Something I Never Thought I'd See...A Thrift Store In Farmington

 I had to drive to my old hometown today...we've been gone for almost a year and a half and we still find ourselves needing to return every once in a while. While in town today, my son and I stopped in a local eatery for lunch and that's when I spotted something I thought I'd never see...a thrift store in Farmington, Utah.

Now, you may or may not know much about Farmington. I lived there off-and-on for half a century and since the community was first settled in 1847, that means I lived in there for a third of the city's existence. I saw probably the most change the community ever experienced. It went from a sleepy little town of 2,526 in 1970 when we first arrived to 24,531 in 2020 when we moved. But something else other than rapid population grown happened in those years...the city nurtured an identity. 

I should say that I LOVE Farmington. I have so many wonderful memories of the town, the people, the sunsets, the amusement park, the mountain trails. It is a truly unique place to live and raise a family. Sure, things have changed over the years. More people bring differing views--some good, some not so much. They bring experiences and personalities. And because there's not a lot of livable/buildable space in Farmington (it's sandwiched between the mountains and the lake bed...), not everyone who wants to live in Farmington is able to live in Farmington. It's sort of exclusive and becoming more and more so.

That's why I was surprised to see the thrift store there. Before my son and I left town, we checked out the store. It is a great place. It's clean, the products there are not "junk" that people dropped off at the thrift store instead of just throwing them away. They do their homework and the prices were fair. I was impressed. It was a thrift store that felt right at home in that community.

Another bonus is the thrift store is run by the Red Barn organization. We hired Red Barn Movers when we left town. It's a company that hires people who have had trouble in their past. They're people who may not have been given a chance by others but are thriving at Red Barn. 

I was happy to see the thrift store and after visiting, was even more happy it's located in the location it's in. Farmington needs a thrift store. They got a good one.