On Your Honor Farm Stands

Trucking through the northern hills of Georgia and its many horse farms, my friend takes me to her favorite farm stand. We pull in and see the glory of neat winding rows of newly planted greens, the last of vine-ripened tomatoes and peppers and a few rows of harvested okra stalks. The dirt in Georgia is very red, which contrasted nicely with the vibrancy of the vegetation, unlike the clay-like soil I’m used to at home.

The stand was filled with several varieties of apples, peppers, beans, potatoes, cornmeal, sorghum syrup, and Cinderella pumpkins. As we glanced through the goods for several minutes, I asked where is the gal who’s selling? To my amazement, my friend tells me it’s an honor system. You chose what you want, then leave money in the box. I’m a bit shocked, but there it was a box full of bills. Drop your cash and shop? Maybe I have lived in the city too long!

So I plopped $5 in for a bag of ground non-GMO cornmeal to take home. I was still struggling with the fact that I thought this was the craziest thing ever. Who does this?

Well, I’m wrong. Another few twisty turning roads away my friend proves to me that, yes, they all do it here.

As we pull alongside a road with no farm or houses visible, there’s Chip’s By Your Honor Veggie Stand, with a cooler full of fresh eggs, fresh southern boiled peanuts, homemade jams, and salad greens. I enjoyed reading Chip’s signs and felt like I knew where he was coming from. He is a retired firefighter and loves to garden, end of story.

What an excellent way to do what you love and share your trust with your community. I hope these farmers make bucket loads, so they continue growing bucket loads. A special thanks go out to these Georgia farmers for their trusting nature and hospitality!