Kildare farmer tracks down egg and potato thieves

A Kildare farmer has said he will not close his farm shop despite a string of thefts.

Norman Dunne along with his father, Michael, run a 400ac tillage farm in Co Kildare and they have been running the shop in an ‘honesty box’-style system outside their farm to sell potatoes and eggs for over two years.

After numerous thefts of his products, he has installed CCTV cameras at the shop and around his property, but some people are still attempting to steal items.

Although the honesty box has been a major success in the community, Norman said he can’t sell his more valuable items, like honey, at the shop because of the threat of thieves.

“I don’t sell anything expensive at the box, because it will just get robbed,” he said.

“A lot of people have pointed out, it’s not honest if you have to monitor it with a security camera and chase people down.”

Deterrents

To deter future thefts, the Dunnes have been publishing footage of the burglaries on their social media pages and have erected a ‘wall of shame,’ where they put up pictures of people who have stolen from them before.

Using social media, they managed to track down thieves who subsequently returned or paid for the items they had stolen.

“The fact that I found the last person [who stole eggs and potatoes] within such a short period of time, will hopefully be a deterrent for any robberies in the future.”

“Anyone I’ve put up [on social media], I’ve found.”

Locally produced food

The Dunnes sell their seasonal produce at a market on Saturday mornings in Maynooth, at which they incorporate neighbouring farms’ produce as well, such as strawberries.

A spate of burglaries and vandalism at other honesty boxes across the country have forced owners to cease selling.

However, Norman reaffirmed that he would not close down his small shop because it means too much to the locals.

“The local people like it; everyone likes the idea of being able to pick their own eggs.

“It’s supplying fresh local produce to the local people with no air miles, no carbon footprint. It’s a win-win and it’s putting people back in touch with their locally produced food again.

“I’d say there would be a tribunal if I even tried to close it. A lot of people enjoy it and make a weekly tradition of coming down to buy their eggs.”

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