Re: Seeking Information

**Duane Campbell d*@juno.com**

On Thu, 9 Jan 2003 22:49:49 -0500 "Sheri Ann Richerson"
<voulezvous@fwi.com> writes:

> We have approximately fifty classes who need supplies. Grow lights 
> are
> the highest priority at the moment.

Fifty sets of grow lights? Why not try something easier, like ... oh ...
world peace.

Even organizations that make grants for educational gardening would not
likely concentrate that amount of resources in one county.

But here's a thought. It would take some effort, but it could work. It
has worked for me on a smaller scale.

When industrial buildings are torn down, there is usually a recovery
effort. Find an architectural recovery company in your area -- you'd have
to look, but there are such places -- and find one that has a pile of
obsolete florescent fixtures piled in their warehouse. No one is going to
buy them. Talk them into giving them to you. (They may well be eight foot
rather than four foot, which from a light-gardening perspective is
better.)

Now you have light fixtures. They can be hung on chains from a ceiling,
but that probably is too easy. Better if they are on stands with legs --
nothing fancy, just a rack supported on 2 x 4s. Check the high school
shop teacher. See if he might get a class involved in designing and
building the stands.  

If that works, you now have light fixtures on stands, but all the tubes
are probably burned out (though you might luck out and get a bunch from
the recovery warehouse).

Now all you need are bulbs. Try a wholesale industrial electric supplier.
You don't need grow lights. It would be nice if you could get half cold
white and half warm white, but even that isn't necessary. For the level
of growing you are dealing with, any bulb will work fine.

Seems like a whole lot of work, doesn't it. But it is at least possible.
Getting 50 new commercial grow light fixtures is probably not. And if I
am wrong about that, you should get a medal of some kind.

On the other hand, you might ask which Master Gardeners are members of
some local service organization -- Lions, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce --
and see if they can get their group to help.

D

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