We have been a pick your own since 1997. We have always charged by the peck bag and provide the bags for the customer. We can have thousands through our pick your own on any given peak weekend. We contract two County Deputy Sheriffs to patrol the orchards. We don't mind if folks eat a few apples while they pick.......we also have samples available before they enter the orchard. With any pick your own operation, you are going to have losses either form drops or from fruit eaten, but you still need to minimize those losses. We estimate ours at about 25% loss, which is acceptable to us with around 16,000 trees. So we factored that into the price per peck and only allow a maximum of 4 people per peck. The Deputy Sheriffs seem to help in minimizing any theft, especially since we do not allow any other containers, bags, boxes, etc. in the orchard. We have our pick your own orchards fenced in with the only entry being at the cashiers window and the only exit being through our Harvest Barn. Seems to work very well for us.
The two Deputy Sheriffs we have cost us about $400 per day for Saturday and Sunday. Our theft has now become very minimal.....and it never hurts to have a few Deputy Sheriffs as friends!!! Dennis Norton IPM Specialist/Certified Nurseryman Royal Oak Farm Orchard 15908 Hebron Rd. Harvard, IL 60033-9357 Office (815) 648-4467 Mobile (815) 228-2174 Fax (609) 228-2174 http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.blogspot.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Gary Mount To: 'Apple-crop discussion list' Sent: Monday, October 06, 2014 7:00 PM Subject: Re: [apple-crop] theft deterrence Interesting series of posts. We have gone up and down in enthusiasm and discouragement in pyo. Some of the abuse by pyo customers does get us down, particularly with small fruits--cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries. Particularly a large family group who will go out to the field, then spend a long time eating and coming back with only a small amount to buy. We have gone to a prepaid minimum per person to go out to the orchard. Sometimes called a picking deposit. The amount is not large--usually equal to one lb of cherries, or one quart of blueberries etc. We find the bonafide customers do not mind since they easily make the minimum, but the abusers are quite upset. We are not unhappy if they do not come back. This system has brightened our enthusiasm for pyo. It has not hurt our business. It is worth a try. Gary Mount Terhune Orchards, Princeton, NJ -----Original Message----- From: apple-crop-boun...@virtualorchard.net [mailto:apple-crop-boun...@virtualorchard.net] On Behalf Of Mark & Helen Angermayer Sent: Monday, October 06, 2014 1:39 PM To: Apple-crop discussion list Subject: Re: [apple-crop] theft deterrence Thank you Alan, I used to have a successful pig operation, and always wanted my product to be a good value for the customer, as well as myself (i.e. win/win) and tried to approach that w/ my fruit business. I've met some fruit growers who have been abused so much by some customers, they view most of their customers as enemies, instead of friends, which is sad. Nevertheless, Sam Walton (and others) built an empire based largely upon customer satisfaction. They were one of the first to have an extremely liberal merchandise return policy, and still do around here, even though some crooks take advantage. If I ever get to the point where I've been abused by customers so much, that I pretty much hate them, and don't trust them in general, I believe I'll resort to selling wholesale, or quit altogether. Keep in mind, my perspective is from the rural Midwest, where some percentage of the people still wave at you on the road (more so on the Missouri side). Mark Angermayer Tubbyfruits.com On 10/6/14, Alan Grout <alanjgr...@gmail.com> wrote: > Mark and Helen: > You said it best; complete, concise, and correct handling of customers > with their ultimate satisfaction upper most in your priorities. > > I'll gladly pass on this correspondence to our apple PYO director Cheryl > Gilbert for any additional comment. Of our apple orchards, approximately 60 > acres is deer fence enclosed with about 20+ acres in new Honeycrisp. With > regards and thank you......Alan (BTW 74 yrs. old). > > > > > > Alan Grout > alanjgr...@gmail.com > > > > > On Oct 6, 2014, at 10:08 AM, "Mark & Helen Angermayer" > <angermay...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Steven, >> >> I think your sign is a tasteful way to do it, and will probably work >> for most people. >> >> Just as different perspective, I've got a very small orchard (only >> about 300 peach trees and a few plums and apples) and I give away a >> lot fruit. I charge enough to be able to give away some to each >> customer. I sell them #1s at a fair price and "throw in" some seconds >> for free. It makes my customers feel like they are being treated >> special (which is what I try to do) and makes me feel good too. >> >> I also cut up lots of free samples for my customers. It makes for >> good experience for the customer. When they have a good experience, >> they come back. >> >> Many years ago (before I knew anything about fruit) my wife took me to >> a U-pick strawberry. I didn't want to go, but she told me (or showed >> me) you eat strawberries, while you pick. I guess you might say she >> taught me "theft". I never viewed it as theft, but assumed the grower >> charged enough to compensate for my eating. I thought it was just >> part of the experience. Had I thought the grower considered it theft, >> I wouldn't have eaten any berries while picking, but also may not have >> ever gone to the U-pick in the first place, since part of the >> experience of U-pick is eating some fruit while picking. I'll also >> mention I consider myself a fairly honest person (I don't cheat >> people, don't cheat on my taxes, try to treat others like I'd like to >> be treated, etc). >> >> You can take what I say w/ a grain of salt, since I haven't offered >> U-pick. But I don't think it would bother me if people ate their >> lunch from my trees while picking their fruit for purchase. They are >> probably not going to eat more than a couple pounds of fruit, which is >> about the average amount I give away anyway. >> >> If they brought their family in and fed their family from the fruit, >> then left without buying anything (or much of anything) that would >> upset me. In that case, they are not treating others like they would >> want to be treated. >> >> Mark Angermayer >> Tubby Fruits >> >> >> >> >> >> On 10/6/14, Steven Bibula <sbib...@maine.rr.com> wrote: >>> A few U-Pick customers are so brazen about their theft that they eat >>> berries >>> and apples freely in front of me while coming out of the field toward >>> the >>> register. I also see them positively gorging in the field, as if this >>> were >>> an AUCE establishment (we charge by the picked pound). I am also >>> troubled >>> that the most visible offenders are adults with children, teaching those >>> children that theft is okay. >>> >>> >>> >>> What do you do to deter theft and improve moral conduct? As a part of >>> our >>> effort to awaken the conscience of our customers without offending or >>> implicating those who are already self controlled, we are considering >>> posting the following text on a tasteful sign at appropriate an location >>> or >>> two. >>> >>> >>> >>> Feedback from you is welcome. Other ideas are welcome too. >>> >>> >>> >>> TO OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS: >>> >>> Please feel free to taste the fruit so you can pick with confidence. >>> Because >>> our fruit is also our livelihood, we ask that you please limit >>> yourselves >>> and members of your party to a small sample, and enjoy the rest after >>> payment. Thank you for your understanding and business! With your help, >>> we >>> can continue to provide enjoyable U-Pick experiences for years to come. >>> >>> Gratefully, >>> >>> The farmers- >>> >>> >>> >>> Steven Bibula >>> >>> Plowshares >>> >>> Gorham Maine >>> >>> >>> >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> apple-crop mailing list >> apple-crop@virtualorchard.net >> http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop > > _______________________________________________ apple-crop mailing list apple-crop@virtualorchard.net http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop _______________________________________________ apple-crop mailing list apple-crop@virtualorchard.net http://virtualorchard.net/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop
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