In December 2021, Les Wedderburn and his wife, Loree, who farm at Rivers, Man., were victims of grain theft. They are among many victims of this type of theft stretching back decades across the Prairies.
In total, they lost about 1,600 bushels of canola — the harvest from 40 acres — from their farm, which is located about 230 kilometres west of Winnipeg. The canola was worth about $40,000 at the time.
“My brother saw a truck pull into the driveway where this bin is located and whoever was in that truck was scouting,” Wedderburn says. “They came back that night. We had the auger in the bin.
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“It’s a really big hit and if I was just starting out at grain farming and had a $40,000 theft, I’d be broke.”
In Wedderburn’s view, farmers don’t consider how much value is stored in their grain bins — and don’t realize how vulnerable they are to theft.
Like anyone would be, Wedderburn was shocked. He thought he lived in a community where something like this would never happen.
After thinking about it, he considered the theft might have been carried out by a fellow farmer. That year, some farmers couldn’t meet contract requirements and were left in the lurch. Wedderburn says he wouldn’t be surprised if the canola theft had been committed to make up the difference in a contract.
“There were a lot of farmers in that position last winter,” he says. “And canola was the most valuable crop.”
You are not alone
Wedderburn says he has seen it reported in the media that grain theft is not an issue because it doesn’t happen very often. However, Wedderburn disagrees. “I hear about it all the time,” he says.
This year, it has been reported a farmer near Alexander, Man., had grain stolen, as did another in the municipality of Argyle.
In early May, near Ponteix, Sask., RCMP reported a theft of 1,300 bushels of durum seed. And even hay bales have been stolen in the recent past in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
According to RCMP in Manitoba, one complaint has been filed in the Wasagaming area for grain theft. The theft was canola worth about $35,000 at the time, says RCMP Manitoba media relations officer Sgt. Paul Manaigre.
In 2022 so far, he says Swan River RCMP received a report of a theft of approximately 53,000 litres of grain. In addition, about $165,000 worth of grain was stolen from a Sioux Valley-area farmer and about $20,000 worth of wheat was stolen from a farmer in the Boissevain area.
However, there may be more victims out there.
“It’s impossible to ascertain the true numbers of grain thefts as it is quite likely others may have fallen victim to theft but have not noticed the missing volumes when it comes time to the emptying of their bins and the selling of their product,” notes Manaigre.
Farmer opts for grain confetti
Manaigre urges farmers to consider the use of what’s called grain confetti or markers, which go a long way in preventing grain theft. The grain confetti have unique code numbers and are mixed into the grain. At the elevator, staff calls the maker of the markers to confirm the grain being unloaded actually belongs to the person who is unloading.
The first thing Wedderburn did after discovering the theft of his grain was to put Manitoba-made Cropgard grain markers in the remainder of the bin. “I will also put it in my bins this fall,” he says.
Country Graphics, based in Rosenort, Man., has been making Cropgard for 40 years and it’s the only business making the markers in the province. Cropgard consists of quarter-inch squares of food-safe paper on which unique code numbers are printed with vegetable-based ink. These are mixed with the grain. Each box order is sufficient to treat 50,000 bushels and costs under $200.
Country Graphics manager, Valerie Schellenberg, says she has never heard of the theft of marked grain. In 2021, Cropgard sales increased, likely due to higher commodity prices, she says. In total, Country Graphics sold 160 boxes, more than three times the average in past years.
Grain markers are a good deterrent because while stealing grain thieves also steal thousands of pieces of evidence that can be used against them. Thieves need to be aware the grain contains markers, which is why each box of CropGard includes five large warning decals to be placed on and around the bin.
“Some farmers ask for additional decals,” says Schellenberg. “These are good quality, fairly aggressive decals and are about eight by five inches in size.”
Some companies that make grain monitoring cables also offer a theft deterrent option. In addition to providing temperature alerts, the system provides the option to receive alerts if your grain handling equipment is started or stopped. Some companies, like Tri-States Grain Conditioning (which is based in Iowa but serves Canadian customers), also allow you to configure alerts during harvest to monitor truck loading and unloading at your bin sites.
More tips and strategies for grain and farm security
There are several strategies you can take to prevent grain or other types of farm theft.
Like other forms of theft, grain theft takes planning and preparation. A strategic approach employing multiple security measures can decrease your risk of being a victim of theft. Every form of security you use on your farm adds another deterrent layer for thieves, making your farm not worth the effort and the risk of getting caught.
Read over the farm security tips below and then examine your property from a thief’s perspective. Make a farm security plan and execute it.
Security locks: a thief’s strategy
The variety of locks available to you is greater than ever. Bolt cutter-resistant locks may cost more but are well worth it. Keep in mind thieves will scout a location as the first step to stealing from your farm. Their second step is to cut off padlocks with bolt cutters and replace them with locks of their own, which makes it much quicker for them to carry out the theft. This means you need to check every lock regularly to make sure it’s yours.
Install or purchase more cameras
Wedderburn is putting up more cameras. “The thief at my bin was loading for over an hour,” he says. “At least the police can have that footage if this ever happens again.”
If your grain bin is in an area with cellular coverage, you will be able to connect with the camera and receive alerts if there is movement in the camera view (or if the camera is tampered with). There are many 180- and 360-degree cameras available and night vision cameras use infrared light to take images in the dark. Cameras can be set to automatically zoom in, record to a cloud network and much more.
Light it up
Invest in a good lighting system at your bins. Like cameras, lighting systems now come with a wide range of options to provide better security. Flood lights can be set for motion activation, remote control and more. Make sure your camera feeds have good lighting if they are not infrared cameras.
Choose future bin sites carefully
Consider carefully where you place new bins. When possible, place bins near your home or the home of a trustworthy friend or family member, or along a busy road.
Create a single entry point
A single entry point to your grain storage area is a very good idea. Remove other access points with fences, deep ditches or other kinds of physical barriers.
Get friendly
It’s time to get to know your neighbours if you don’t already. Establish a mutual relationship where you keep an eye out for each other in general, but especially when you are away.
Turn it off and secure it
Be sure to turn off the electrical unloading systems at your bins. Farmers should also check their stored grain regularly for signs of tampering, offers Manaigre.
Train others
Make sure employees or family members know what to do when checking grain bins for tampering or to check locks to ensure they haven’t been swapped out by thieves. That is, make up a simple sheet with the lock locations, what blocked access points should be checked and so on. Make it easy for others to do the job right.
Report suspicious behavior
If you do see something unusual, call your neighbours but also don’t hesitate to call local police. You can also call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Farmer takes action
Wedderburn is still hopeful the thieves who stole his grain last December will be tracked down. “The police have some leads and I’m not giving up on it,” he says.
The farmer has another idea that will benefit farmers across the province. “I want to start some kind of a focus group,” he says. “Politicians, police, farmers — get everyone together. I’ve sent letters to my MLA. There is nobody in policing in the province who is educated about grain theft, no one dedicated to this type of theft, and we need at least one person in the province who knows what they are doing and knows how the grain industry works. There was a woman who used to work with the RCMP and broke a grain theft case a few years ago and I put the local police in touch with her.”
