Every farmer will understand the difficulty of keeping their land secure. As a rancher, it’s not uncommon to own thousands of acres of land. It’s very hard to patrol and secure every section and keep trespassers out. More often than not, trespassers have no malicious intent at all. It’s easy to stumble onto farmland without realizing it. However, occasionally, thieves or even protestors will find their way onto your property. Here’s some good advice to help eliminate this.
Signs – As we mentioned before, most trespassers won’t do so maliciously. The most common visitor on your farm will be hikers who are cutting across your land. Often they won’t even realize where they are. A simple way to restrict this is with signs around the perimeter of your land. A simple ‘trespassing prohibited’ sign will be more than enough to ward off most walkers.
Make your workers aware – On large farms, you’ll have a variety of employees tending to your land. It’s really important to make them aware of potential intruders and security hazards. Make sure that it’s part of their job to report any suspicious activity or trespassing. This could also mean reporting any vandalism to property or equipment.
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Physical barriers – Although signs are useful, they aren’t always visible. One easy way to remedy this is to implement physical barriers. This could be fences or barbed wire if you’re feeling particularly preventative. In some cases, planting hedges will be more than enough to deter intruders. More importantly, it will conceal your land and hide potential thievery targets.
Alarms and motion sensors – Motion sensors around your perimeter are a fantastic way to raise awareness. Of course, you’ll often pick up the odd walker by accident. So place the majority of your motion sensors closer to your property or expensive equipment. Alarms and CCTV cameras are another great deterrents. Sometimes just a visible camera will be enough to fend off thieves.
Tag your vehicles – Sometimes, despite all of your best efforts, equipment and machinery will be stolen. If this happens, it’s really important to ensure that you can locate the stolen goods. When it comes to equipment and vehicles, you can easily fit them with security tags. They will relay their GPS signal and you can hunt down the missing equipment and the perpetrators.
Firearms – Not every farmer will condone the use of firearms and weapons. However, it is a proven deterrent on large farms. If you do store them, make sure that you know how to keep your firearms safe. Never keep weapons under your bed or in reach of children. Learn how to build a gun cabinet and keep it locked. This should be your last resort when threatening intruders.
Guard dog – No farm is complete without a dog anyway! They will be your best friend, your farmhand, and your personal security guard. A dog’s bark often carries a strong warning to potential intruders. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Farms are a high target for thieves. There is plenty of expensive equipment and crops to be had. It’s important that you take steps to protect your land. Follow these tips and you’ll stay safe and secure.
Also, See Basic Components of Farm Wear
