‘I want to put trust back in the world’: Berea family serves their community while making lasting memories with farm stand

BEREA, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — With the unofficial start of summer a little more than a week away, you’ll most likely see lemonade and farm stands popping up all over Kentucky.

For one Berea family, while having a farm stand of their own was a dream, making it a family affair is where the true fun lies.

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To understand the story of this family farm stand, you first have to go back five years.

“We lived in an apartment, and we always wanted a little, like, homestead,” explained Stormie Thompson. “So, we moved here five years ago and that summer we got chickens.”

Fast forward to 2023, and Stormie, her husband, and their two sons, Ryzan, 10, and Manny, 6, began to work on their family farm stand after getting inspiration from TikTok.

“I noticed that we didn’t have one here, like I drove around Berea, and I’ve never seen one,” Stormie said. “So, I was like, well, maybe I need to bring it to Berea.”

“It didn’t take too long,” Brandon described. “Probably took about 2 hours to build it. not that long.”

Selling everything from eggs and tic-tac-toe boards to homemade soaps, the Thompsons are relying on the best of humanity with the honor system.

“It’s always when we’re gone,” Stormie said. “Maybe they see our car and they’re like, ‘Well, I’ll pull up now,’ but it’s always when we’re gone. But we’ll come back, and I’ll notice that one little thing is missing. So, I’ll run up to the stand and I’m so excited. So, I was a little scared at first, but now I’m just like, I want to put trust back in the world. So, we built a little box and they just put the money in and hopefully nobody steals.”

But this stand isn’t just about making money; it’s about family.

Stormie and Brandon want their sons to spend their summers learning things that aren’t just how to beat their favorite video game.

“We have them, like, help us with the chickens,” Stormie explained. “So that teaches them like life skills and then they haven’t helped with the craft yet, but I’m sure they will eventually. They’ve been in school a little busy a little bit. So as soon as the summer comes, I’m sure we’ll do crafts together and put it in our sand and keep people keep them off of social media.”

Ryzan and Manny said they were having a blast.

When asked what his family part was, Ryzan said, “Probably seeing people slow down and watch the stand.”

Stormie and Brandon said they are grateful for the chance to make memories that’ll last the whole family a lifetime.

You can find the Thompsons’ farm stand at 323 Wilson Lane, Berea, KY.

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