Beyond Cuckoo

The Nut Job!

Apparently there is a growing (pun intended) concern in California’s San Joaquin Valley surrounding walnut heists. One of the most recent involved the theft of 140,000 pounds of hulled and dried walnuts worth an estimated $400,000. Unfortunately this was not an isolated incident—agricultural crime is on the rise. Some believe the Russians are behind it—I kid you not. One suspect was detained in Bakersfield, where he told police that he had instructions from an anonymous caller, with a thick Russian accent, to drive the stolen walnut load to Los Angeles. Once there, he was further instructed to drop the trailers of walnuts in a vacant lot and walk away. On January 17, 2014 two men were arrested by the San Joaquin County Sheriff and booked into jail. The walnuts were recovered, but authorities will not disclose the location.

So, I’m watching news reports about how food products bearing the Olympic symbol have become a big hit with the Sochi 2014 Olympic Licensing Program. Consumers all over Russia are snatching up millions of Olympic Symbol embossed packages of candy bars and baked goods, such as cookies and brownies. Extremely popular are treats from the Moscow Nut Company.

Let’s just say that this case has yet to be cracked.