A Central Ohio farm known nationally for its pumpkin patch has been hit by thieves, with hundreds of pumpkins stolen just ahead of the Halloween season.
Sam’s Pumpkin Patch, a 2024 finalist for USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice award for best pumpkin patch, reported the theft of 275 to 300 pumpkins from its fields. Owner Terry Dunlap said the missing pumpkins were discovered on September 23, though he believes the theft occurred sometime between September 18 and September 23.
Dunlap estimated the retail value of the stolen pumpkins at around $6,000, noting that figure doesn’t include the cost of seed, fertilizer, and spray. He described the number as a conservative estimate.
They posted a message on Facebook, asking customers to watch out for people trying to sell a large batch of pumpkins in the area.
“If we receive a tip that leads to an arrest, a reward will be offered,” they said. “If anyone knows who may have been driving around the Central Ohio area in the past week or so trying to sell a very large quantity of large stem pumpkins out of a trailer or truck, let us know.
That theft from our fields costs us an incredible amount of income we worked hard to produce. Felony theft amount. Stolen straight out of a back field. Police report being filed. Thanks in advance if there are ANY tips out there, we will pass them to the Sheriff. We have plenty of beauty pumpkins, but the super large stem variety will be in short supply, so stop by soon!”
Other farms also targeted
Sam’s Pumpkin Patch wasn’t the only victim. According to Dunlap, Puffy’s Pumpkin Patch in Circleville also reported pumpkins stolen, while Madmax Farms in Delaware narrowly avoided a theft.
With acres of farmland to cover, Dunlap said there’s little he can do in terms of added security, citing both cost and logistics as barriers due to the size of the farm.
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