Column: This honor-system farm store in Cumberland couldn’t work just anywhere

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 26, 2026

In the corner of a big white barn on Winn Road about a half mile off Route 9, anyone can walk in at anytime of day and comb through coolers of grass-fed beef, grab a carton of eggs or select snacks from the shelves. The farm store at Pine Ridge Acres never closes and has no cashier. Instead, it relies on a log where customers are asked to write down their name, what they’re buying and how they intend to pay for it — by cash or check (slid into a locked box beside the counter), credit card or Venmo. The business model doesn’t seem like it should work, but the store’s shrinkage rate is right around the industry average and, for theft in particular, is far below it. ~ Leslie Bridgers