Cornell Vegetable Varieties Database

**J* B* <j*@usol.com>**

I have just finished an article about the Cornell Vegetable Varieties  
Database (www.vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu/) and realized maybe there  
are one or two in this terribly intelligent and sophisticated group  
that have not heard about this wonderful website.  They have been in  
operation for three years and have no budget for marketing so getting  
the word out has been difficult.  The concept is that gardeners from  
the U.S. and Canada can go into the site and report their experience,  
good or bad,  with one or more varieties of vegetable or herb in  
their garden each year.  Over time as more and more gardeners offer  
their ratings, we will finally have a database that helps us discover  
those varieties of each vegetable that perform the best in our own  
region (eventually down to state and zip code).  They have 2000  
members but only 500 have actually given ratings; gardeners must be  
shy.  They have 60,000 visitors in 2007 so far.

Examples - Sun gold tomato has 42 rating comments from all over the  
country.  Brandywine tomato has 37 evaluations from all over the  
country.  If a gardener has never heard about Sungold and has a  
chance to review comments by 42 vegetable gardeners, that person is  
going to be in a lot better position to make a good decision about  
whether sungold will work in their own garden.  They have over 5000  
varieties of vegetables and herbs listed in their database waiting  
for evaluations.

They also have excellent growing sheets for all the vegetables and  
herbs.  It is a vegetable gardeners dream, beginner or old hand.   
It's going to take another 5 or 6 years of growing to really reach  
its true potential and value.  So if any of you are looking for a  
topic, this project is a goodie.  The director is Lori Bushway (607)  
255-5918.

Jeff Ball
jeffball@usol.com
810-724-8581
Check out my daily blog at www.gardeneryardener.blogspot.com
Check out my extensive web site at www.yardener.com

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