MOSES LAKE — The plant sale sponsored by the Moses Lake High School FFA chapter April 24 was successful. It sold out in five and a half hours.

Typically, the sale is scheduled over two days, and that was the plan for 2020, with dates set for April 24 and 25. And the sale opened as scheduled at 8 a.m. Friday. But within an hour, gardeners had made a sizable dent in the petunias, geraniums, ornamental grasses, pepper starts, tomato starts and hanging baskets, among many other choices. Agriculture teacher and FFA co-adviser Jessica Homesley said the two MLHS greenhouses were sold out by 1:30 p.m. Friday.

“Huge success,” Homesley said.

Agriculture teacher and FFA co-adviser Tony Kern said typically there’s a rush of customers in the first two hours or so. But 2020 was unusual. “It’s an incredible turnout,” Kern said.

Social distancing requirements increased the length of the line of customers waiting their turn at about 8:30 a.m. Friday.

“I’ve never seen anything close to that line,” Kern said. “Just amazing.”

The plant sale always generates a lot of interest, he said, and probably some people were drawn just by the chance to get outside. But it was also, Kern said, a demonstration of support for MLHS and the FFA program.

“We’ve got a great community,” he said.

Typically FFA members and students in the horticulture class provide the labor, answering questions from shoppers, helping people load plants in the vehicle, taking payments and doing whatever else needs done. But students have not been allowed on campus since the COVID-19 outbreak closed schools statewide.

The ag department sent out an appeal for workers, and Moses Lake School District teachers and staff volunteered to help.

“We got that (the work schedule) filled up in about 35 minutes,” Kern said. “It almost fills a person with emotion.”

The plant sale is one of the FFA chapter’s main fundraisers, and the money goes to support FFA activities.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].