'Most people are honest': Roadside stands show honour system still viable on P.E.I.

When Jeanine Dionne first visited P.E.I. 32 years ago, she was amazed to see the makeshift stands farmers would set up along the road to sell their vegetables.

There was nobody working at the stands — it was just the vegetables and a container where customers would put their money.

The "honour system" has remained a tradition on P.E.I., and that display of trust is one reason Dionne and her family call P.E.I. their "happy place," and return every year from their home in South Carolina.

"I thought at the time even 32 years ago that it was pretty neat that somebody could put their product out and expect people to pay and not take away the potatoes without paying," she said. "So now, 32 years later, to see that people still have that trust on the Island, I think it's pretty phenomenal."

You can find everything from potatoes to pumpkins and wood to worms at the roadside stands.

"Most people are honest," said Marshfield farmer Chad Lewis, who has sold produce from a stand at the end of his driveway for about 21 years.

But he said he still loses about 10 per cent to people who help themselves or "pretend they're paying and throw in a dime and a couple of nickels and take a bunch of stuff."

"That happens," he said. "But it's not worth it for us to try to have somebody there because we need everybody we've got just to try to keep up picking our vegetables…. Sometimes people need it and other times you wonder if they're taking advantage. But we're not losing any sleep over it."

Lewis's stand, like most that do a high volume of sales, have the money box secured to prevent it from being stolen.

It's pretty good because we don't have to be down there, we don't have to pay someone to stay there all day.— Mickael Jauneau

Mickael Jauneau moved to P.E.I. from New Zealand in June 2018 and bought a honey business in Canoe Cove.

With it came the roadside honey stand. Though he sells his products at markets and other venues, he said most of the sales come from the stand, especially in July and August. He said occasionally some product gets stolen, but "95 per cent of the people would pay and sometimes give a bit more."

"It's pretty good because we don't have to be down there, we don't have to pay someone to stay there all day. So you know it's just part of the game, I guess, to have stuff stolen. It's part of the loss. It's frustrating but you know that's the way it is."

Jauneau has about 200 beehives on his farm. He said some people will stop at the stand, then drive down the lane to see where the honey comes from.

"People come up to the barn and and want to buy it from us. You know, they want to see us and they want to see inside the barn."

That's one reason Lammert Wolters located his chicken and egg stand further up his driveway near his home in Mill Cove. 

He said people may be less tempted to steal, and it's also easier to meet his customers.

"I try to make an effort to stop in and have a chat with them and see how things are. And that's the beautiful thing, that community, to stay in touch that way," he said.

He said he's never had a problem with theft. He said many of his customers live in the area, and if they don't have enough money, they'll remember and pay extra the next time.

"The people are very very honest," he said.

Jkobe Smith, a 12-year-old who sells worms from a stand outside his home in Mill Cove for $3 a dozen, said theft is not an issue with his business.

He doesn't even lock up his cash jar, and said he's made more money than he budgeted for.

"They usually give the right amount or a dollar more," he said with a smile.

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