Some 50,000 apples — ripe for the taking — were stolen from an Indiana orchard in a juicy heist that’s baffled and disappointed the farm’s fledgling owners.
When Jon Drummond drove through his 135-acre apple orchard last week and discovered barren Golden Delicious apple trees, he was so shocked he could hardly believe it.
“I was like, ‘Wait what?" Drummond said. "I mean, all of a sudden you go through a huge block of trees and it is completely picked through.”
When Drummond and his wife, Robyn, who own Williams Orchard in LaPorte, Indiana, noticed the block of fruitless trees, they concluded they were the victims of a commercial robbery that will cost them nearly $30,000 in revenue, they said.
“We have pretty awesome neighbors who tipped us off that someone had seen somebody out here,” Robyn Drummond said. At first, she believed the thieves were mistaken for the farm’s own pickers who collect apples to be sold.
“I didn’t believe it at first. I thought it was a mistake,” she said. “We’re in Indiana, this is a small town. I would have never in a million years had guessed this would happen.”
Around 50,000 apples were shaken off trees and stolen from the orchard, Jon Drummond said. He estimates the retail value of the Golden Delicious apples to be about $27,000 and said the apples may be used to make cider or applesauce, or sold through wholesalers.
“It really hurt, but we still have a lot of apples," he said. “It probably took out about 10 percent of our orchard or so.”
The couple said they made a police report with the LaPorte County sheriff’s office. A representative of the sheriff’s office told CBS affiliate WSBT 22, which first reported the story, that police are searching for someone with a pickup truck or trailer likely used in the commission of the crime.
Drummond said they do not have any insurance or protections on the orchard and can not recoup the loss.
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“We had just installed new gates about two weeks ago, but we hadn’t had a chance to install all of the security cameras and locking mechanisms,” he said, adding they’ve since done so
Jon Drummond believes the thieves had insider knowledge of the orchard and understood the mechanics of the heist. He said the trees were left completely bare with not a single apple left on the ground and guesses they were shaken off trees and collected onto tarps.
“For every four to five apples you pick, you knock one on the ground. That’s just how it works," he said.
After years of looking for the perfect farm, the couple purchased Williams Orchard this summer and opened it for apple picking during Labor Day weekend.
“There’s so much character on this property," Jon Drummond said. "We didn’t choose apples, the apples and the farm chose us.”
As the Tribune previously reported, it has been a difficult year for orchards across the Midwest, with a number of weather issues reducing the overall availability of apples. Winter’s polar vortex, spring’s record rainfall and the pelting of a few hail storms caused enough disruption to apple trees that some orchards are starting picking season late, ending it early or not opening at all.
Though disheartened by the loss, the pair is comforted by community support and are trying to see the humor in the robbery. They plan to remain open through the weekend of Oct. 26-27.
“We’re just trying to make light of a really crappy situation and move forward," Robyn Drummond said. “We just want to continue running this really cool place and make people have lasting memories.”
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When Jon Drummond drove through his 135-acre apple orchard last week and discovered barren Golden Delicious apple trees, he was so shocked he could hardly believe it.
“I was like, ‘Wait what?" Drummond said. "I mean, all of a sudden you go through a huge block of trees and it is completely picked through.”
When Drummond and his wife, Robyn, who own Williams Orchard in LaPorte, Indiana, noticed the block of fruitless trees, they concluded they were the victims of a commercial robbery that will cost them nearly $30,000 in revenue, they said.
“We have pretty awesome neighbors who tipped us off that someone had seen somebody out here,” Robyn Drummond said. At first, she believed the thieves were mistaken for the farm’s own pickers who collect apples to be sold.
“I didn’t believe it at first. I thought it was a mistake,” she said. “We’re in Indiana, this is a small town. I would have never in a million years had guessed this would happen.”
Around 50,000 apples were shaken off trees and stolen from the orchard, Jon Drummond said. He estimates the retail value of the Golden Delicious apples to be about $27,000 and said the apples may be used to make cider or applesauce, or sold through wholesalers.
“It really hurt, but we still have a lot of apples," he said. “It probably took out about 10 percent of our orchard or so.”
The couple said they made a police report with the LaPorte County sheriff’s office. A representative of the sheriff’s office told CBS affiliate WSBT 22, which first reported the story, that police are searching for someone with a pickup truck or trailer likely used in the commission of the crime.
Drummond said they do not have any insurance or protections on the orchard and can not recoup the loss.
[Most read] Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Chicago Bears’ 16-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4 »
“We had just installed new gates about two weeks ago, but we hadn’t had a chance to install all of the security cameras and locking mechanisms,” he said, adding they’ve since done so
Jon Drummond believes the thieves had insider knowledge of the orchard and understood the mechanics of the heist. He said the trees were left completely bare with not a single apple left on the ground and guesses they were shaken off trees and collected onto tarps.
“For every four to five apples you pick, you knock one on the ground. That’s just how it works," he said.
After years of looking for the perfect farm, the couple purchased Williams Orchard this summer and opened it for apple picking during Labor Day weekend.
“There’s so much character on this property," Jon Drummond said. "We didn’t choose apples, the apples and the farm chose us.”
As the Tribune previously reported, it has been a difficult year for orchards across the Midwest, with a number of weather issues reducing the overall availability of apples. Winter’s polar vortex, spring’s record rainfall and the pelting of a few hail storms caused enough disruption to apple trees that some orchards are starting picking season late, ending it early or not opening at all.
Though disheartened by the loss, the pair is comforted by community support and are trying to see the humor in the robbery. They plan to remain open through the weekend of Oct. 26-27.
“We’re just trying to make light of a really crappy situation and move forward," Robyn Drummond said. “We just want to continue running this really cool place and make people have lasting memories.”
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