Ontario Farm Policy Change – 500-Pound Apple Heist Leads to Stricter Farm Regulations

There’s a quiet charm to fall in Ontario—crisp air, red leaves, families clutching cider cups, kids running between apple trees. But at Shuh Orchards in West Montrose, that postcard-perfect picture has soured a bit. In just one week, the family-run farm lost nearly 500 pounds of apples to outright theft—most of it smuggled out in strollers, wagons, and backpacks.

Farmer Tim Shuh says he’s seen all kinds of visitors over the years. But this? This was different. “We’ve always trusted people to pick what they pay for,” he said in a Facebook video that’s now gone local-viral. “Lately, some folks are taking advantage.”

A Family Orchard Hit Hard

Imagine working all season—pruning, spraying, watering, watching the weather like a hawk—only to have half a ton of fruit vanish in a few days. That’s what Shuh Orchards faced.

Tim says the theft started subtly: a stroller rolling out looking a little too full, a wagon stacked suspiciously high with picnic blankets. Then came the realization that hundreds of pounds were missing. When they tallied the loss, it was enough apples to fill a small truck bed or supply a bakery for a week.

This wasn’t your “oops, I picked a few extra.” It was organized, intentional, and frankly, shameless.

New Rules for Pick-Your-Own Visitors

In response, the orchard has dropped the hammer—not on fun, but on loopholes. As of this week, strollers, wagons, and backpacks are banned from the picking rows.

Visitors must now use farm-issued bags only, which staff can monitor more easily. It’s not a crackdown on families, Tim explained, but a necessary step to keep the orchard afloat.

Here’s how the policy shift looks:

Before	After
Visitors could bring personal bags, strollers, wagons, etc.	Only farm-issued picking bags allowed
Minimal bag checks at exit	Mandatory checkout per bag
Family strollers permitted in picking rows	Strollers & wagons restricted to designated areas
Trust-based self-picking	Supervised zones with visible staff

The message is clear: You can still pick apples—just not sneak them.

Community Reaction

Predictably, opinions are split. Many longtime patrons support the move. “Good on them,” one commenter wrote on Facebook. “Stealing from a small farm hurts everyone.”

But some parents are frustrated, arguing that the no-stroller rule makes it harder for families with toddlers or special needs kids.

Tim responded empathetically in his post: “We understand it’s inconvenient. But we can’t let a few bad apples ruin the whole orchard.”

The Cost of “A Few Bad Apples”

Running a U-pick isn’t a get-rich venture. Between weather, labor, insurance, and fluctuating market prices, profit margins are thin. Losing hundreds of pounds of produce can wipe out a week’s worth of income.

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, small farms in the country face rising input costs and lower resilience to loss. Every stolen bag of apples literally bites into a farmer’s living.

This problem isn’t unique to Shuh Orchards. Across Canada and the U.S., farm theft—both of produce and equipment—has been rising. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has even called for better rural policing and awareness campaigns.

A Wake-Up Call for U-Pick Farms

The Shuh family’s situation might become a blueprint for how other U-picks handle similar issues. Clearer rules, visible staff presence, and standardized bags may become the new normal.

That doesn’t mean apple picking loses its charm—it just becomes fairer. As Tim said, “We still love seeing families out here. We just want honesty to be part of the experience.”

And maybe that’s the takeaway: integrity doesn’t cost anything.

If you want 20 pounds of apples, buy 20 pounds. Don’t sneak 40. Because when farms like Shuh Orchards lose faith in visitors, we all lose a bit of that small-town magic that makes autumn special.

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