Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

'There was nothing there:' Farming family says someone stole 22,000 apples from their orchard
KOAA ^ | Posted: 6:14 AM, Oct 18, 2019 Updated: 7:24 AM, Oct 18, 2019 | WXYZ Staff

Posted on 10/18/2019 12:26:51 PM PDT by Red Badger

HARTLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- It's a place where thousands of families go every year to celebrate fall. Now, Spicer Orchards northwest of Detroit, Michigan is dealing with a crime like no other in its more than 50-year history. Someone stole more than 22,000 apples off acres of trees under the cover of darkness.

After running the orchard for more than 50 years, the Spicer family has learned that you only pick apples when they are perfectly ripe. As harvest time nears, they check the apples every few days.

On Sunday, October 6, the apples in the farm’s supplemental orchard on Silver Lake Road in Linden were not quite yet ripe. Then, on Wednesday, October 9, they checked again.

“There was nothing there,” said Ryan Spicer, the grandson of Alan Spicer, the farm’s founder.

“We were predicting about 7,000 pounds of apples to be harvested over the next week period,” said Matthew Spicer, the son of the farm’s founder.

Ryan Spicer says his grandpa called the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. They are investigating who took an estimated 22,000 apples worth as much as $14,400.

Since neighbors didn’t see anything, they believe someone harvested the crop in the middle of the night.

“It would have had to be three or four trucks,” said Matthew.

“At least a crew of nine,” added Ryan.

“It would have to be somebody who would not have to distinguish between ripe and not ripe apples. Because they took them both,” said Matthew.

They know they were not eaten by deer, as there are no apples knocked on the ground. The orchard was methodically cleaned out by hand.

Spicer Orchards, which was founded in 1968, has never experienced a theft like this, but it is not the only farm recently targeted. Someone stole about 400 pumpkins from MacCallum’s Orchard in St Clair County’s Grant Township. Plus someone stole about 50,000 apples from Williams Orchard in Indiana last month.

Investigators are not sure there is any link.

“Think about how much time and effort that farmer puts into his crop, and when he doesn’t have a crop, how many times does that have to happen then he cant do what he does,” said Ryan.

“It takes us all year to grow apples and every single one of them is very important to us,” said Matthew.

Spicer Orchards has installed trail cameras in its orchards to try to deter more thefts.

This story was originally published by Kim Russell at WXYZ.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: agriculture; apple; detroit; food; fruit; hartlandtownship; michigan; producethieves; spicerorchards; stolenproduce
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-112 next last
To: Red Badger

“Where do you unload 7000 pounds of hot fruit?.......................”

In three thousand apple pies????


61 posted on 10/18/2019 1:26:34 PM PDT by vladimir998 ( Apparently I'm still living in your head rent free. At least now it isn't empty.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
Re: my # 32......

Many thanks for your Delicious appleause !

Leni

62 posted on 10/18/2019 1:27:09 PM PDT by MinuteGal ( MAGA ! ! !....MAGA ! ! !....MAGA ! ! !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

It’s the raccoons and possums that eat our pears. And they’re welcome to them.


63 posted on 10/18/2019 1:30:47 PM PDT by Mercat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
As a side note, this didn't happen over night.

Officials said a farm in Linden that is owned by Spicer Orchards in Fenton was targeted between Oct. 6 and Oct. 10. The owners check on their crops every four days, so they know the apples were stolen in that timeframe, according to authorities.

This is deer season here in Michigan and the apples can not only be sold to fruit stands but also to hunters for use in deer bait piles............

64 posted on 10/18/2019 1:31:54 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (I'm in the cleaning business.......I launder money)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino

You have won the immig…
er..internet!


65 posted on 10/18/2019 1:32:11 PM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Alterations: The acronym explains the science.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

:: Where do you unload 7000 pounds of hot fruit? ::

Mott’s?
Smucker’s?


66 posted on 10/18/2019 1:32:56 PM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Alterations: The acronym explains the science.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
I may already have a contract

Or you may not........get real!

67 posted on 10/18/2019 1:33:14 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (I'm in the cleaning business.......I launder money)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: vladimir998; Red Badger

Traverse City Pie Company?


68 posted on 10/18/2019 1:34:24 PM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Alterations: The acronym explains the science.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: Hot Tabasco

No baiting in Michigan this year.


69 posted on 10/18/2019 1:35:10 PM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Alterations: The acronym explains the science.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: Hot Tabasco

A competitor could easily steal all your fruit with his crew............


70 posted on 10/18/2019 1:35:18 PM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: Hot Tabasco

Hunters use corn here.

I saw a TV show about moonshiners using fruit to flavor their brews because city people of a certain ethnicity loved fruit flavored alcohol, and it fetched a higher price ..............


71 posted on 10/18/2019 1:38:06 PM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: Cletus.D.Yokel

Bama, or any canning company.........


72 posted on 10/18/2019 1:40:14 PM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
I worked as farm hand for the Cagel family in Livonia, MI.
during the summers in the late 70’s, early 80’s.
The Spicer Family supplied us with apples.
Nice folks.
73 posted on 10/18/2019 1:42:00 PM PDT by MotorCityBuck ( Keep the change, you filthy animal! ,)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinuteGal

74 posted on 10/18/2019 1:46:46 PM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

““It would have to be somebody who would not have to distinguish between ripe and not ripe apples. Because they took them both,” said Matthew. “

How do you distinguish ripe from non-ripe when it is dark?


75 posted on 10/18/2019 1:47:15 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1z)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: vladimir998

Somebody do a pat down on Mrs Smith, pronto.


76 posted on 10/18/2019 1:48:53 PM PDT by GnuThere
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: TexasGator

Steal them all and sort them later.

I saw a TV show where moonshiners use fruit to flavor their brews because certain city folks like them better..............


77 posted on 10/18/2019 1:49:58 PM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: GnuThere

Where is Rachel Ray and Martha Stewart?..........................


78 posted on 10/18/2019 1:50:43 PM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Apple shine is good stuff.


79 posted on 10/18/2019 1:51:39 PM PDT by Rebelbase
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: Rebelbase

The particular show I watched they used bananas, but said most any fruit would do............................


80 posted on 10/18/2019 1:53:49 PM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-112 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson