Thieves strip farm irrigation systems

Whiteside County farmer Scott Weber was in the middle of breakfast Thursday when he got the call: Sometime in the middle of the night, someone crept onto his land and cut thousands of dollars worth of copper wiring from his irrigation system.

“Let’s just say I didn’t even finish breakfast,” Weber said Monday.

Several of his neighbors also were hit, he said.

For all that trouble, the thief or thieves made off with a couple hundred dollars worth of scrap. For him, though, it will mean up to $10,000 in repairs.

Whiteside County Sheriff’s Lt. Andy Henson said deputies are investigating the incident.

Weber owns farmland in Henry County and near Prophetstown. He also owns Weber’s Christmas Forest in Geneseo, where he lives.

A family member alerted him to the theft. When Weber made it out to his field, he found nearly a quarter-mile of copper wiring missing from his system. It will cost about $10,000 to replace the wire and the electrical boxes, and until he does, the system is useless, he said.

Weber thinks it had to be at least two thieves with “some knowledge” of the area. The wire was cut off the bottom of the electrical boxes with cable cutters, he said.

Three or four of his neighbors also lost the copper wiring on their irrigation systems, he said.

Collectively, he estimates the thieves cost the farmers about $80,000. Once the wire is cleaned up and stripped for scrap, they’ll make around $1,000, he said.

Attempts to reach the other farmers Monday were unsuccessful.

Matt Lillipop, executive director of the Whiteside County Farm Bureau, said it’s difficult to keep thieves away from irrigation systems.

“It’s tough, because it’s not like a tractor that you can lock away,” Lillpop said. “The irrigation system just sits by itself in the field.”

He advises farmers to be aware of any suspicious vehicles or people near their fields.

Weber gave similar advice.

“Don’t make it easy for them,” Weber said. “Drive by the irrigators and check them and the outbuildings about once a week.”

For now, Weber said he is contacting his insurance company to see what will be covered.