By NANCY LYBARGER
Indiana Correspondent

MT. VERNON, IND. — With the price of copper now at $4 a pound, agricultural producers are finding their equipment being hit by thieves. A group of Griffin-area farmers and the Indiana Farm Bureau (IFB) are fighting back.

Twenty farmers in northern Posey and southern Gibson counties, in the far southwestern corner of Indiana, have joined forces and pocketbooks in offering rewards for information leading to the conviction of criminals caught stealing copper wiring from center-pivot irrigation systems.

The ag group, IFB and law enforcement officials presented the information at a press conference Aug. 2 in Mt. Vernon. Posey County Sheriff Greg Oeth said the 18 thefts from the irrigation systems were along the State Route 69 corridor in northern Posey County, first reported in August 2010.

There haven’t been any new theft reports since February, he said, probably because the areas flooded this past spring and access was limited. He said the county police and Indiana State Police have increased patrols in the area, too. The area is remote so the police know most of the residents’ vehicles. Unfamiliar vehicles now raise suspicion.

One of the founders of the group of farmers offering the rewards, Bishop Mumford, said he was a victim of copper theft and damage to his irrigation equipment. Mumford said the area around where he farms is sandy river bottom and marginally-productive without irrigation.

“My father used to say we were one good rain away from a major drought,” he joked.

When he discovered the theft last fall, he said he became “the proud owner of a group of pipes and a marginal field, again.” Luckily, his crop had been harvested so it wasn’t affected.
“But what if that had happened now? Each unit covers 130 acres and the drop in (corn) production with no irrigation is about 50 bushels to the acre. So, my loss would have been between $42,000 and $45,000 per irrigation unit,” Mumford pointed out.
He added irrigation units in this area of the state are a major part of the safety net for ag producers.

The Griffin Area Irrigator Protection Program has three goals, Mumford said. The group wants to increase awareness of the problem; encourage installation of a warning system on the equipment; and catch the thieves.

“We are serious about protecting our equipment and our livelihood,” Mumford said.

He also noted the danger to thieves, recalling the deaths of young women recently in Illinois by electrocution. Irrigation units are powered by extremely high-voltage currents, he said. There are approximately 78 units in that area.

IFB Vice President Randy Kron said 95 percent of ag producers in the river bottom area have donated their own money for information that leads to an arrest and felony conviction. They’ve got $15,000 in the fund now for the rewards. Mumford said a $5,000 reward will go for a felony conviction. Rewards of $1,000 are offered for misdemeanor convictions.

“We want them to spend time in jail,” Kron said.

IFB Insurance Farm/Crop Director Jim Rink said the company paid more than $200,000 in copper theft claims in 2010. He said on average, it costs $10,000 to replace just one center-pivot irrigation unit stripped by thieves, $5,000 each for the replacement lines and installation.

Thieves are likely to get $500 when selling the copper from such an irrigation unit, according to Rink.

He first learned about the problem with the irrigation units last winter after a St. Joseph County ag producer filed a claim for three pivot irrigation systems. He wanted to reduce the number of claims, of course, but more, he wanted to help farmers by deterring the thieves.

He began looking for alarm systems, finally finding one that is battery operated so it will work even without electricity. The alarm batteries work for two to three years, Rink said.

He said Farm Bureau Insurance is offering a 5 percent premium discount to members and will install for free if the insured agrees to add the alarms to their irrigation units. Those interested should contact an IFB insurance agent.

Kron said the alarm is definitely going to be a theft deterrent. He said the estimated law enforcement response time is 10-15 minutes in that area and the alarm is triggered as soon as the wire is cut.

The Indiana company selling these devices is Net Irrigate in Bloomington. A company sales rep said the units recommended sell for $680-$880. To learn more, call 800-961-9549, email info@netirrigate.com or visit www.netirrigate.com

It takes thieves between 30-45 minutes to strip the copper from an irrigation unit, Kron said. The alarm can be set to call the ag producer and/or law enforcement.