During the summer months in southeast Michigan, you can count on at least one thing: four bright orange produce stands in Dundee, Ida, Milan, and Maybee will be stocked with fresh vegetables ready to feed a community on the honor system.
The man behind the stands is Tye Thompson – but his story starts long before these stands attracted lines of people waiting for their fix of his popular produce.
Tye didn’t grow up on a farm, but he always knew that being in the fields is right where he belonged. Many of Tye’s neighbors and family friends who babysat him were farmers, and watching the tractors and combines from his window sparked his childhood curiosity.
“For as long as I can remember, I have always liked growing plants and watching farmers in the field harvesting crops,” said Tye. “From the time I was a kid, I always wanted to farm.”
That curiosity turned into a drive to get started. By the time Tye was an early teenager, he was kickstarting his career in agriculture by working on his neighbor’s farm. When he realized that his neighbor had an acre he wasn’t using, Tye asked if he could rent it out and grow some crops.
From that point, Tye began to grow produce to sell – and he hasn’t stopped since.
“I rented that acre from him, built a little greenhouse, grew some plants, and bought my first tractor for $600,” said Tye.
That tractor was a bright orange Allis-Chalmers B — the inspiration behind the orange produce carts he still uses today.
“My first sale was a quart of jalapeños and a quart of banana peppers,” Tye recalls proudly.
When Tye was finishing up his senior year of high school, he knew he still had more to learn about agriculture before tackling it fulltime. He decided to pursue a degree in horticulture at Michigan State University. During his time there, he continued his farm operation on the side selling produce out of his stand.
After receiving his diploma in 2019, he began his dream of farming fulltime.
From Dreams to Reality
As a young farmer, Tye worked with GreenStone to secure financing to expand his operation – so he could turn a profit and remain a full-time farmer long-term. He worked with Rich Dubke, who, at the time, served as a financial services officer in GreenStone’s Monroe branch.
Rich already knew of Tye because of his signature orange produce stands, and he was excited to work with a young farmer ready to grow his operation.
Tye's bright orange produce stands have become a staple in southeast Michigan.
“His work ethic is second to none,” Rich explained. “He asks the right questions, and he puts the right people around him. The presence he has in the community is huge. You have a hard time not seeing multiple cars lined up at his produce carts in the summer.”
“It has been nice to talk to Rich and hear about different options he has for me,” Tye explained. “He has helped me weigh the pros and cons of buying things.”
Rich was able to utilize GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth resources to assist Tye in expanding his operation. The CultivateGrowth program provides flexibility in the loan approval process for young, beginning, and small farmers.
“GreenStone has really helped out a lot, especially when I was starting out on my farm,” said Tye. “They have been there to help me make improvements on my property.”
Tye has expanded from one produce cart to four – all bright orange, of course. He now has four greenhouses and 39 acres of farmland. His popularity has also expanded – as he became a staple in the community.
“It’s a hard job, so for the community to be so appreciative, it’s really nice,” said Tye.
Producing the Next Generation
Because so many people helped Tye follow his dreams in agriculture, he now gives back by investing in even younger aspiring agriculturalists. Aside from farming full-time, Tye began working in the classroom fulltime in 2021 at Dundee Community Schools teaching classes like agriculture business, botany, and zoology as part of their agriscience program at the school and leading their FFA Chapter as the advisor.
“It makes life extremely busy, but I enjoy teaching and I enjoy the kids. I like helping expand their knowledge on agriculture,” said Tye.
“I know Tye is aware of how important young farmers are, as an agriculture educator himself,” said Rich.
Recently, his students helped open a greenhouse at the school for a full hands-on experience. Tye hopes to continue in the field of agriculture education in hopes to inspire more people to get into the field.
Tackling Transition
Tye and Rich have built a close relationship working together. GreenStone takes great pride in the type of quality service we provide our members. That’s why when Rich recently made the choice to move from GreenStone’s Monroe branch to the Ann Arbor branch, he didn’t make that decision lightly.
“The hardest decision I’ve made in my six years at GreenStone was moving on to a new opportunity knowing that I’m leaving my customers, but I know they’re in good hands with Mark, so it made that decision easier,” said Rich.
When these transitions happen, customers like Tye are certainly not left in the dark. GreenStone’s leadership team thoughtfully considers the right partnership and communicates those staffing changes with any affected customers.
Long time Financial Services Officer Mark Buuck now works with Tye to help him continue growing his popular operation. It’s a transition that Rich and Mark have worked together on to make sure these vital relationships with our customers remain informed and strong.
“I’ve talked to Rich almost every day during the transition to make sure there are no hiccups,” said Mark. “When I take on new customers, I like to get on their farm, answer questions about the transition, and ask questions about their operation.”
As far as working with Tye, Mark is more than ready to get started.
“I know the success he has had, and I’m looking forward to working with him on his next steps,” said Mark.
Tye shares his tomato plants with Mark Buuck and Rich Dubke, two financial services officers with GreenStone.
A Bright Future
Tye’s future is as bright as his produce stands. He has a long list of goals he wants to accomplish including the addition of a farm store and dipping his toes into agri-tourism.
He also hopes to add a pole barn and more greenhouses in the future to be sure he’s able to provide produce even when the weather outside is unfavorable.
“Every year, I always try to expand in some way. I believe if you’re not growing, you’re dying,” said Tye.
“People like Tye are the future of agriculture,” said Rich.
Through it all, GreenStone will be there to help him grow.
To view the article in the online 2023 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
