Trespassing on farmland appears to be a source of anxiety for many of province's farmers. During the warmer months, farmers must cope with an uptick in the number of off-road vehicles and rural trail hikers wandering the countryside.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is reminding all Ontario farmers to be mindful of the growing threats and to take measures to avoid or minimize the effects of trespass, which endanger routine farm operations, the safety of their families and people working on their farm, and the well-being of their livestock.
The Dufferin Federation of Agriculture recently communicated with OFA expressing fears about drivers and operators of ATVs, dirt bikes, and snowmobiles trespassing on private farmland.
Land surveyors, utility meter readers, building inspectors, public health inspectors, and conservation authority employees are examples of people who have the authority to enter farm property without explicit permission.
OFA is urging all farmers to be ready for unauthorized visitors by posting ‘No Trespassing’ signs, as well as any other appropriate bio-security signs, to clearly label private land and bio-security zones. Farmers should also remove the keys from their tractors and machinery and be responsible for locking the doors and vehicles in their buildings.
The Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act (STPFSA) includes new provisions for farmers, livestock transporters, and processing plants, as well as providing more resources and tools for the Ontario justice system to deal with immediate risks to the food system posed by trespassing.
Within the last year, OFA has reached out to a number of police agencies to discuss how to better train participants to report and handle illegal trespass, as well as how to assist officers in interacting and enforcing effective approaches to the mandates of the STPFSA.