Whether you’re a keen gardener, or just keen to cut costs, growing your own produce can be a truly satisfying and enjoyable project.

If you’ve got a yard big enough, it makes total sense to provide for your family with home-grown, nourishing food – and with a sprinkling of love, it tastes better too.

So when the green-fingered family in this story decided to grow vegetables in their garden, they were excited to taste the results.

Little did they know that, thanks to their neighbor, their yard would actually be full of strangers helping themselves to the fruits of their labor.

Read on to find out what happened next.

AITA because I asked the neighbor to move their ‘little farm stand’ because people are stealing from my garden?

Recently, my neighbor set up one of those pantries/farm stands where people can take items that they grew in their garden, pantry stuff, donated stuff, etc.

In theory it’s a great idea, and especially in a time when life in America sucks and people are struggling to make ends meet (my family included).

The problem is that people started coming into my yard to pick things in my garden.

Uh-oh. Let’s see how this wholesome neighbor inadvertently caused some real bother.

I’ve put up signs saying not to do it, I installed rabbit fence around the garden, I’ve even angled a tarp so you can’t see what’s there from the road.

But people just hold their kids over the fence to pick tomatoes and beans or jump over it entirely.

I ended up getting into an argument with a lady over it. I yelled “HEY, STOP. THOSE ARE NOT FOR YOU TO TAKE.” She told her kid to move faster and then tried to run away.

I caught up to her and asked her what her problem was and she turned it into how dare I swear in front of her child, why am I so angry, am I really that upset about a couple tomatoes? I said I am upset that you are stealing from me.

Yikes! Read on to find out how this person approached her negihbor about the problem.

The next day, I approached my neighbor. I asked if I could maybe help move their stand to the other side of their driveway so it’s next to the other neighbor’s house, since they don’t have a garden out front.

They said at least not until the end of the season, so I asked if they could make larger signs, talk to people, just do something.

They were like “can you really not afford to share?” to which I responded that people aren’t taking my zucchini because they’re starving, they’re taking my tomatoes because they want them.

My neighbors said that I’m going to have to learn to live with it for now, and we can talk about a solution together that will benefit the whole community after.

Let’s see how this woman felt about her neighbors’ refusal to act.

I said I do not care about a solution that benefits the whole community. I care about a solution that stops people from stealing from me.

So last night it happened again, a man in his 50s – so I sprayed him with the hose.

He started yelling at me and after a minute or so my neighbor came out yelling at me too.

People have posted on the neighborhood board to be careful if they come by because I’m an *******.

And the drama didn’t stop there.

The neighbor says I’m scaring people away from a community resource.

I told him that I’m going to continue until he does something about the thieves who feel entitled to my garden.

I feel like I’m losing my mind here. Am I wrong for asking them to move their stall?

Am I wrong for being mad that people are stealing from me? This is food for my family.

AITA?

Uh-oh. It really feels like this person’s neighbors think their wholesome stall is more important than the happiness, safety, and security of their neighbor.

Sure it’s nice to give stuff away, but that’s no invitation to trespass on others’ property, much less to show no concern about their neighbor’s distress.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this.

This person agreed that the person was right to put their foot down.

And others showed just how ignorant the neighbors were.

Meanwhile, some Redditors offered practical solutions.

This person’s garden is their own private property, not some sort of community allotment for the public to help themselves to whenever they want.

There is no respect of this individual’s privacy, nor the hard work they’re putting into feeding their family with freshly grown produce.

Moreover, the neighbor’s attitude shows, beyond the public displays of generosity, who they really are.

And it doesn’t paint a pretty picture.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.