FARMVILLE – The Town of Farmville continues branching out without going out on a limb.

For the sixth year, the Town has earned Tree City USA status, the announcement made by the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Towns, counties, cities and military installations are eligible for the designation if they successfully meet guidelines established by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Farmville joins towns such as Abingdon, Ashland and Blacksburg, the cities of Charlottesville, Fairfax and Alexandria, Roanoke County and NASA's Langley Research Center as one of the 51 designations awarded in Virginia by the Arbor Day Foundation.

The Town's embrace of the environment is noticed.

“One of the key comments I get from people-as a matter of fact somebody stopped in here the other day and they had somebody from out of town with them, and they were asking about how we keep the town looking so nice,” Town Manager Gerald Spates said.

“Planting the trees and the flowers, plus we have somebody that cleans up every day; I think it pays off,” he said.

The Town, in fact, employs a certified horticulturalist, David Fowlkes.

“And we're very fortunate to have David,” Spates said.

Criteria for Tree City USA designation include the establishment of a Tree Board or Department, a tree care ordinance, a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

The Town, Spates estimated, has planted more than 100 trees.

“We've planted them everywhere we can,” he said, and the right trees in the right place so “we don't have to go back in later and move them.”

The Farmers Market, the plaza where High Bridge Trail crosses Main Street, downtown, fruit trees near the Sarah Terry Trail are among the many examples of the Town's commitment to having trees, in addition to flowers and shrubbery in place.

Spates said the Tree City USA status is good because “it brings attention to the town, that we do care about the environment and that we're concerned enough to make sure we do our part.”

The importance played by trees was stressed in the Department of Forestry's press release, with the department's urban and community forester, Barbara White, noting, “Trees are much more than a pretty face. They're vital to our quality of life and the environment. They help clean the air we breathe and the water we drink. And, when properly placed beside a home, trees can even help us conserve energy.”

In addition to its plantings and tree care, the Town hosts a tree photo contest every year, in addition to a tree give-away.

“And that's been a big success,” Spates concluded.