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Eau Claire, WI

Last night the police sent out 2 squads to my patch. They parked about 1/2 mile away and came in in two teams through the back woods. They raided my patch only to find pumpkins under the heaters in my four hoop houses. My wife got kind of excited when she saw cops surrounding the house. Luckily they held their fire till the facts came out.

Apparently someone had reported suspicious activity. I told them that if I was raising a cash crop, I would be much smarter than this. My brother thought that I could now plant anything I want because now they won't be back.

5/18/2010 8:55:47 AM

Nova Scotia

good story. I constanly expect the same thing to happen to me or a rade by people wanting drugs

5/18/2010 9:23:06 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Here it's not officially the growing season until I have a chat with the authorities. 2008, city's finest over what was under the hoop in back all lit up. 2009, the sheriff over what was under lights in the laundry room (he had tilled plot and seen lights and came back). 2010, city's finest when they seen hubby and myself trying to haul a garden cart of tomato plants from living room to the shop (hey, 5' tall plants when you're driving by are hard to identify). Plus, I posted the tub setup, sure made me feel like I had some sort of 'crop' going ... welcome to the club, Jim!

5/18/2010 9:24:25 AM

Midway, UT

During seed starting season I've always been concerned about someone kicking in my door because of the bright glow of lights in the basement. Lol

5/18/2010 11:40:40 AM

Wi

Slow night on Water Street apparently.

5/18/2010 12:30:43 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Anything to slow you down Jim..I thought for sure they would find the dummy plant and trample your pumpkin.

5/18/2010 1:18:35 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

that's hilarious. I sure hope the cops don't come to my house.

5/18/2010 2:02:02 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

thats funny. To think the cops have to raid you're patch because of that....lol

5/18/2010 2:13:08 PM

Johnston, R.I.

About two years ago one of my neighbors told me two cops parked on the back street and went and opened all my cold frames to see what was in them, all they had to do is ask...Do they really think I am that stupid ????????

5/18/2010 2:44:44 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

It appears that local Law enforcement doesn't know the reason pumpkin growing is so addictive....Like a drug the Atlantic Giant is an addiction that has all of us addicted.

5/18/2010 5:29:29 PM

Minnesota

Would be a great story for a local paper, your giant pumpkin, and it would say something like, the strange thing here is the Police raided his pumpkin patch, no ilegal drugs were found, only giant pumpkins.

5/18/2010 5:50:51 PM

Macomb County

Jim, don't let them make you suspect your neighbors. They always say they got a report of suspicious activity when operating on their own too.

5/18/2010 7:08:33 PM

Pataskala,OH

That would be hilarious if it was featured on Cops the TV show.

5/18/2010 9:06:31 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Jim, if your local newspaper is like the one in Owensboro...it has a weekly column...called "Readers Write"...which includes letters from the readers...I would write this up and send it to em!!! If it get's printed...post a link!!! Peace, Wayne

5/18/2010 9:51:45 PM

[email protected]

OMG This is funny...ROTFLMAO

PS...If the plants were damaged you could sue them for illegal search. LOL

5/18/2010 10:19:49 PM

Murray, KY

Tremor, that is exactly what I was thinking. I'm all for those guys knocking out growers of the stuff that they need to knock out, but I'd be a little more than pissed if those idiots went stomping through my garden without probable cause (no, I don't think a lit-up hoop house falls into that category either!). Of course, I would love the opportunity to once again embarass some of our overly-cocky local Barney Fifes though!

5/18/2010 10:28:04 PM

Waterville, Ohio

Neighbors can be nosey, but hey when you grow a big one atleast the p.d will be there to cheer you on. haha

5/18/2010 11:07:36 PM

Long Island,New York

Interesting story...I've had similar. What sounds good really isn't>>>>you don't want unwanted attention through newspapers and TV that you're growing stuff in the patch. Pumpkin vandals are many and the season is long. A clip in the paper in October is one thing....notice that your growing with timers, heaters, irrigation gizmos etc that can be stolen or messed with is another. JMHO as I've been there.

5/19/2010 6:03:52 AM

Westford, MA

You're Lucky.
When they came to my patch, 1 of them had a "THROW DOWN" plant.

5/19/2010 8:42:22 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iISyPz5XRyI

5/19/2010 9:03:37 AM

Colorado

Jim,if they trampled your dirt youn should make them till your patch

5/19/2010 12:09:46 PM

Southeast

Did they have an executed search warrant ?

5/19/2010 1:02:10 PM

Pataskala,OH

They do not need a warrant if they have probable cause.

5/19/2010 2:58:10 PM