Home Background Testimonials Student Programs Adult Programs Video Clips Recent Clients In The News On The Farm Contact Information	Plant thieves victimize backyard gardeners and farmers NEW MARKET, Va. (AP) _ Back in the days of Frontier America, the lowest of the low were the varmints who stole your horse or ran off with a few head of cattle. It was summary justice then. Hang them from the highest tree. The 21st century has a new equivalent -- people who pummel the honor system by taking change from self-serve cash boxes at unattended produce stands; thieves pilfering flower arrangements from gravesites; yanking fruit trees from yards; pulling moss, cactus or ginseng from national forests or cutting entire rows of flowers from commercial fields. Andrea Lohr, whose family has been working the same 300-acre Shenandoah Valley farm near Broadway, Va., for more than a century, says everything from pumpkins to the American flag have disappeared from their entryway. "We went out one pre-Fourth of July day and the flag had been stolen," Lohr said while restocking sweet corn pulled fresh from the field that morning.. "It was just gone. We couldn't believe it. But that hasn't changed the way we do business." So now it's come to this: Growers being forced to consider security along with sunshine and soil when selecting locations for their pricey new plants. Police departments may be overworked, but they aren't ignoring the problem. Around San Diego, more than 100 deputies are trained to help deter agricultural theft. "We utilize aerial units when we know we have a particular product near harvest or something prone to theft," says Jackie Cruz, agricultural crime prevention specialist with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. Targets vary by region, she says. "In Imperial County, it's equipment theft. In Northern California, it's fuel theft (from tanks or equipment left overnight in fields). Law enforcement adapts its effort to the target market." Cruz aims most of her energy toward helping commercial operators, and with good reason. San Diego County is California's top flower producing region, with more than 6,000 growers. But she doesn't ignore the backyard gardener. "I had a lady call today to say she had her apricot tree stripped," Cruz says. She advised her to think about installing a fence _ one screened by a thorny hedge. "Say 3-feet high by 3-feet wide," Cruz says. "You can cut through chain link, but barriers with a few thorns are a great help." Some of the thieves are quick-working opportunists who transfer the pre-sold plants directly into the ground. Others opt for resale _ taking the ill-gotten cash crop to corner flower vendors or delivering their haul to unscrupulous landscapers. How can the buying public determine its origin? Theft is nothing new to nursery growers, given their generally isolated and unlighted locations. But enough, apparently, has become enough. The California Farm Bureau Federation has established a Farm Watch program to prevent agricultural crimes. Organizers are emphasizing increasing awareness among members and building relationships between neighbors and law enforcement agencies. A similar campaign _ the Oregon Association of Nurseries Theft Task Force _ was launched in February. "It got to more than the annoyance level," says Cam Sivesind, a spokesman for the Oregon growers. "We started gathering information to see what's going on and try to address it. We want to educate members who haven't had thefts yet and are at risk." The association has compiled scores of suggestions for its members _ any gardener, for that matter _ to help prevent plant and equipment theft. Among them: Cultivate your neighbors. "A member had several losses last fall, so around Christmas time, he decorated some Alberta spruce trees and left them with his neighbors. He explained who he was, what he did and outlined some of his theft problems," Sivesind says. "He asked if they'd keep an eye open for him. He says it helped with reporting, plus he got to make some new friends." Get a few dogs, even fake ones. Deterrence is the goal, nursery growers say. Use visitor log-in sheets. Have new arrivals report to the office before being allowed to wander freely around the property. Park a camper on the site, even if it's empty, and leave the lights on. Keep equipment and plants out of sight, or inaccessible from field edges and fence lines. "My most recent (theft) report came in late last week," Sivesind says. "A member had a trailer stolen. Whoever took it drove well into the 10-acre property. My guess is they'll try to use it later to make off with some nursery stock." Have a site assessment done by someone familiar with security systems, and then install one. "Commercial growers have a higher income stream than individual gardeners," San Diego County's Cruz says. "We suggest they go with sophisticated surveillance systems." Sivesind says he gets a couple of loss reports a week, involving everything from trees to fresh flowers. "Some of our younger members may have lost faith in the honor system, but a few still do business with a handshake. Unfortunately, in too many cases, we're not living in Mayberry anymore.