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Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 9:25 pm
by jason812
Last year I turned a little 12x12 shed into a greenhouse or more of a sprout house for my garden and to maybe sell some plants. Tomatoes, peppers, and vegetables not the type of plants that will make me rich or get thrown in jail if I get caught. I have 8 4ft, 4bulb fluorescent bulb fixtures on shelves and insulated the building with regular roll out insulation and 1/2 foam covering it for light reflectivity. Last year which was a lot colder it would stay around 80 inside almost no problem and only rarely did I turn a heater on at night. Right now I would have to open the door cause it would be over a 100 in the day time but close it at night.

This morning there was a guy that ran from the popo at 3 in the morning about 10 miles from the house and the sheriff of McLennan county (I live in Bosque) said if they would have had had FLIR on the chopper they would have caught the guy and they are scheduled get it this spring. I wondered about this last year if the chopper flies by and sees my little shed hotter than everything else around will I get a knock on the door to check it out or a kicked in door in the middle of the night? Which would not be good.

I think about calling the sheriff and tell him what I'm doing but at the same time, it's none of his business and what if he thinks I'm growing something I'm not and thinks I tried fool him buy giving him a heads up? Would it be best just to see what happens? Maybe if he comes out see if he wants a tomato or Bhutt Jolokia pepper plant (hope I get them to grow)?

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 9:38 pm
by JerryK
You are over analyzing this and turning nothing into something. Grow what ever you want, as long as is not illegal and I am sure you will never get the knock on the door

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 10:12 pm
by Pawpaw
:iagree: Why ask for trouble when none is warranted?

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 10:45 pm
by Jusme
I'm sure your plant shed is not going to show up any differently than any other warm building heated barn etc.. Also chopper gas is expensive if they haven't had the funds for FLIR before now, they won't be wasting it to be checking green houses among places they haven't had issues before. Also without a warrant they won't be kicking your door down just to harass you for tomatoes and gardenias. Garden without fear.

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 10:58 pm
by Oldgringo
As my Mother (RIP) oft told me, if you have to ask, you already know.

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 11:03 pm
by GlassG19
JerryK wrote:You are over analyzing this and turning nothing into something. Grow what ever you want, as long as is not illegal and I am sure you will never get the knock on the door


:iagree:

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 6:42 am
by chasfm11
Perhaps the problem is not a far-fetched as some might believe. A few years ago, I would have laughed myself silly rather than worry about something like this. But I have a greenhouse myself and experimented with several types of heat lamps last year to protect my plants on the really cold nights. A couple of those lamps made the polycarbonate panels look like the sides of a space ship. Since it stood out light a sore thumb at 4am, I actually pondered how the police might react to it. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/cop ... -1.1338781

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 7:29 am
by JerryK
Ok, so some where in this country of 330 million people someone 'might' have had something illegal but they didn't so the moral of the story is don't grow something illegal and worry about something that will truly make a difference in your life or that of someone you love. AKA GAL!

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 8:56 am
by anygunanywhere
If you are not doing anything illegal why should you be worried?

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:06 am
by crazy2medic
I was a medic on a swat team for 8 years, we never did a raid without there being some under cover work done first! As long as your growing veggies then you really have nothing to be concerned about, I bet your not the only one in the county with a hothouse.

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:19 am
by Scott B.
Well, have you heard about the Hartes family? Their mistake? Shopping at a gardening center, drinking tea, and living where there's some less-than-adequately trained public servants.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the ... your-home/

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:22 am
by android
anygunanywhere wrote:If you are not doing anything illegal why should you be worried?
Because the police are experts at identifying marijuana, right?

http://www.rawstory.com/2010/05/largest ... yard-work/

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:35 am
by txcharvel
Even if you let them know what you were doing, it's not like they keep a list to reference legitimate greenhouses. The information would likely sit with the person you talked to. He may or may not share it with someone.

We shouldn't have to live in fear of being a law abiding citizen.

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:56 am
by anygunanywhere
android wrote:
anygunanywhere wrote:If you are not doing anything illegal why should you be worried?
Because the police are experts at identifying marijuana, right?

http://www.rawstory.com/2010/05/largest ... yard-work/
I was being sarcastic. That is the line that is used when you turn down a search request when LEO do not have PC.

Re: Greenhouse - Let sheriff know or not

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:06 am
by android
anygunanywhere wrote:
android wrote:
anygunanywhere wrote:If you are not doing anything illegal why should you be worried?
Because the police are experts at identifying marijuana, right?

http://www.rawstory.com/2010/05/largest ... yard-work/
I was being sarcastic. That is the line that is used when you turn down a search request when LEO do not have PC.
It is unfortunate that that line is said seriously by so many Americans now that it is difficult to tell who is using it sarcastically.

Perhaps we need to color code sarcasm so we can tell for sure?