08/12/2024
Disrespectful guests are ruining the experience for everyone. It's time to address it.
We started this u-pick flower farm with a simple goal: to create a peaceful space where people can enjoy nature and find happiness among the flowers. Operating solely on donations and personal funds, we don’t pay ourselves and often struggle to break even. Despite this, we continue because we believe in the joy it brings to the community.
Over the years, we’ve tolerated disrespect, hoping things would improve. Most of our guests have been wonderful and respectful, truly embracing the spirit of what we’ve created here. However, the issues have become more frequent and severe. It’s time to address these problems openly to ensure everyone can enjoy our farm as intended.
We are extremely generous, but that doesn’t give visitors the right to disregard our property. We have security cameras clearly marked on the barn, and we see when people steal boxes of vases, wander into restricted areas, or jump fences to chase our goats. We hear when people say they can take as much as they want without paying. It’s exhausting to put up new signs every time someone finds a new way to disrespect us.
We operate on a donation basis to keep the experience accessible to everyone. However, it’s frustrating when people take large quantities of flowers without fairly compensating us, leaving us struggling to maintain the farm for those who genuinely appreciate it. We trusted that visitors would use common sense and decency when deciding how much to pick, but unfortunately, that trust has been misplaced. We do NOT provide flowers for events, allow large quantities to be picked, or permit the use of buckets. 1-2 vases per person is acceptable, and occasionally picking 3 vases to gift others is fine. Despite our clear policies—both the no-bucket policy and the restriction against providing flowers for events—some visitors still attempt to circumvent these rules by bringing large groups and overpicking. We urge everyone to do the right thing, even when no one is watching.
Many people expect huge fields of flowers when they arrive, but our farm is small, with over 1,000 feet of flower rows—not fields. While rows may not look as impressive from afar, they’re practical for cutting, allowing all flowers to be accessible. This isn’t a botanical garden. If walking on grass, seeing a few weeds, and being completely outdoors bothers you, then this activity might not be your cup of tea—and that’s okay. However, coming here and making nasty comments is very hurtful. It’s surprising how many people arrive with bad attitudes, only to leave saying they’re “in love with the place.” So many don’t give us a fair chance because we don’t look like other farms.
We’ve had ongoing issues with trespassing and ignoring signs. For instance, some visitors disobey the stop sign at the end of the garden area and park in prohibited spots, despite our clear signage. Driving past the barn is dangerous, as there are often kids and animals crossing the area. For your safety and ours, please respect the stop sign. We’re aware of photo appointments and can ensure that there are no animals, people, or equipment on the upper driveway during those times. However, for UPick visits, unexpected driving beyond the designated areas puts everyone at risk.
The main house on the property is NOT our home. The homeowners generously share their land but are not involved in the farm’s operations. Please do NOT knock on their door. Furthermore, we are tired of seeing our guests treat them as laborers. It’s incredibly disrespectful to make assumptions about people based on appearance. Stop talking down to them—in fact, don’t talk down to anyone on our property. We provide maps and clear instructions in your confirmation emails, so ensure everyone in your group follows them.
For those with photo appointments, you are specifically permitted to visit the pond. If you have a u-pick appointment but would like to visit the pond, please send us a text or call—we’re happy to accommodate. Our phone numbers are posted everywhere, and we typically respond to texts and emails within minutes. It’s crucial that we know who is on the property at all times for everyone’s safety.
We have day jobs and spend our free time maintaining the garden, not because we have to, but because we love what we’ve built and enjoy sharing it with the community. However, continuous disrespect from visitors takes a toll. We care deeply and are always willing to fulfill reasonable requests, but we need to protect our own happiness and well-being too. Please help us by respecting the rules and treating our space with care, even when no one is watching.
Thank you for understanding and helping us keep this place a welcoming and beautiful experience for all. We truly love seeing how many people enjoy the farm and want to continue to share it with you! If you’d like to schedule a visit, we have plenty of spots still available! Use this link: chackofarms.as.me or message us 🙂
If you wish to contribute more to help us maintain the farm, you can do so via Venmo or Cashapp:
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