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In the hours and days following the horrific events of Sept. 11, air traffic was grounded and rumors spread like a mushroom cloud over the country – Who or what is next? Are the country’s nuclear plants safe? Will terrorists try to use other ways to harm Americans other than bombs and planes?

That last question had heads turning toward agriculture and how best to protect our nation’s food supply from attack. Even President George W. Bush acknowledged how important agriculture is to national security.

"In many ways, agriculture ranks among the most crucial of our nation's industries; and yet, its reliability and productivity are often taken for granted," Bush said in a proclamation praising American farmers following events in September.

In early October, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Bob Stallman called for Bush to appoint an agroterrorism specialist to serve under Tom Ridge, the head of the new Office of Homeland Security. The staff position AFBF requested would develop ways to better safeguard agriculture and America’s food supply from the potential impact of agroterrorism, Stallman said.

And in Ohio, Sen. Larry Mumper, R-Marion, has introduced a bill in the Ohio Senate that would define severe penalties for anyone committing "wanton and intentional acts" on farms and agribusinesses. The bill passed the Senate in late October, is expected to pass the House and should be on Gov. Taft’s desk soon, according to Scott Williams, OFBF director of state legislative affairs.

"What this legislation does is put the penalties more in line with other penalties," Williams said. "Currently, we can only charge [someone who commits these acts] with simple vandalism or trespass. These types of actions need to be prosecuted at a different level than a couple of kids who take a four-wheeler off the road one night and do a couple of doughnuts in a corn field."

Other agencies have offered their own suggestions on how to deal with the prospect of "agroterrorism." The common threads weaving through these news announcements are two-fold:

• Be alert and cautious, but
• Don’t panic

"We all have to be vigilant but I don’t think we need to be overly concerned," according to John C. "Jack" Fisher, executive vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.

In fact, even though the possibility exists that foreign terrorists could strike our farms, we probably need to be more aware of special agenda groups who oppose the way we farm, Fisher said.

"We should be more concerned with activist groups that originate within our own country – people who destroy research laboratories and genetically-enhanced crops," Fisher said. "But we all should become more aware of what’s happening on and around our farms and take any precautions that we think are needed."

In an open letter to Ohio’s farmers and agribusiness operators, Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director Fred L. Dailey wrote: "If you suspect problems or discover evidence of tampering or trespassing, you should notify local law enforcement officials immediately. If you believe you see evidence of foot-and-mouth disease or some other foreign animal disease, please call our toll-free hotline at 1-800-300-9755. Or if you have questions about our department’s procedures and plans to respond to bioterrorism threats, please call us toll-free at 1-800-282-1955."

In addition to precautions put in place by ODA, the Ohio Department of Health has established a Bioterrorism Information Line that will remain active until further notice. If you have questions about bioterrorism or other related public health issues, you can call toll-free 866-936-4636.