PATASKALA, Ohio (WCMH) -- Apple picking is supposed to be a family-friendly tradition, but multiple theft incidents at a popular central Ohio farm are leaving a bad taste.
Lynd Fruit Farm now wants to make sure a few bad apples don't spoil the fun for the rest of its visitors.
Over Labor Day weekend, four separate incidents occurred where people tried to hide apples in their cars. Three of the cases involved small amounts; in the fourth instance, someone tried to hide $300 worth of apples around their vehicle's spare tire, their children, in their glove box, and under their seats.
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Patton said farm staff ask every customer how many bags of apples they've picked.
"All of our four incidents yesterday, they said we only picked one bag and showed us one bag," Patton said. "And we said, ‘That's it? No more in your truck or in your car?’ And they said, ‘Nope, this is it,’ and then when we walked back to the trunk, you look in the windows, and there's apples hidden under their kids' legs. It's really sad."
Now, to prevent further incidents, Lynd Fruit Farm has added extra help around the orchard to monitor things.
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Patton said the farm isn't pursuing legal action for this weekend's thefts, but future incidents may be handled differently.
"If people see anything that's suspicious of people, maybe stealing apples or trying to, we want them to report it to our greeters or our checkout person with a good description of the vehicle and the people," Patton said.
Patton said it's unfortunate that some people try to cheat the system. He said he hopes it doesn't ruin the experience for the rest of the families visiting the farm.
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With big varieties like Honeycrisp and EverCrisp still ahead, Patton said they want to get this under control now before some of the busiest weekends of the season.
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