Resource: Library of Congress
Once upon a time our country's back roads held thriving farm stands that brought in some extra cash for families and fresh garden and orchard food for the locals. What was in season could usually be bought for less than commercial stores could sell it for. Do you remember these farm stands?
Farm stands were usually closed during off-growing seasons. Soon as the produce began to be able to feed more than the family -- it landed in the farm stand located out their door and down by the road where the it was visible to passing traffic. Stands came in all sizes and shapes.
Above is a farm stand photo taken by a Mr. Pointer during the mid 20th century. Farm stands like the one above were usually run by the farm family and maybe a friend or relative The photo shows how serious some were about selling -- they went all out in presentation.
Today, it is rare to find a farm stand along a back road. Farms are busy mono-cropping for corporations. But if one is diligent one can still possibly find remnants left over from the past.
Above is a stand that I found recently while riding the back roads of Oregon. The crop being sold was hazelnuts both cracked and un-cracked. It was a family endeavor and the nuts came from the acres of nut trees on their property.
The stand was an old one -- refurbished forty years ago when they bought it from a family that sold flowers from it down the road.
Here is a look at the orchard of Spring Brook Hazel Nut Farm where I bought some already cracked nuts from the above farm stand. With nuts in hand I continued down the road smiling while I chewed down a few. They were delicious.
