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Mousetoescamper

(4,524 posts) Mon Aug 26, 2024, 05:35 PM Aug 26

Empty basket at the former Tomato Barn

When I last visited the Tomato Barn in 2017, it was a thriving business with many employees and table upon table laden with many varieties of local tomatoes. Washington Borough, in Lancaster County, PA, is known for its tomatoes, grown in the rich soil of the Susquehanna River Valley. When I returned to the site earlier this month I found that the name had changed and the business had gone completely self-service, with a scales and an honor box but not a human in sight. There were only three long tables of tomatoes. I'm guessing the business never fully recovered from Covid.

6 replies

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Empty basket at the former Tomato Barn (Original Post) Mousetoescamper Aug 26 OP

Did you get some or is the empty basket all there was? brer cat Aug 26 #1

The empty antique basket was decorative. I bought a few of the overpriced tomatoes. Mousetoescamper Aug 26 #2

I'm not surprised. Minimum wage in PA is only $7.25 an hour. Squaredeal Aug 26 #3

Or the current owners found it more profitable to go the self-service route. Mousetoescamper Aug 26 #4

Your thread title says it all, and it's very sad. CaliforniaPeggy Aug 26 #5

We're both used to frequenting thriving farmers' markets. A market without people is sad indeed. Mousetoescamper Aug 26 #6

brer cat

(25,689 posts)

1. Did you get some or is the empty basket all there was?

Reply to Mousetoescamper (Original post)

Mon Aug 26, 2024, 05:58 PM

Aug 26

It sounds like a place I would love to visit for great tomatoes.

Mousetoescamper

(4,524 posts)

2. The empty antique basket was decorative. I bought a few of the overpriced tomatoes.

Reply to brer cat (Reply #1)

Mon Aug 26, 2024, 06:10 PM

Aug 26

Squaredeal

(494 posts)

3. I'm not surprised. Minimum wage in PA is only $7.25 an hour.

Reply to Mousetoescamper (Original post)

Mon Aug 26, 2024, 06:18 PM

Aug 26

Maybe PA people can no longer work for this pittance and have found better paying jobs after Covid?

Mousetoescamper

(4,524 posts)

4. Or the current owners found it more profitable to go the self-service route.

Reply to Squaredeal (Reply #3)

Mon Aug 26, 2024, 06:47 PM

Aug 26

Whatever the reason, the business has diminished from when I last visited, both in terms of available produce and the human connection.

CaliforniaPeggy

(151,316 posts)

5. Your thread title says it all, and it's very sad.

Reply to Mousetoescamper (Original post)

Mon Aug 26, 2024, 07:01 PM

Aug 26

The transformation from a busy, productive shop to one with no people to help and very few tomatoes to buy is simply sad.

However, I do love the empty decorative tomato box.

Mousetoescamper

(4,524 posts)

6. We're both used to frequenting thriving farmers' markets. A market without people is sad indeed.