There are of course many stages of a decline/collapse we must go through and as we have discovered different areas go through the stages at different times and severity. Even areas fairly close to each other will have variances. I took a short drive to a smallish city I had not visited in several months this weekend and noticed the number of vacant retail and other locations had again risen dramatically.
Last year around here we seemed to have a huge increase in the number of farm thefts especially hay bales of all things. Most people unassociated with keeping livestock may think that hay is a funny thing to be stealing but when fodder and feed become scarce you can make some big money transporting hay to stricken areas and selling it.
This year apparently thieves seem to be targeting farm equipment, trailers, scrap metal and other commodities whenever possible. Regionally live stock prices are not real high and it was a boom year for most feed and hay producers which has lead thieves to targeting other items.
A combine had it's entire front assembly removed last week a few miles down the road when it was left in the field they were going to harvest next. I have heard reports of several trailers full of firewood for sale mysteriously disappearing and read a report of an entire tractor trailer load of walnuts being stolen, apparently someone with a rig just pulled in and hooked up to the fully loader trailer and drove off with it.
Despite my best efforts at leaving signs no one has stolen the nags out in the hayfield yet though.
I came across this article over at ZeroHedge this morning.
Why is An Epidemic of Thievery Sweeping America
I am reminded of the same reports coming out of Spain and Greece last year. Theft of agricultural produce and commodities became rampant as their economies declined.
It maybe time to up your security levels even for us more rural folks.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
Our county has had a huge jump in thefts, and a lot of thefts of purebred & fancy-pants pets. Scrap metal, ag stuff too. And a LOT of it is happening way too close to home. But area residents have found one way to help; they've set up a local "Cyber Neighborhood Watch" on a Facebook page. You still have to be careful as it's all too easy for the thieves to join the group & get a head's up (or who's got what where), but so far it's been really helpful on getting an idea where things are happening. Of course there's the "oh, somebody might offend somebody else" if there so happens to be an error in pointing fingers, but so far so good.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn - That's a good idea. Someone is always offended.
DeleteDid your sign say, "For sale race horses, $10,000 each"? That might spark a theft of two.
ReplyDeleteSF - I can't put up a sign my Mother will see it :(
DeletePP,
ReplyDeleteCrime is going up everywhere. In our area tools, dogs, ammo,and guns seem to be the big targets.
Be careful!!
Sandy - That is one advantage of being rural but rather exposed. It would take a bold thief to do anything around the Small-Hold as they would be pretty exposed the whole time.
DeleteEven the Washington Post has noted that rural America is not doing very well, and is having a lot of the problems that are generally associated with large urban inner cities. But even with the reporting in various places, it doesn't seem to sink into the public consciousness. More people are moving to urban areas (where the jobs are) and they tend to idealize the countryside and small town America.
ReplyDeleteRuss - Well theft has always been a problem in rural areas to be honest. In most cases it usually breaks down to cross county theft. No one seems to usually seal from their home county but will go over to the neighboring one.
DeleteViolence however is something you rarely see associated with rural crime like you do in the cities.
Cooper wire and all scrap metal has been targeted here for the last couple of years. Dairy cattle, beef cattle and sheep have been stolen too, as has hay and corn. The thieves are brazen and must be out of their minds because somebody is going to get shot.
ReplyDeleteEven mailboxes were being targeted for awhile. It was bizarre actually. Gun magazines were being selectively sliced up and put back into the box.
Turns it the mailbox vandal was a local 15 year old boy looking for pictures of beautiful women in skimpy clothes holding guns. The boy's mother doesn't allow any type of girlie magazine stuff around the house & I guess the kid was desperate :-)
GM - LOL well I guess as long as the pages weren't stuck together :)
DeleteIn eastern Callaway we had 2 beagles disappear at the same time. In August the last three were gone.
ReplyDeleteAs hard as it was for me to pick up all the walnuts still drying I will shoot anyone who takes them!!!
Bad enough around here that one of the locals keeps putting criminals photos up on Craig's List telling everyone to "be aware."
ReplyDeleteMatter of fact neighbor across street is a cop and the private gossip is the cops here are overwhelmed with the bad boyz and we are on our own.
Hi, Kelleyward. Your post here is so interesting and helpful and has so many "bells and whistles". It is riveting - both content and visual impact. I don't know how much my appreciation means, as I'm so new here, but I read lots of magazines with financial info and it compared favorably to many of their articles.
ReplyDelete