Source: Iowa Cattelmen’s Assocociation
Several livestock farms in northeast Iowa have been the target of vandalism in the past couple weeks, causing considerable damage to confinement buildings. As a result, the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) is advising farmers and livestock operators across the state to be cautious and aware of suspicious people or vehicles around farms, especially livestock operations.
The Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Department reports that three hog confinement facilities were vandalized the weekend of Nov. 20. The barns were located three miles southeast of Lawler, one mile south of Lawler and five miles northwest of New Hampton.
The Fayette County Sheriff’s office reported similar activity from this past weekend. The targeted facilities were east of Sumner and west of West Union. In addition, a turkey operation in Bremer County was recently victimized.
In two of the incidents, a gun was used to disable a transformer and a security light.
It is not known if the incidents are related, but CSIF and area law enforcement agencies encourage producers to be vigilant in their security and immediately report any suspicious activity or incidents to local authorities.
