Amidst rising fuel and energy costs and an increase in agricultural machinery theft, it’s never been more important to keep your farm secure. While it may not be feasible to keep an eye on every acre of your farmland 24 hours a day, there are some relatively cost-effective and easy ways to keep your land, livestock, and farm equipment safe around the clock, minimizing preventable loss; as well as installing more lighting on site, locking away valuable machinery and engraving or marking your property, consider taking the following steps to ensure your farm is protected:
Fencing and barriers – While fences and barriers are the natural ally of any farmer, strengthening the existing boundaries of your farm is a simple and easy way to improve security on site. As well as keeping unwanted visitors out (installing double fencing is likely to have an extra impact in terms of reducing theft), erecting more fencing to block access to roads and public ways could help to keep your livestock safe from harm – traditional post and rail fencing is usually sufficient for holding smaller animals and may be reinforced with barbed wire.
Alarms and horns – Another simple way to boost security on site is by utilizing loud noises such as alarm horns and sirens to deter people from trespassing on your farmland – noise-based alarms are effective at any time of day and can be combined with cameras, lights and motion detection systems for maximum impact. It’s possible to access energy-efficient sound alarm systems powered by renewable energy (such as solar motion sensors), so you can increase on-site security without breaking the bank. Even the most simple audio alarm system can significantly reduce the chances of your farm being subject to theft or trespassing.
CCTV Systems – Installing CCTV is another relatively cheap way to increase site security and monitor your farmland around the clock. Depending on your security needs and the scale of your farm, there are a variety of farm security cameras available that may suit you best, from long-range surveillance monitoring systems (which may have a range of over 100 feet) and remotely controlled webcams to night vision, infrared and weatherproof CCTV cameras. CCTV systems are perfect for covering blind spots, monitoring machinery stores, and securing livestock grazing areas – many modern systems can also be synced with your smartphone, so you can receive regular updates and motion-triggered alerts when you’re working elsewhere around the farm.
