Josh Draper is a busy guy. He runs a 200-acre farm, as well as an active video blog about his busy farm life called Stoney Ridge Farmer. When I called Josh, he was out on his tractor. He took a minute to find a shady spot and then shared his story with me…
Guardline: Tell me about your property and what you do on it.
Stoney Ridge Farmer: We’re on a 200-acre farm with five access points. We’re starting a first-generation cattle farm, pastured poultry, all organic. Right now, we’re cutting trees, establishing pastures, and building fences. It’s a lot of fun and a lot of work. We’ve got three Guardline devices set up on the main thoroughfare in and out of the farm. The land altogether is one big chunk with several roads, and it’s really rural. My home is currently where the party spot used to be.
GL: What’s the party spot?
SRF: Before we had the Guardline system, our dogs would bark when someone came down our road. Eventually, the dogs got used to it and stopped alerting us. People would come down in the middle of the night, and dump trash, chicken bones, and beer bottles. They would do God knows what. We couldn’t see it from our house. Now with the system, I know what comes in and goes out. If someone comes down my driveway to hang out, I know it. If the FedEx guy comes in, I know it. Guardline isn’t just good for security, it helps us stay informed. Not everyone is up to no good, and I just want to know at all times what’s happening on parts of my property I can’t see.
GL: I know you live in a rural community. Do you know your neighbors very well?
SRF: Out here, almost every neighbor knows each other. Not every neighbor is a good one, but we all look out for one another. Especially with a farm business, there’s only so much a neighbor can see. Someone could literally back a tractor-trailer up to my barn and load it up, and we’d never know. We have some great neighbors, but one of them likes to show up unannounced. Guardline lets me when he’s coming down my driveway.
GL: Do you have kids?
SRF: No kids yet. We’re practicing like crazy though. (Interviewer falls out of chair laughing.) I feel good knowing that when that day comes, we’ll feel safe and secure on the property. We’ve put a good system in place to help us feel less vulnerable.
GL: Do you think you’ll feel safer on your property once you have kids?
SRF: Absolutely. I used to be a sheriff’s deputy, and once an inmate told me that he sat in my parents’ field when I was a kid and watched me riding my motorcycle just waiting for an opportunity to steal it. So those people are out there. The other awesome thing about Guardline is that all three of our sensors are way off from the house, through the woods, over hills, creeks, and ponds. They still pick up motion from that far away and send me an alert.
GL: One of the main reasons people live in the country is privacy…
SRF: Exactly. I mean, I might be walking around in my underwear with my wife, or have just gotten out of the shower. And it’s my home, I should be able to do that. With Guardline, I get notified someone’s coming so I can put on some pants before someone shows up at my door. It adds stress to my life to not know who’s coming. You can’t keep an eye on 200 acres, but sometimes you don’t even know someone’s at your front door.
GL: So Guardline really is about safety, but also general awareness of your property…
SRF: Definitely. My mother and father both have Guardline systems, too. My mother raises dogs and grooms them, so she’s got a lot of traffic coming and going from her place. It’s very rural with about a half-mile driveway. I have peace of mind that as my parents get older, they’ve got additional eyes and ears on their property. They don’t see things that other people see.
You can learn more about Stoney Ridge Farmer and watch helpful (and hilarious) videos for how to build and manage a farm life:
To learn more about Guardline Outdoor Motion Sensors feel free to call us with your questions at (888) 519-0413, or contact our American customer support team by going to our Facebook page or by visiting our contact page.
3 comments
Hey Jim, thanks for the request. We are definitely working on getting phone notifications. For now, our Guardline system is compatible with smart hubs via a dry port contact. All you need to do is connect your Guardline to a smart hub through a window door sensor. Give us a call at 888-519-0413 if you want some support on how to set this up.
Have a great day!
-Joanna
Customer Service Rep
Guardline Security
I would like to request that you add phone notifications to your guardline product. That way, even if I am not in the house I can be notified that someone has come on my property. If you would do that, I would buy your product in an instant to replace my current Chamberlain driveway alarm.
We just have 15 acres. One main entry. Just to see different setups ideas.