At ‘pick-your-own’ farms across Ontario, farmers report surge in theft

Your Morning producer Michael Hiscock discusses what could be driving the surge in ‘mass thefts’ of apples at Ontario farms.

Farmers across Ontario are reporting a surge in thefts this year, costing some tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

The trend appears to have hit pick-your-own farms the hardest, where customers have unsupervised access to products.

“We are seeing customers come in with reusable bags and folding them into their pockets and then when they’re out in the orchard, filling them and trying to leave without paying for them,” Jessica Farmer, the co-owner of Maple Grove Orchards, told CTV Your Morning.

“We have, unfortunately, seen customers put them in strollers and wagons — overfilling it — just trying to take as much as they can without paying for it.”

Theft is costing the farm up to $20,000 this year alone, according to Farmer. She described one particularly large bust where a customer had tried to hide upwards of 150lbs of apples in their trunk.

The farm, located in Bowmanville, has since introduced new security measures in response. They include restrictions on access, rolling out staff to observe customers as they pick and prohibiting strollers for anyone without children.

Other farms say they are seeing the same thing.

“I have farmed and sold produce for 30 years and yes, theft is an issue that has always existed but has increased sharply in recent years,” Scott Lunau, owner of Albion Orchards in Caledon, wrote to CTV Your Morning in an email.

“Some of the worst offenders are young mothers who use their baby strollers as theft-enabling vehicles, and come prepared to load their carriages with apples and hide the theft using blankets, diaper bags, etc.”

The thefts are not limited to pick-your-own farms. Besley Country Market, which operates a self-serve produce stand in Shelburne, Ont., had to temporarily close after reporting that a customer had pried open its cash box.

“Over the past few weeks we have experienced an increasing number of thefts during our ‘honour system’ days,” reads a post on its Instagram page. “...someone pried open our cash box, taking everything inside, while leaving a pile of cigarette ashes for us to clean up.”

Some farmers say if the trend continues, they will be forced to consider closing pick-your-own services for good.

“This farm has operated since 1967, but I am no longer interested in dealing with the general public when it comes to selling my produce,” Lunau wrote.