A COMMUNITY orchard which will be the focus for many activities in the future was launched in Harrowbarrow and Metherell recently.

The event was attended by around 100 people who enjoyed a picnic and during the afternoon the orchard sign was unveiled.

Winner of the Harrowbarrow Primary School competition to design the sign was nine-year-old Madeleine Rolls.

The orchard project at Treragin is being assisted by Tamar Grow Local, a community interest company set up to support food projects in the Tamar Valley, and funding has come from the East Cornwall Local Action group.

As the orchard establishes, events will be held such as grafting workshops, apple pressing and wassailing.

Around 50 local variety apple trees will be planted in November, a mixture of dessert apples, cooking and cider apples.

The orchard will also include local variety pears and cherries and some other fruit trees like figs and apricots.

The orchard field is currently being cleared with the help of pigs.

Harrowbarrow and Metherell also have a livestock rearing co-operative called the Pig Society who have put out six Oxford sandy and black pigs on the site to help with preparing the ground.

It is hoped the site will be self-funding as it develops and orchard crops will be shared through a membership scheme. There is also a community-managed bee-keeping venture to help pollinate the trees, increase the number of beekeepers and make some lovely honey.

Project manager Simon Platten said people were really enthusiastic about the community orchard and had good ideas for future events and getting involved with making it work.