For more than 50 years, Lynd Fruit Farm in Licking County has welcomed families from across Ohio to pick their own apples. But this fall, a few bad actors are putting that tradition at risk. The family-run farm says it's been struggling with theft — not of equipment or money, but apples. Co-owner Andy Lynd says some visitors are try to sneak away with hundreds of dollars' worth of fruit. “They hide apples in the glove compartments, we found them in the wheel well where you put a spare tire, we found them in blankets — kids have their feet on top of blankets that are covering up literally hundreds dollars’ worth of apples,” Lynd said. This past weekend alone, Lynd estimates $400 worth of apples were stolen. The farm will now report all theft to the Licking County Sheriff’s Office. So far, charges have been recommended against two people. “It hurts the bottom line,” Lynd said. “It takes a lot of money to raise horticulture crops, apples being one of those. It requires a lot of investment. We get that return when people pick and pay for the apples.” The stakes are high. Continued theft, Lynd warns, could lead to staff layoffs or even selling off property. “If enough theft occurs, people get laid off, we sell property,” he said. And if it gets worse, the farm may shut down its pick-your-own apple operation altogether — a move Lynd says he’d rather avoid. “If we have enough theft, that would discourage us from opening the orchards up for picking,” he said. “That's a route we don't want to take.” Despite the challenges, families continue to make the trip for what has become a staple of fall in central Ohio. “We both got the day off today. It’s our one-year anniversary,” said visitor Alison Dix. “We wanted to do something fun.” Lynd says the farm is not cracking down on people who snack on an apple or two while picking — but there’s a line. “There’s going to be some theft. We tolerated that for many years, and we are tired of tolerating it,” he said. He’s now asking customers to keep an eye out and report suspicious behavior to farm staff. “We want this to be a family venue — and it is,” Lynd said. “But we want it to continue to be that way.” Apple picking at Lynd Fruit Farm runs through the end of October.