One of the more dystopian aspects of modern life is that in nearly every major American city, you cannot simply walk into a convenience store to buy something. Instead, you often have to ring a small bell and wait for a clerk to come unlock your tube of toothpaste or bottle of shampoo from behind a glass case. This is considered normal, even sensible, in a cultural moment where social trust hovers around a record low. One place this doesn’t feel normal, however, is at America’s many local farm stands.

The roadside farm stand emerged in the early 20th century as automobiles became more widespread. Traditionally, farmers would set up small tables or wagons to sell surplus produce, eggs and dairy goods to passersby. Today, farm stands often come with modern flourishes, such as Venmo QR codes and curated Instagram presences. But they remain an iconic symbol of American agritourism and local food movements, offering fresh, seasonal items and a nostalgic connection to small-scale farming. They are almost always unmanned, running entirely on the honor system.

Today, farm stands often come with a modern touch, such as QR codes and curated Instagram presence

Today, farm stands often come with a modern touch, such as QR codes and curated Instagram presence

The regulatory state, for all its emphasis on depersonalized mechanisms, inadvertently encourages this last enclave of high-trust society. While selling prepared........

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