The Southeast Alaska community of Wrangell has a climate warmer than that of most other Alaska communities, but it's not that warm. So one has to wonder what the fishing town has really gained by winning an orchard in the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation's "Communities Take Root" contest. KSTK gets the answer from contest organizer Rico Montenegro:
As for Wrangell's extreme winter cold and harsh winds, he says it's not a problem. It just comes down to finding the right variety of fruit for the area. Montenegro will be bringing between 30 to 50 apple, pear, plum, and possibly peach trees to Wrangell. ...In the next few months, Montenegro will look in the Pacific Northwest for varieties of fruit trees that will be suitable for Southeast's climate.
