FARMINGTON -- A vegetable stand that uses the honor system has provided fresh produce throughout the season and attracts customers not only from Farmington but also from surrounding communities.
Rheas Mill Gardens is located at 500 Rheas Mill Road in Farmington and is owned and operated by Ashley Swaffar of Farmington.
Swaffar fills the cart with produce from her vegetable gardens and leaves it open throughout the day and evening. Customers drop by, select their items and then place their money or payment in a box on the stand.
A price list posted on site lets customers know how much they owe for their purchase. She advertises the latest vegetables ready for sale through her Rheas Mill Gardens Facebook page.
Swaffar works full-time in the poultry industry and said she's spent time in the Amish community. The honor system is very common among the Amish, she said.
"I got the idea from them and I really thought it would work," Swaffar said. "For the most part, I think people are honest. It all comes down to trusting people."
Swaffar's gardens take up about 1 1/2 acres but the farm itself has more than 10 acres and has been in the family for 46 years. Her grandfather owned the farm first. Her dad and uncle had the farm next and then Swaffar purchased it.
Swaffar has operated a vegetable stand for about four years and grows her produce in three gardens and a tunnel garden nearby. She explains that a tunnel garden is similar to a greenhouse but vegetables are planted directly in the ground, not in raised beds or grow tables, and protected by a cover.
Her business has increased this year and she attributes that to the covid-19 pandemic. More people are not going to the store and are wanting fresh food, she said.
"I think local is more important than anything. This year has showed us that," she said.
She works for an organic egg company and doesn't use chemicals in her garden. At one time, she said her vegetables were "certified organic," but she dropped that certification because of the cost.
However, having organic vegetables is very important to her.
"Those chemicals haven't been around that long and we're not 100 percent sure what they do to our health," she said.
Most of Swaffar's gardens are winding down for the season but she said she will continue to have greens, such as lettuce, kale and spinach, through December. During the growing season, produce at the stand has included beets, peppers, green peppers, cucumbers, egg plant, tomatoes, squash, okra and zucchini.
Swaffar also grows sunflowers and zinnias to sell and for the fall has provided pumpkins grown locally on a nearby farm.
With a full-time job, Swaffar said her evenings and weekends stay fairly busy working the garden by herself.
However, she believes providing fresh produce to the community is important.
"I really like farming and I like gardening," Swaffar said. "I think local food is very important. It's a service to my community."
