Agricrime

Want to escape the fear of crime in the city and buy a safe, thriving farm? Better think twice. In Ohio, crime in nine agricultural counties has risen 305% since 1963. In Kansas and California, farm machinery is being engraved with identification numbers to discourage gangs of highly organized thieves from stealing and then fencing such heavy booty. Up to now, it has been easy to get rid of a $34,000 bulldozer quickly at a very substantial discount: say, for $4,000.

Agricrime has become so bad in the state of California that the annual loss in crops and machinery is estimated at $30 million. Avocados and artichokes are among the hottest of the hot crops. Observes Gerhardt Clasen, an avocado grower in the town of Fallbrook: "Thieves can strip a tree in half an hour and get $15 for their work." Even more amazing, according to Edward Boutonnet, who is chairman of the California Artichoke Advisory Board, are "the sightseers who stop their cars and pick our artichokes. They're affluent doctors and lawyers and people like that. You confront them when they're stealing and they get insulted. But if you stole things from their offices, they'd have you arrested. It burns me up."

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