Virtual Fence Grazing Program

Virtual Fence Grazing Program for Cover Crop Innovation and Mentorship

The Virtual Fence Grazing Program introduces Missouri producers to virtual fence grazing technology by demonstrating its practical applications, benefits, and challenges in cover crop and perennial pasture grazing systems. The program aims to help producers understand how virtual fencing can improve grazing management, reduce fencing costs, and enhance land stewardship. It also aims to build a strong farmer-to-farmer network where producers can ask questions, exchange ideas, and learn from one another as they explore regenerative agriculture practices.

      To showcase the technology’s capabilities, the program has selected five Missouri farmers with experience utilizing cover crops for livestock grazing to implement virtual fencing on their operations. The farmers will serve as farm mentors, helping to educate and support others interested in cover crop grazing. The program will give fellow farmers the opportunity to see virtual fencing in action by offering field days, workshops, and other educational events.

Interested in learning more about virtual fence and funding opportunities? Contact Kaitlyn Dozler-German at kaitlyn.dozler@missouri.edu.

Virtual Fence Grazing Program Objectives

  1. Increase cover crop adoption
  2. Showcase virtual fencing
  3. Create farmer networks

What Is A Virtual Fence?

New precision livestock technology that creates an invisible barrier using a GPS positioning system designed to keep livestock in or out of an area by administering audio and mild electrical cues.

Virtual Fence provides livestock producers with a variety of grazing strategies and opportunities, including:

  1. Reducing time, labor and cost of physical fence.
  2. Improving cattle utilization efficiency
  3. Creating flexible grazing boundaries
  4. Implementing natural resource conservation
A black and white cow wearing a virtual fence collar from Monil grazes in lush green grass dotted with white wildflowers, with a forested area in the background.
Image courtesy of Monil.
A group of sheep standing near a fence wearing virtual fence collars from Nofence.
Two black cattle wearing orange virtual fence collars from eShepherd/Gallagher graze to show how they are staying away from the tall grass using the virtual fence technology.
A herd of reddish-brown beef cattle wearing virtual fence collars from Halter graze in a lush green pasture beside a pond on a sunny day, with trees in the background and a blue sky with white clouds overhead.
Watch the cattle stay away from the shock zone (red portion). The white area represents the sound zone and the light red area is the exclusion zone. Each red dot represents a cow’s location taken every 20 minutes.
This graze line is the result of virtual fence keeping Mac Kincaid’s cows within the boundary.
Listen for the audio stimulus that guides Christopher Hudson’s cow back into the virtual boundary.

Virtual Fence In Action

It allows us to graze the way we always wanted to, but it wasn’t feasible to. What I could do with the collars, it could take one or two people to do.

–John Leuken

Meet the Producers

Five Missouri producers have led the charge of experimenting with virtual fence on their cattle, sheep and goat herds.

  • Daniel Bonacker and Christopher Hudson are located in eastern Missouri and use eShepherd virtual fence systems on their cattle herds.
  • Mac Kincaid is located in southwest Missouri and uses the Halter virtual fence system on his cattle herd.
  • Josh Payne is located in central Missouri and uses the Nofence virtual fence system on his sheep herd.
  • Gavin Talmadge is located in northwest Missouri and uses the Monil virtual fence system on his cattle herd.
A red cow is fitted with a virtual fence collar from Halter. A picture of the company's logo is seen as well. When clicked, viewers are taken to the Halter website.
A red and white cow wears a virtual fence collar from Monil. A picture of the company's logo is seen as well. When clicked, viewers are taken to the Monil website.
White cows stand in a pasture wearing virtual fence collars from Gallagher/eShepherd. The company logo is seen as well. When clicked, viewers are taken to the Gallagher/eShepherd website.
A ram stands in a pasture wearing a virtual fence collar from Nofence. The company logo is seen as well. When clicked, viewers are taken to the Nofence website.

Virtual Fence Companies We’ve Partnered With

Want to learn more?

Check out our Virtual Fence Toolkit to find budgeting tools, virtual fence basics and company information all in one place.

Virtual Fence Toolkit
Kaitlyn Dozler-German inspects a virtual fence collar and connects it with her phone. Image leads to Virtual Fence Toolkit.

Sign Up For Our Email Newsletter

Newsletter Signup
Audience Type
Sign me up for:
CAPTCHA
Secret Link