Meet Chunk: The Notorious Vegetable Thief

Chunk the groundhog became famous for stealing vegetables and eating them right in front of a security camera. Most gardeners would see Chunk as a pest and try to get rid of him. But organic gardener Jeff Permar had a different reaction - he fell in love with the brazen thief.

The Failed Prevention Attempts

Jeff was entertained by Chunk's shameless munching, but he still needed to protect his vegetables. It seemed like nothing worked to keep Chunk away. Jeff even built a fence around all of his vegetables, but Chunk found ways around it.

After a while, Chunk started bringing his girlfriend, Nibbles, along to enjoy the feast too. The garden had become a popular dining spot for the groundhog couple.

A Solution That Works for Everyone

When Chunk and Nibbles went into hibernation, Jeff finally had the perfect idea to keep everyone happy. He improved the fence around his main crops as best he could. Then he did something unusual - he planted a second garden specifically for Chunk and all of his groundhog friends.

Jeff even set up a picnic table by this special groundhog garden so that everyone could dine in comfort. He created a place where the groundhogs could eat without him losing all of his vegetables.

A Growing Groundhog Family

Earlier this year, Chunk and Nibbles welcomed four baby groundhogs to their family: Chunk Jr., Tater, Chubs, Snugs, and Sprout. The groundhog garden now feeds a whole family.

Sharing the Land

Jeff has a wonderful outlook on sharing his garden with the groundhogs. He says that it was their land first, and he just planted a garden on it. Now he's happy to share it with them.

This story shows how we can find creative solutions to live in harmony with wildlife. Instead of seeing the groundhogs as enemies, Jeff found a way to coexist with them and even enjoy their company.