A quiet act of trust was recently broken at a Lake Country farm stand.
With cash in hand, local shopper Linda Seeley makes her purchases at B&T Orchards using what’s known as the honour system — a model where no staff are present and customers pay on their own.
“They put their trust in people,” she said. “And to see someone violate that trust ruins it for everybody.”
Earlier this week, that trust was tested when the farm stand at B&T Orchards was raided. Owner Mike Mitchell said it was clear something was wrong when he stopped by.
“We came Monday afternoon and noticed that the inventory was slightly reduced — or greatly reduced. When we did the count, which we do once a day, it didn’t add up.”
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More than $100 worth of produce was stolen, but for Mitchell, it’s not about the money.
“At the end of the day, $100 is $100 worth of hard labour that me and my workers put in. We take pride in that. It’s the violation of honesty.”
The stand, open 24-7 and stocked with fruits, vegetables and baked goods, operates entirely on the honour system.
“We’re not paying wages (to oversee the stand) — we’re simply producing the fruits and vegetables that we grow here on the farm,” Mitchell explained. “It keeps the cost down for everyone.”
This is the first time someone has taken advantage of the system, but it may not be the last. Mitchell says the incident is forcing him to reconsider how the stand operates.
“If it happens once a week, we’ll be out of business. We’ll either have to close down or staff it. And if we staff it, it’ll limit the hours that it’s open.”
Seeley hopes that doesn’t happen. “It’s pretty crappy,” she said. “You’ve got good people doing good things in the community.”
For now, the stand remains open with the hope that the next visitor chooses to pay, so locals like Seeley can continue supporting local food at an affordable price.
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