I received the following press release, from the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA), to post. Making a living in agriculture should never be so hard that farmers face theft of their property.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reward Offered for Metals Theft Information
The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) announced today that a fund has been established to offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any individual or group for stealing metal such as copper or aluminum from WPVGA members? farms.
The reward is in response to a rash of very bold thefts over the past several months ranging from wires off equipment and irrigation systems to metal culverts and other metal parts used in potato storage facilities.
The reward fund, which was used successfully in past years, will pay a significant sum of money for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people responsible for these thefts.
In 2008 the WPVGA worked with legislators to pass legislation requiring scrap metal purchasers to record basic information about people from whom they purchase scrap metal. The intent of the legislation is to deter the sale of stolen metal and to be able to trace back sales if necessary.
?These thefts have reached epidemic proportions,? said Duane Maatz, WPVGA Executive Director. ?The WPVGA is fighting back by offering a reward, addressing the situation in the legislature and using all of our communication resources to insure that all growers and their neighbors know about the recent increase in thefts. It is important that everyone in rural areas be especially vigilant and keep an eye out for suspicious activity around farm buildings and near irrigation units.?
The WPVGA is a group of 140 growers of potatoes and other vegetables who operate farms throughout Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Grower’s Assn.
PO Box 327
Antigo, WI 54409
Phone (715) 623-7683
Fax (715) 623-3176
Email: jpaff@wisconsinpotatoes.com