TAMPA, Fla. -- A South Tampa family farm was targeted by thieves late last week.
Marion Lambert sells dairy, honey, eggs and more in the South Tampa Farm. The local farm handles its transaction based on the honor system. There's no cash register or price tags on their products, the customers just paid before they left.
Customers like Daniel Passman and his family enjoy shopping at the farm on a weekly basis.
"It's such a community staple here," said Passman. "We love coming by."
But for the first time in 40-plus years, someone took advantage of the honor system.
Overnight Friday, someone broke into both money boxes. One of the boxes kept the cash for his prized homemade money and the other was for the milk-and-egg stand.
"They took bolt cutters and cut it, twisted and just went in," Lambert said.
Up to $300 were taken in the theft. Now, the Tampa Police Department is investigating.
Lambert vows to make a couple of security upgrades.
"I'm going to put cameras up, which I never had before," he explained.
But he doesn't plan on ditching his business model.
“The reason I like the honor system is because it cuts down my time on the job. I don’t have to clerk it, I don’t have to count the money, I don’t have to think about what’s there and what’s gone," he said.
Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call 813-276-3205.
