Veggies Poached From Senior Community Garden In Clinton Township

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Be on the lookout for the produce poachers.

Hundreds of pounds of vegetables were stolen from a community garden in suburban Detroit.

The garden is outside the senior center in Macomb County's Clinton Township. Assistant director Debbie Travis said video shows someone riding up on a bicycle at night, followed by many flashlights.

Gardeners were puzzled when they returned to check the plants after the Labor Day weekend.

"They were saying, 'What happened to all of the tomatoes?' or 'Where did the cucumbers go?'" Travis told the Macomb Daily.

"We didn't see signs of a herd of animals coming through. There were no tomatoes thrown against the walls," she said. "We don't have fences. There are signs that say we donate the food to people."

Indeed, 1,500 pounds were produced in 2020, with most of it going to food pantries.

"It's like a senior playground," Travis said of the garden.