Colorado Farm's Converted School Buses Defaced

WELLINGTON, Colo. (CBS4/AP) - Vandals have painted swastikas and anti-gay slurs on three converted school buses at a northern Colorado organic farm.

The Fort Collins Coloradoan reports the vandalism occurred between Sept. 7 and Sept. 9 at Grant Family Farms in Wellington.

The Larimer County Sheriff's Department says it's investigating the incident as criminal mischief and a possible bias-motivated crime.

Angela Simon, a representative of the farm's community supported agriculture program, says two of the buses are used for farm tours.

The other is a mobile chicken coop. The seats were replaced with nests and laying boxes, and chickens roam in an out by a ramp. It's moved around the farm to distribute chicken manure as fertilizer.

One of the buses was decorated by Cherry Creek students just last month.

Simon, also the farm's chef, says the nasty messages are not only hateful.. But go against the farm's message of peace and love.

Staring at it, it is the complete parallel and opposite of what we try to promote with the bus painting parties," Simon said. "If you look at the busses, it's optimism, it's hope, it's light and color. And then you see someone come along with black spray paint or silver, what have you, and write words of hate."

Simon says the graffiti will be painted over at a public painting party on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are being asked to bring any extra paint and paint brushes they may have. The farm says there is no need to call, but just show up to the farm.

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