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January 2025 %u2022 The Midwest Cattleman %u2022 Page 11lands that weren%u2019t able to be grazed prior because they were not fenced. It%u2019s that vast, large, marginal land; a neighbor%u2019s pasture or cover crops. There is so much land in rural and urban areas that is not grazed because it%u2019s tricky to fence or the amount of labor to fence is cost prohibitive.%u201dBrice Hundling of Hundling Family Farm in Breda, Iowa, shares Filbert%u2019s vision. %u201cGrazing ruminant animals is interesting to me,%u201d Hundling said. %u201cThere%u2019s so much wasted feed in this part of the world, basically due to lack of fencing. That%u2019s kind of the reason I got into the cow-calf business. I saw an opportunity to carve out a niche and use that ground, especially in winter.%u201dHis progressive approach to incorporating cover crops, rotational grazing and other sustainable management tactics led to Hundling Family Farm being named the Niman Ranch%u2019s 2024 Sustainable Farm of the Year. %u201cBrice has a lot of enthusiasm for trying new things,%u201d Filbert said after meeting Hundling. %u201cHe was curious and asked lots of questions.%u201d Once his questions were answered, Hundling was eager to experiment. He received his first 45 collars in the fall of 2022, to use on sheep and goats. Hundling later added another 50 units, and for the past two years grazed nearly 100 head fitted with Nofence collars without any physical fence. %u201cThe flocking instinct of goats and sheep is tighter than cattle,%u201d Hundling said. %u201cThey know where they are on the food chain, so if one gets out, it will always come back.%u201dCattle ConundrumsTwenty cattle collars at Hundling Family Farm arrived once Hundling saw how easily the smaller stock adapted. Hundling, who lives along a highway, implemented the cattle system a bit differently. %u201cI use Nofence within a physical fence,%u201d Hundling said, %u201cso I can advance controlled grazing and limit boundaries. Calves can pre-graze ahead of cows and get the better grass. You don%u2019t need a back fence. You just give more range every week and it stretches your stalks or stockpiled forage longer.%u201d According to Filbert, virtual fencing was not invented to be a direct replacement for perimeter fencing, especially near high-risk, heavily trafficked roads. %u201cWe would recommend a physical perimeter,%u201d she said. %u201cBut many Nofence customers are grazing in challenging terrain where livestock will never see a car or another human. So truly, it is up to the producer to assess the risk and liability with their grazing scenario. Nofence has a 99% containment rate. It just depends on the situation. But it absolutely can be a direct replacement for cross fencing and breaking up pastures better for rotational grazing.%u201dProducers purchase the collars and a monthly subscription fee for the smartphone app. Collars have a life span and warranty of five years, making the average annual cost approximately $95-$110 per cow per year. %u201cBecause our minimum collar order number is five we really do serve mid-size producers,%u201d Filbert said, %u201cIf you just have 20 to 30 animals, and start small, you may be able to wrap your head around the cost. With a hundred, the cost scales and that could be cost prohibitive.%u201d Filbert advises producers to compare the cost of fencing supplies and labor, along with winter feeding expenses, to determine if the investment makes economic sense for their operation. The Ultimate RealitySetting up boundaries is as simple as defining the grazing area using GPS coordinates in the Nofence app. The virtual fences can be adjusted and operators are able to create exclusion zones on the app to restrict certain areas of the paddock. Filbert believes this technology provides a higher quality of life for producers. %u201cDue to the animals being GPS%u2019d, you could check your cows via the app 30 times a day if you like,%u201d Filbert said. %u201cThe collars send GPS coordinates to your app every 15 minutes, so you can track their grazing pattern and behavior. It%u2019s hard to put a dollar amount on the value for the peace of mind that comes from looking at animals from your phone with the touch of a fingertip. Right before bed, you can check your animals and get better sleep. One farmer said most of his pasture moves are done from bed each morning.%u201dIf cattle test the boundaries and %u201cget out%u201d, they receive an electrical pulse and the producer gets an immediate notification on the app. %u201cBecause they are all individually GPS%u2019d, you know exactly where they end up. Farmers have told me it%u2019s nice to have that knowledge and make decisions immediately to avoid a call from a neighbor or the sheriff,%u201d Filbert said.While virtual fencing is providing an eye-in-the-sky perspective and expanding the use of pasture, it is not without limitations or inconveniences. Good cell service is essential. Cattlemen will still need a corral or penning system to fit and collar the livestock, as well as condition them to the technology. The manufacturer recommends calves be at least six months old and that collars on growing calves be adjusted for size monthly, while mature stock could feasibly wear the collars year round. Training takes about a week in a controlled environment before releasing cattle to the wide open. And backup batteries are advised.Filbert compared the adaptation for this latest concept to the idea of using cover crops. %u201cIt used to be 1 in 10 farmers that planted and grazed cover crops,%u201d she said. %u201cNow, in some areas, every other farmer does it. Virtual fencing provides a very attractive form of management to get young people back into agriculture. We really could see that happen with this new, easily used, attractive, and effective technology.%u201dEditor%u2019s Note: Hear the full interviews to learn more about virtual fencing online at www.midwestcattleman.com. D Photo courtesy of Nofence