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Community food stands can be a wonderful resource, but generosity should never give strangers permission to take from someone else’s property.

So you’re growing vegetables to help feed your own family while visitors to your neighbor’s farm stand keep climbing into your yard…would you tolerate the theft, or demand that the stand be moved?

That is the battle facing one gardener after signs, fencing, and polite requests fail to stop people from stealing tomatoes and beans.

See why the garden hose finally came out.

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.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about neighbors who intentionally tank an open house sale because they want to buy the property themselves.

When all is said and done, this story proves that supporting the community does not mean sacrificing food your own family depends on.

Moving the stand or posting clearer warnings could have protected the garden, but the neighbor seemed more interested in defending the project than stopping the theft.

Perhaps the trespassers finally understood the boundary once the hose appeared, although their outrage suggests accountability was not their strongest skill.

Anyone willing to climb a fence for free tomatoes should probably expect the occasional surprise watering.