Since I became disabled on September 3, 2008 Holly and I depend much more on money we earn at our farm stand. We grow many different items that we sell on an "honor system". You can get fresh berries, squash, beets, beans, cucumbers, corn, many different flowers as well. A person picks up what they want and put the money in the "honor box". Not much honor to it!!
We plant about 7 thousand glads that sell for $1.00 each, well that should bring in about $6K taking into consideration you will loose a few here and there. We bring in about $3,500.00, nearly a 50% loss. In the last week we have been ripped off twice. I caught the first lady, 65 year old Carol Fields of Standish Maine, she got away with $25.00 worth of items and did not pay one red cent. Seeing her I drove directly to her home with the police behind me. Of course she states she forgot to pay, forgot! A woman with over 20 theft convictions forgot. Yesterday in the hot sun Holly and I picked blueberries for about 3 hours, some one stole 3 boxes within one hour of putting them out.
We are so sorely disappointed with the actions of so many, we work so darn hard to make ends meet and people steal from us. It's becoming so bad that we believe this will without question be our very last year of selling from the farm stand.
When I became sick I took a $2,800.00 a month NET pay cut. We live on my military pension, we have asked for no help from anyone or any agency. Hoping to make $10K per year from our farm, a licensed farm that MUST pay taxes to the great State of Maine for every penny that goes into the "honor box". Then you have these despicable people that feel they can steal what ever they want. These are people who have never worked the land to know how hard it is to make ends meet.
I hope ever who stole the berries gets the shits!
Thanks for listening guys as I need to vent before I stick a cucumber up some guys ass!
Larry