Syrup Theft

[backyardsugarer]

http://www.whec.com/article/stories/S391539.shtml?cat=565 I have a stand on the honor system and most people are great about it. One person decided to run off with a gallon and I caught him on tape. I e-mailed the news and they ran the story. I have provided a link for you. The paper and the radio have also picked up on the story. I already have a tip on the thief. The reason I am sharing this is to show you how much the majority of the public appreciates the hard work we do. Protect your interests and good lucck maple weekend.
http://www.whec.com/article/stories/S391539.shtml?cat=565
You can hit the play button on the right and watch the segment.
The above will take you to the story that was on TV in Rochester NY
Chris

[jdj]

VERY, VERY SAD!!!

I grow and sell sweet corn in the summer using the "honor system" and know all about thieves but I can't afford to sit at a stand all day to sell corn for $2-2.50/dozen.

Hopefully the person that took your syrup will be caught and arrested.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Some people just don't appreciate the trust we put in strangers. This has happened here at my friends local veggie stand. Countless times they would come back and all the watermelons would be gone and no money. Half the time if anyone is there they would end up giving you lots of free stuff but some people ruin it for everyone else.

[VT maple maker]

Some people just have no respect!! Its pretty sad when you try to do something nice for people and #*^@bags like that guy take advantage of you. On the upside, you must be making some pretty good syrup if people are willing to go to jail for it haha.

Kyle

[backyardsugarer]

As sad as it is, I am very happy with the response from the media and the public. I get dozens of e-mails a day and I have a tip as to where the guy works. The sherrif's dept. is on the case. I know it is a lot of money, but the camera and time lapse VCR cost me $500. Sounds like a lot of $ but it is worth it to me now that the public knows not to steal syrup. Not to mention the fact that this guy has got to be sweating it out!!!!!!

Chris
PS WATCH THE VIDEO, IT IS SAD AND FUNNY AT THE SAME TIME.

[MaplePancakeMan]

You'll see that on americas dumbest criminals one day haha! Kinda a little bit of free press too. Might bring in more business.

[MR Electrician]

bravo sir i applaud you and your ingenuity
i allso hope you have lots of syrup as you are going to sell a lot this year.


a 30 second commercial on prime time can cost 50 thousand dollars
you just got 2 minutes of prime time coverage for $45 bucks .
way to go sir i for one salute you .:rolleyes:



keep up the good pr work

[325abn]

VERY, VERY SAD!!!

I grow and sell sweet corn in the summer using the "honor system" and know all about thieves but I can't afford to sit at a stand all day to sell corn for $2-2.50/dozen.

Hopefully the person that took your syrup will be caught and arrested.

WHAT $2.50 a dozen? sweet corn will be double that around here.

[jdj]

WHAT $2.50 a dozen? sweet corn will be double that around here.

Sure wish I lived in your neck of the woods. $2-2.50 is the going price here, may be able to get .25-.50 cents more a dozen due to the rise in cost of everything.

[maplecrest]

here in vt, it is maple open house week end. as we were getting ready yesterday i had made comment after seeing the news this week about all the sugar makers getting ripped off here in vt. that less producers will be willing to do open houses, due to opening up for people to come check you out too return later and clean you out.

[royalmaple]

Glad you caught that a-hole on tape. Hope you get him. Did you see a car or did he walk over?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Good job Chris and nice PR. Will likely help you out a lot this weekend with the maple weekend!

On the bright side of things, that is the cheapest television advertisement you will ever get and it couldn't have come at a better time!

[mfchef54]

We have a small farm stand that we can't spend any time watching either. last year one of the local radio reporters made mention of our trusting ways by just leaving a can out. On the other hand she was reluctant to mention where we are located in the fear that she send the wrong people our way. sorry to hear about the theft, hope they catch this person.

[maple flats]

I use the honor system for my upick blueberries but I have safeguards. I have never thought it was my customers (those who actually picked the berries) but I have lost money in the past. I have used the system for over 22 years now. Originally I just had a cash box on a table with the prices. After about 5 or 6 years the box ended up stolen, so I then used a military ammo box fitted with padlocks and bolted it to a LARGE wooden wire spool, after a few years the whole box and spool was stolen. Next I anchored the box to a sturdier homemade table which was anchored to the ground with a 3/8" steel cable and ground anchor. Then the padlocks were worked, twisted back and forth until the heavy hasps were broken off abd the cash was gone. Next I dug 8" holes 4' in the ground with a larger diameter hole at the bottom, I re-inforced it with rebar and poured concrete in an 8" tube up to about 30-32" above ground with 1/2" bolts out the top. To this I made cash boxes out of 3/8" wall 10" diam steel pipe with an 18" diam farm disk blade welded to the bottom and another mounted to the top with recessed padlocks mounted on swivel mounts so they could not twist it off. This has held for 2 seasons now. If someone hooks a chain to this and their car or truck it will pull off the trailer hitch. Have I lost trust in my customers, NO. Just the punks who do this sort of thing. They would not exert the energy to pick the berries, they just want the easy cash. I have not gone the route of a camera yet but might set up a game finder camera with no flash infra red for night, that is not when I think most of this happens, because I always empty at least once a day near dark. I will never know for sure but the cash missing was likely about $200-250 the last time because that is about what I got that year about that point in the season. Had they done it about 10 days earlier I would have been more like 450-500 gone

[royalmaple]

You should put a sign up that says if you can read this we've already taken your picture. Please enjoy our products and pay for them or we know what you look like and so will the authorities. Might detur some crooks.

[MR Electrician]

yea thats just going to piss off the honest clients and the crooks will now steal the camer then grab yr syrup.
best to keep things on the quiet side and enjoy the free publicity from the tv networks.

[backyardsugarer]

He is not caught yet, but maple weekend was crazy thanks to that ad on the news. I have put a sign up thanking my local customers and letting everyone know they are on camera. I also put up the article that was in the newspaper about me catching a thief on camera. I will let you all know if anything happens in the case. Hope you all had a good maple weekend.

Chris

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Either way, it might be the best gallon of syrup you never sold! LOL!