The Fairmont Rotary Club had donated funds for the Fairmont Jr. Sr. High School’s Ag academy to purchase and plant 40 apple trees. Students in Amber Seibert’s Plant Science and Landscaping class planted the orchard on the east side of the high school’s greenhouse last week.

Superintendent Joe Brown, who was president of the Fairmont Rotary Club this year, explained that one of the goals of the international rotary club was to plant a tree for each member, and Fairmont has 40 members.

“I’d kicked this idea around a few months ago but of course it was winter time, and then more recently I met with the Executive Board and we approved a grant up to $2,500 because we didn’t know how much it would cost, and so far it hasn’t been that much,” Brown explained.

The 40 apple trees ended up costing about $1,200 and then another $400 was spent in supplies for planting, such as posts, sprays and wraps. Brown said they’re contemplating putting up a fence to keep the deer out.

Sebiert said there were five different varieties of apple trees they planted, including: Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Red Rome Beauty, Orange Pippin and Honeycrisp.

It will take about three to four years for the trees to bear fruit, but once there are apples to harvest, they will be put to several different uses.

The ag classes will be protecting and pruning the trees and then the FACs classes will also be using the apples in Food prep.

“What some other schools that have orchards have done is sell them by the bushel for a fundraiser or use them to make applesauce,” Brown said.

Other options are donating the apples to a local food shelf or offering them in the lunchroom.

“It’s a neat project. It looks really great out there, too,” Brown said.