EAGLE — Tucked among the quiet roads of rural Waukesha County, roadside farm stands are a summer staple — offering fresh produce and flowers, usually sold on the honor system.
But for one small business owner in Eagle, that trust was recently broken.
Angie Whipple, who runs RedBud Acres LLC, said someone stole both goods and cash from her self-serve farm stand this week — an act she caught on camera.
Watch: Farmer shares warning for others after camera catches theft at Eagle flower stand
“I know how many bouquets we put out,” Whipple said. “If we’re short, we go into our camera.”
That camera showed a stranger walking up to the stand, inserting a ruler wrapped in tape into the cash box, and pulling money out of the cash box.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Whipple said through tears. “So much work goes into this farm.”
In 2022, Whipple sold her first bouquet of farm fresh flowers in their roadside stand.
Nearly every day since, she’s out harvesting blooms and stocking her stand with the goal of bringing joy to the community.
“I really just try to provide something that brings joy,” she said.
“To see your hard work being stolen and somebody not caring about you as the person behind the farm, it’s frustrating.”
Whipple has since filed a report with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office. TMJ4 reached out for more information but didn’t immediately hear back.
While the financial loss stings, she said what hurt more was the lack of care for the farmer behind the flowers.
“It might just be one bouquet to you, but over a season, that could’ve been an employee to help, more seeds in the ground, and more flowers,” she explained.
The incident isn’t unique.
Last year, a family in Colgate reported a similar theft from their own roadside stand.
Now, Whipple is encouraging other growers to take precautions — from installing cameras to using tamper-proof cash boxes.
“I hope my story helps other people with their farm stands to do something a little differently to protect themselves,” she said.
Despite the theft, Whipple said she’s not going anywhere.
“I think of all the people who do support us,— it truly means the world,” she said.
For more on RedBud Acres, you can visit their website.
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