SMITHFIELD - A mouse click, it turns out, can make a difference. For proof, just look to the rows of fruit trees planted Tuesday at the Johnston Community College Arboretum.

Earlier this year, the arboretum asked the community to vote online to help JCC win a fruit orchard. Dozens of groups from around the country competed for the unusual prize from Edy's Fruit Bars; only 20 of the 130 groups could win.

The purveyor of healthy treats has sponsored orchards across America through its "Communities Take Root" program.

"It has meant the world to us to have not only the JCC community, but also the world supporting us," said Lin Frye, director of the arboretum.

The new trees are more than an effort to landscape the arboretum grounds. Fruit from the 43 apple, pear, persimmon and paw-paw trees will be harvested and given to a local food bank.

At JCC, the orchard joins a 2-year-old garden that is part of the "Plant a Row for the Hungry" program, run by volunteer gardeners.

That program attracted the attention of Edy's. Since January, the JCC garden program has brought in 1,000 volunteer hours, 600 pounds of fruit and 2,000 pounds of vegetables for the area's hungry. Many of the gardeners were on hand Tuesday to help plant the trees.

"It's our hope that the orchard doesn't only provide fruit but a gathering place for JCC," said Lauren de la Parra, a spokeswoman for Edy's.

Several dozen volunteers spent much of the afternoon planting the trees.

For an orchard to thrive in Eastern North Carolina, planters have to do more than dig a hole in the ground. Arborist Rico Montenegro of the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation spent nearly an hour giving instruction in proper planting technique - the trees have to have the perfect depth to take root, he said.

Montenegro also helped the volunteers put in an irrigation system to make sure the trees get enough water.

Arboretum leaders hope Montenegro's instruction will be the first of many JCC classes on fruit-tree growing. Other seminars were also scheduled for last week.

The trees surround the "Plant a Row" program, which has lush beds of lettuce, mustard greens, kale and other vegetables.

The plot already had about a dozen fruit and berry trees.