Beryl farmer speaks out after vandalism causes thousands of dollars in damage
Cannon Secrist and Amelia Hobson
BERYL, Utah (ABC4) — A local farmer and agricultural leaders are speaking out after an individual or group targeted farm equipment and caused thousands of dollars in damage.
On Monday, Ranon Reber showed up to his farm and quickly realized that something was off. His equipment had several flat tires and, after looking around, Reber found that there was other significant damage.
“We got here and went looking and we realized that they had actually been drilling holes through the sidewalls of the tires, breaking off the valve stems and stuff and just causing problems,” he said.
Reportedly, 16 tires were slashed, and two tractors were spray painted with “Meat is Murder” and “A-L-F”, possibly meaning the Animal Liberation Front.
Reber says each tire costs him around $2,500 and, in total, repairs will likely cost him upwards of $40,000. The one upside, he says, is that the timing could have been much worse, but it will hopefully not impact his ability to plant crops as needed this year.
“It would have been very catastrophic. Not being able to get your crops put up in a timely manner could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the scenario,” he said.
Either way, Reber says he never expected something like this to happen in a small town like Beryl. Now, he’s planning to install cameras.
“You’d like to put more trust in people than that. But unfortunately, that’s kind of where we live today,” he said. “So that is something we’ve thought about probably a little late to the draw on this one.”
The Utah Farm Bureau says an incident like this is rare, but concerning in an industry that already faces tight margins.
“For these producers to have to go out and spend money to fix this equipment and replace the tires. It’s really hard because they just can’t absorb losses like this. Well, we already have a tough economy,” Valjay Rigby, with the Utah Farm Bureau, says.
Reber added, “This is as bad as coming through the front door of my house. You come on to my place, you come and terrorize and cause problems. This is a serious deal. It’s something that needs to be taken care of and followed through with.”
At this time, nobody has been arrested for this act of vandalism, and anyone with information is asked to come forward to law enforcement.
$10K reward offered after $35K farm equipment vandalism in Iron County1 min read
By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for a vandalism incident that caused an estimated $35,000 in damage to farm equipment in the Beryl Junction area.
Deputies with the Iron County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report around 1 p.m. on March 23 after farmer Ranon Reber reported significant property damage, according to an incident press release.
Investigators say an unknown suspect slashed 14 tires and damaged agricultural equipment, resulting in approximately $35,000 in losses.
Evidence at the scene suggests possible involvement by the Animal Liberation Front, as the phrases “ALF” and “meat is murder” were found painted on the equipment, deputies said.
The case remains active and under investigation.
The reward was announced by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, which are each contributing $5,000 toward the total.
State agriculture officials said the incident highlights growing concerns about crimes targeting farms and the impact on rural communities.
“Vandalism targeting Utah farms is unacceptable and deeply concerning,” said Kelly Pehrson, commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. “These operations are family-run businesses that play a critical role in our state’s food system and rural economy.”
“Acts like this cause real financial harm and disrupt livelihoods. We encourage anyone with information to contact local law enforcement so those responsible can be held accountable.”
ValJay Rigby, president of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, said the damage represents more than just equipment losses.
“This equipment represents a significant investment in the future of these family-run businesses,” Rigby said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Iron County Sheriff’s Office at 435-867-7500.