HASTINGS, Fla. — From theft, to traffic. these are all issues that keep farmers in Putnam county up at night. “You can't watch it all the time, it's impossible,” said Steve Singleton, owner of Singleton and Sons Farm Inc.
He spends every day watching over all three of his potato farms before they make their way into a Frito Lay chip bag. Although he's in the secluded parts of Hastings, he still has been a victim of agriculture crimes.
“I've been broken into the shop, people taking tools and power tools,” Singleton added.
And he's not the only farmer in Putnam county who's had similar experiences.
Although farms aren't the typical places people associate with crimes, seeing the challenges farmers go through has inspired the Putnam County Sheriff's Office to create their own agriculture task force.
Partnering with St. John's County Sheriff's Office to assist farmers when it comes to escorting farm machinery on busy streets, to stolen goods.
“We're dealing with theft right out of the fields or the theft of livestock,” said Colonel Joseph Wells, Chief Deputy with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Farmer Steve Singleton believes that the general public may not know how his crops and machinery are considered high value.
He says tractors can start anywhere from a quarter of a million dollars. Adding the new police agriculture task force will act as an extra level of security.
“Especially when you don't farm in all one location like I don't. Traffic has increased, machinery has gotten bigger, and it's harder to move it up and down the road. And now all we got to do is call them to get an escort,” Singleton mentioned.
In Putnam county, they've elected one full-time officer to lead their agriculture task force and work with the other agriculture officers in St. John's county to decrease agriculture crimes in both counties.
“It’s the information sharing that helps, especially when the seasons change the crops change which may take the criminals across county lines,” Colonel Wells explained.
Singleton says this agriculture task force helps him and neighboring farms feel less vulnerable to crime. Protecting their livelihoods is dedicated to feeding the country.