At least one group of thieves has started stealing unsecured batteries from farm equipment. "These thefts are constant. Some of the thieves will reuse them to power their own devices, but the majority are going for the recycling money,"  Sgt. Ryan Hushaw of the Fresno County Sheriff's Department Ag Task Force told AgAlert, a publication of the California Farm Bureau Federation. "Thieves are predominantly taking the stolen batteries to auto parts stores or other shops that accept them for $3 or $5 per battery."

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office recommends securing batteries with brackets or straps and stamping batteries, tires, equipment and other transportable items with an Owner Applied Number (OAN). OAN programs vary by state and county, and interested owners should contact their local sheriff's department.

Farmers in Merced County in central California run a Facebook group dedicated to reporting stolen equipment. Hilmar Farm Watch has already resulted in arrests and recovered property, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Hilmar group is one of more than a dozen farm watch groups across the U.S., with groups in California, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio and Utah. In the area where the Hilmar group operates, police attribute a one-third drop in ag-related crime to the group.

In Greene County, Missouri, the county sheriff's office has partnered with volunteers to maintain coverage in areas where a lack of personnel reduces law enforcement patrols. The volunteers are trained, drive marked cars and report suspicious activity to the police dispatchers, but are not deputized to make arrests.  FG

—Summarized by Progressive Forage Grower staff from cited sources

Learn how to use game cameras to secure your property on Progressive Forage Grower's sister publication the Progressive Cattleman.