-Crop' became active in 1993 and as of Dec. 1997, had >340 subscribers throughout North America and from several foreign countries. To subscribe to `Apple-Crop' or for more information, send e-mail to apple-crop@orchard.uvm.edu; Univ. of Vermont (802) 656-2630; Rutgers Cooperative Extension (908) 788-1339.