Constant variety is one great thing about DeChant Farms, which boasts more than 20 crops and other delectables throughout the season. (Photo by James Proffitt)
A card table laden with amber honey, a small cart burdened with shiny rhubarb and lush green asparagus, a picnic table flush with tomatoes or peaches. Sweet! Your eyes settle on fresh picks but see there’s no one around — and there it is: a coffee can, a cigar box, or a little door with a slot and a sign reading “Money” or “Pay here.” Welcome to Ohio: the land of honest food and plenty of it.
From commercial refrigerators to iced coolers of just-laid eggs to picnic tables burdened with just-picked produce, the honor system works all over Ohio, supporting farmers and their families and placing wholesome nutrition on tables.
John Tracey, 91, has been farming the Marblehead Peninsula since 1957. He says self-pay stands have been around just about forever. “Since I was a little kid, 6 years old, we’ve had it,” he explains. “I’ve got extra money from people. A lot of them have told me they always leave extra.” While Tracey’s stand is often staffed, it often isn’t. Self-service customers, depending on the month, may find peppers, zucchini, acorn and butternut squashes, green peppers, sweet corn, strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, and other fresh-grown treats.
Lora Harbison frequents Tracey’s when she visits the area with friends and family. “This particular stand has the best corn around,” she explains. Harbison describes a visit when Tracey was shy on corn: “There were only four small ears left in the baskets and when I went to pay, I only had a $20,” she says with a warm smile. “So I looked around, picked up two tomatoes, an onion, two zucchini, and a small basket of peaches, and called it good.” Harbison says her bill would’ve been $5 or $6, but that she didn’t hesitate sliding the $20 through the slot. “I was glad to have a few extra items I hadn’t planned on eating that evening — plus, I know they’re as fresh as it gets.”
Near Port Clinton, Chris Galvin’s Lockwood Honey is an off-the-beaten-path site, sort of self-pay. Her operation is a cooler sitting in the front yard with a small sign. When they want fresh, local honey, customers call, text, email, or chat Galvin up on Facebook. She leaves the sweetness in the cooler; folks stop by and leave the greenness in a Tupperware container. “No one’s ever stolen any money,” she says, “and no one’s ever stolen any honey, either.”
Bergman Orchards has been a steady operation in Ottawa County for decades, farming hundreds of acres on numerous tracts. While Bergman’s is fully staffed during most of the season, it’s often a self-serve stand, with offerings of squashes, feed corn, firewood, fresh-squeezed apple cider, and other tasty treats. President Barack Obama stopped by unannounced in 2012, purchasing peaches and a dozen ears of corn (of course, it was fully staffed with smiling folks when he arrived). The commander-in-chief paid personally — and left a hefty tip with the cashier, too.
Love of farming is the driving force behind DeChant Farms in Huron. The first sprout nearly two decades ago was a small table offering strawberries. In full bloom now, explains Mary Jo DeChant, is a full-service self-service site with all things wholesome — including baked goods made by her brother, Daniel. Mary Jo spends seven days a week in her fields — and wouldn’t have it any other way. “The honesty system is great,” assures DeChant. But as satisfying as cash and checks are, notes from customers are tops for her.
“I have many ‘thank you’ notes pushed into the slot. I really love it,” she admits. “They usually say how great stuff is, how much they appreciate the hard work.” DeChant utilizes Facebook, where customers send their orders, and hanging signs to let folks know what crops are in. The system is pretty honest, too — about 95 percent, her stats say. Like Tracey, she sometimes receives extra.
The best thing about self-pay, DeChant assures, is that she can spend more time playing in the dirt. “That’s the main reason I do it. If I made enough money, I’d just sit over there all the time visiting with customers I love so much.”
Tom Brown’s family has operated Hilltop Harvest Farm near Wapakoneta for nearly two decades, beginning with a tiny cart and a 5-gallon cash bucket. Now it’s a 10-by-20-foot canopy with commercial coolers, May through October. “Honest food” has double meaning for Hilltop, Brown says.
“The best part is we’re growing food that people are going to take home and eat,” he says, “and from time to time we get letters in the cash box saying how much they appreciate our stand.” The notes, according to Brown, make it all worthwhile.
The relationship between the land, farmers, and Ohioans is closest at self-pay stands, and there’s likely one nearby. Find one, then pick up some hyper-local fruits, vegetables, eggs, or other yummy wares, and maybe leave a note. The farmers love that.
Keep in mind
Crops change frequently
From asparagus and rhubarb early on to late-season tomatoes, squash, and pumpkins, many Ohio farm stands offer new foods almost every week.
Nothing could be more farm-to-table
With no middleman, produce is often purchased the same day it’s harvested — sometimes within minutes. It’s a veritable beeline from the dirt to the table.
A darned good feeling
Farmers get paid, and folks, especially nowadays, love the idea of being trusted. Self-pay stands create friendships between Ohioans who may never meet or speak.
