Way to go, Warwick

Warwick had a terrific day this past Saturday. Well over 100 members of the community - elected leaders, the heads of the school district, the library, the Chamber of Commerce, FFA students, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Royal Rangers and scores of Warwick residents and families - came out to plant the 43 trees of the new Warwick Community Orchard. It was a wonderful sight to see teams of 2-4 people spread out over the grounds of the Community Center, digging their holes and planting their trees in accordance with the demonstration lesson provided by Rico Montenegro, the orchard expert sent from the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. The FTPF, in partnership, with Edy's Ice Cream, had sponsored the Communities Take Root competition in which Warwick won the orchard. And at the end of the day when the switch was thrown and water began flowing out of the 43 newly installed micro-bubblers - drip - irrigating the peach, pear, nectarine, apricot, plum, aprium, pluot, cherry, and pawpaw trees - there was a real sense of an entire community having done something in a single day that will be a positive and lovely long-term asset for all. In three to four years when the trees will have reached pickable maturity, the fruits of the organically maintained orchard will be available for the community. While this project started as an initiative of Sustainable Warwick, in much the same way as the neighboring Community Garden, it quickly captured the imagination and enthusiasm of the entire community. We feel extremely gratified that our organization - a part of the Community 2000 umbrella of local-action-oriented community groups - could play a positive role in bringing this exciting idea to fruition. A huge thanks to all involved. Geoff Howard Chair, Sustainable Warwick