Protect Your Farm from Theft
The coffee season will be here before you know it, macadamia nuts are starting to fall around the Big Island and many of our tropical fruits are almost ready to harvest. Our crew at Agro Resources, Inc. works all year and measures its success based on your harvest. Unfortunately, agricultural thieves can reap your bounty.
The agricultural community and the Hawaii County police have worked together over the past few years and developed a list of guidelines for protecting your farm. A brochure was published by the Big Island Farm Bureau, Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers and the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. This brochure has information on police contacts, Hawaii laws regarding ag theft and tips for prevention.
Tips to Protect Your Crop and property
* Post "Private Property" signs.
* Fence the perimeter of your property. Even inexpensive fencing such as heavy string will place thieves on notice
* Block extra accesses with gates, chains or large rocks.
* Keep a watchful eye on your farm and your neighbors' property.
* Talk to your neighbors, get to know them and exchange phone numbers.
* Keep a notebook handy to jot down license plate numbers and descriptions of suspicious vehicles or individuals. A disposable camera is also helpful.
* Install conventional or solar-powered motion-sensor lights.
* Call your local community-policing officer to help you set up a Farm Watch program in your area.
* Report all thefts and suspicious activities immediately to the police.
For a copy of the brochure Protect Your Farm from Theft email Ellen in our Kona office.