FARMERS LIVING IN FEAR

A rash of vicious and unusual crimes against farmers living at the border
of Hamilton and Brant County has frightened a community and launched an OPP
investigation. Acting Detective-Sergeant Chris Gilpin, with the Brant
County OPP, said she's looking into three incidents to see if they are
linked but did not give many details.

One dairy farmer had his milk supply ruined in its holding tanks.

Another received threatening letters.

A third farmer's barn was destroyed by arsonists, the detective said.

"I don't know if they're connected. I have no evidence to say that they
are," Gilpin said.

While the OPP listed only three events under investigation, community
members are aware of many other malicious crimes, all of which occurred
within the last nine months and within an eight-kilometre radius.

There's fear that the crimes may be related to marijuana growers, who sneak
on to farmers' fields, plant their crops and then retaliate if the crops
are cut down before they can be harvested.

Community members say two barns have been burned down by arsonists in a
farming community between Cambridge and Brantford called Branchton.

The first barn burned in October, destroying the dairy cattle inside.

The second, which is less than a kilometre away, burned May 30.

The farmer who owned the barn burned in October also found staples in his
cattle feed, which ripped the animals' insides.

He was the victim of several threatening letters, which said -- You plowed
down my marijuana.

If you plow again, you'll burn again.

Growers of the illegal drug sometimes sneak into corn fields and plant a
crop of marijuana on someone else's land. It goes undetected, even by the
landowner, because corn stalks grow up to three metres high.

The farmer, who is concerned for his safety and didn't want his name used,
confirmed he has found marijuana in his fields.

In the same community, at least two dairy farmers have had milk in holding
tanks tainted, possibly by chlorine or penicillin. The problem was
discovered when the milk was tested before being sold.

One farmer, who was also afraid to have his name printed, would only say
his milk had been tampered with a few weeks ago.

Only one farm owner would discuss events in any detail. She did not want
her name or address to appear in The Spectator.

She said was woken in the night by passersby to find the barn fully
engulfed in flames. Her husband was able to free 20 dairy cattle, but eight
miscarried later due to shock. The large 100-year-old barn, perched at the
top of a rolling 32-hectare field, burned to the ground.

All that remains is the stone wall and a heap of charred beams.

The woman said she can't sleep and jumps with every little noise in the
night, a far cry from the days before the fire when she slept with her
front door unlocked.

"It's amazing how bad this is and how scary it is," she said. "It messes
you up."

Even Helen Mulligan, a member of the Brant County council, was reluctant to
speak out. Like others in the area, she'd heard about the incidents but
didn't know fact from rumour.

"The neighbours are concerned," Mulligan said.

"All I can say for sure is there's been two barn fires. I haven't talked to
the parties involved. I know it's in the hands of the police. What more can
I do?"