[mattduke]

Allotments have been targeted by vegetable thieves, as more people grow their own produce in response to the credit crisis.

telegraph

[Jack]

Interesting problem, isn't it?

One can grow a garden, but protecting it will be a challenge.

[MarkJ]

We still have local unattended vegetable stands that rely on the honor system for payment.

[cube]

We still have local unattended vegetable stands that rely on the honor system for payment.

What country is this?
It can't be the USA.
There's a joke in America:
"If you nail it down to the ground they'll steal the nails too!"

[biofuel13]

Well crap. I had always planned on having the economy tank to the point where I would be unemployed at home before veggie thefts started. How the heck am I supposed to guard my crops if I'm miles away at work? I guess it's time to break out the landmines

[mattduke]

[IndigoMoon]

We still have local unattended vegetable stands that rely on the honor system for payment.

What country is this?
It can't be the USA.
There's a joke in America:
"If you nail it down to the ground they'll steal the nails too!"

I actually know of several in the Amish areas. I am in NE Ohio.

[wisconsin_cur]

We still have local unattended vegetable stands that rely on the honor system for payment.

What country is this?
It can't be the USA.
There's a joke in America:
"If you nail it down to the ground they'll steal the nails too!"

They are pretty regular around here also among people selling pumpkins in the fall.

I'll go out on a limb and guess that saying ("If you nail it down to the ground they'll steal the nails too!") comes from an urban center.

I can't imagine anyone saying it either where I live now or where I grew up (rural settings). I can see it being said where I work (urban setting).

[wisconsin_cur]

There is a joke I know, but it contains a valuable lesson.

One day a farmer noticed some watermelons missing from his watermelon patch. The farmer went to the store, bought some chemicals and various other supplies. When he got home he put up a sign that read, "Warning: One of these watermelons is poisoned" The farmer went to bed satisfied.

The next morning the farmer got up and went out to check the watermelon patch and was shocked when he noticed his sign had been altered. It now read, "Warning: [s]One[/s] Two of these watermelons [s]is[/s] are poisoned."

The moral of the story is to be wary of escalating a conflict, there are worse things than having a couple of watermelons stolen from your garden.

[Jack]

There are ways of dealing with theft during the night.

§ 9.42. DEADLY FORCE TO PROTECT PROPERTY. A person is
justified in using deadly force against another to protect land or
tangible, movable property:
(1) if he would be justified in using force against the
other under Section 9.41; and
(2) when and to the degree he reasonably believes the
deadly force is immediately necessary:
(A) to prevent the other's imminent commission of
arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the
nighttime, or criminal mischief during the nighttime; or
(B) to prevent the other who is fleeing
immediately after committing burglary, robbery, aggravated
robbery, or theft during the nighttime from escaping with the
property; and
(3) he reasonably believes that:
(A) the land or property cannot be protected or
recovered by any other means; or
(B) the use of force other than deadly force to
protect or recover the land or property would expose the actor or
another to a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.

Texas Penal Code 9.42

Happy hunting.

[Starvid]

A joke around here. What's the resemblance between an environmentalist and a watermelon?

- They're both green on the surface but red inside.

[taizee]

One solution is to have gardening as a community service instead of sweeping the streets or going to prison and sitting in a cell getting food served up.

In my facist state everyone would learn about gardening, even if it's small seed sprouting...starting in school. Playgrounds should have gardens, not concrete. My niece is at a school where they do gardening... came home with her own lettuce last week.

[alokin]

You mean Community GArdens - start one!