With soybeans, corn and wheat continuing to hover near historic high prices, the temptation to swipe someone else’s harvest may be rising.

Earlier this month, grain thefts were in the news as investigators tried to track down who stole tractor-trailer loads of wheat from rural elevators in western Kansas.

Grain stored on farms may be the next target for crooks who are looking for easy access to high-dollar commodities, say agricultural Extension experts. “Thieves are generally looking for a place where they can unload grain quickly and not get caught,” says Joe Harner, Kansas State University Extension engineer for grain and livestock systems. “Preventing access to a grain storage facility is probably impossible, but discouraging access to your premises could really help keep thieves away.”

Grain thieves are looking for swift access to bins with few deterrents, agrees Chuck Schwab, Iowa State University Extension safety specialist. “There are several layers of security that you can add, depending on how much you’re willing to invest,” he says. “The main thing is to make it harder for someone to just drive up, flip a switch and haul away a truckload of grain.”

To deter grain thieves from targeting your bins, Schwab and Harner provide the following top 3 tips:

• Remove or disable grain unloading systems. “The first-tier security system is to make sure stealing grain won’t be easy by taking away access to unloading equipment,” says Schwab. “If you’re using an auger system to unload the bin, disconnect the power source and lock it in the off position.” The idea here is to physically deter people from being able to unload, explains Harner. “Thieves don’t want anything to look conspicuous, so they’re probably not going to be towing around their own unloading auger,” he says. “I would lock the electrical panel and/or remove the fuses to your unloading system. If you have a PTO-driven grain handling system, then you’d either need to remove the tractor from the area or prevent the tractor from being jump-started.”
• Illuminate your bins. “If the area is well-lit, it’s easier to identify who may be there, and that’s something thieves really want to avoid,” says Schwab. “You can either purchase a permanent, low-cost sodium-vapor light that’s on all the time, or install a motion detector that triggers a light.”
• Add gates, alarms and/or security notification systems. “Many commercial grain bin facilities have almost a rest-stop entry that is un-gated,” notes Harner. " These facilities might think about adding a gate, if not to their driveways, then to their grain pits or unloading areas. Security alarms might also be justified in rural areas where there aren’t people around all the time. You could also add a heat sensor or motion-detector in these areas that alert the co-op manager or the local sheriff’s department that someone is there when they shouldn’t be." High-tech security warning systems are readily available in today’s marketplace, says Schwab. “There are products that let you know if power is running on one of your remote sites, and there are products that allow you to remotely watch and monitor your sites,” he says. “You can also put up a video camera, even if it’s not connected to anything except a motion detector.”

Most people wouldn’t know how to go about stealing grain from an unfamiliar facility, however, points out Harner. “Stealing grain is not something that the common person would typically think of doing, since they would be unfamiliar with switch locations, equipment operations and slide gate openings,” he says. “So, the thief will probably be someone very familiar with grain handling equipment and procedures.”

Grain buyers should also be alert to take responsibility and report suspicious grain sales, says Harner. “Know your customers,” he advises. “If someone you don’t know shows up one day with 1,000 bu. of grain to unload and demands cash, then that’s probably something you should report to authorities.”