EAST DUBUQUE, Ill. — When Matthew Schuster went to his Jo Daviess County bean field to start the harvest, he was shocked to find someone else had already taken about 18 acres of soybeans.

Schuster, of La Motte, Iowa, said he’s lost more than $18,000 after someone else combined 18 acres of soybeans. He farms in both Iowa and Illinois.

"They flat-out came into the wrong field and flat-out stole these beans," Schuster said.

Located near East Dubuque High School, he said the plot is in a residential neighborhood, and neighbors did see someone picking the beans. They told him the beans were harvested by a small John Deere combine with a 13- or 15-foot grain head, and pickups with red and white wagons. Neighbors told sheriff’s deputies they saw the beans being picked and hauled away, but thought Schuster had hired someone else to do the work.

Although he estimates the loss at more than $18,000, Schuster said he has insurance to cover it, although he also said he needs about 1,600 bushels by Nov. 1 to meet a contract. In the end, he’s hoping it was simply an accident. "If you’re the farmer who got the wrong field, please come find me," he said.

He also advised farmers and neighbors to keep an eye on each other’s fields. "If it’s a different semi, grain cart or combine, take a minute and see if it’s the renter or the farmer that’s supposed to be there."

The Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident. Crop theft is a felony in both Illinois and Iowa. Schuster also is offering a $1,000 reward for information about the incident.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number at 815-777-2141.