Incorporating farm security measures into your routine farm or ranch operation will reduce the risk of criminal activity and provide a safer and more secure place for your family and employees. And with just a little bit of preplanning, you, your family, and your employees will know what to do in an emergency. Develop a good relationship with your fire, sheriff, and police departments. Provide them with information that will allow first responders to quickly and effectively deal with any emergency on your farm or ranch, helping to protect you, your family, your property, and your community. Emergencies will happen periodically. Learn the lessons from each one. Not only can they improve your plans and practices, but learned lessons improve your ability to recover and continue your operation. Making your farm or ranch safe and secure is a continual process of evaluation and improvement, but the on-going practices will help your operation remain in business and ultimately helps protect American agriculture.