How to visit

Sundays and holidays

Nearly every Plain-run business is closed on Sunday, and many also close on religious holidays such as Ascension Day, Good Friday and the day after Christmas. Some close for a day or two when the community holds a wedding or a funeral. If a stand is empty when you expected it open, that’s usually why.

Paying

Bring cash, and bring small bills. Plenty of places now take cards or checks, but many don’t, and roadside stands often run on an honor box: you weigh or count what you take and leave the money in a locked box or a coffee can. Please pay what’s marked.

Calling ahead

The phone number we list may ring a phone shanty, a small shed at the end of a lane that several families share. Nobody may be near it when you call. Leave a clear message with your name, your number and what you’re after, then give it a day or two. Calls between early morning and supper have the best chance of being heard. Don’t text; most of these numbers are landlines.

Hours follow the season and the farm work. A stand that’s open every day in August may close in November and stay shut until spring. Bakeries can sell out by late morning on a Saturday. When in doubt, call.

Raw milk and meat

Raw milk laws differ by state. In some states farms may sell it only on the farm, only to members of a herd share, or only for pets. Ask the farm how they sell it and don’t expect them to bend the rules for you. For meat, many farms sell by the quarter or half and take orders weeks ahead of butchering; ask what’s in the freezer now.

Photos

Many Plain people prefer not to be photographed, as a matter of faith. Ask before taking pictures on someone’s property, keep people out of the frame, and don’t photograph children. Pictures of the food, the produce table or the fields are usually fine, but asking first never hurts.

On the road

You’ll share country roads with horse-drawn buggies, bicycles and farm equipment. Slow down on hills and curves, give buggies a wide berth when you pass, and don’t honk. Park where you’re told, out of the way of the barn and the field lanes.

Being a good customer

Dress modestly and keep the visit about the shopping. Questions about the food are welcome; questions about someone’s faith or way of life can wait until you know them. Come back, tell your friends, and if a listing on this site is wrong, let us know.