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Cows in electric collars: Vermont farmers pilot virtual fencing technology
https://vtdigger.org/2024/06/07/cows-in-electric-collars-vermont-farmers-pilot-virtual-fencing-technology/Cows in electric collars: Vermont farmers pilot virtual fencing technology
Farmers involved in the Agritech Institute’s pilot program for the “Nofence” system say the potential is there, though costs and network connectivity remain concerns.
By Emma Malinak
June 7, 2024, 12:08 pm
Cattle wear Nofence collars, which use GPS tracking and mobile networks to communicate with virtual fence lines. The technology allows farmers to track cattle and change boundaries in real-time from the Nofence app. Photo courtesy of Nofence.
Fence posts and spools of wire are being swapped for cell phone apps and electric collars on several Vermont farms this summer as farmers pilot virtual fencing technology to manage herds of livestock.
Using technology called Nofence, farmers can create virtual fence lines using a cell phone app, which communicates with animals’ collars via mobile networks and GPS tracking. The collar plays a series of tones as an animal moves closer and closer to the fence line before delivering a “mild, but effective electric pulse,” according to the Nofence website. With time, livestock learn to recognize the audio warning and will turn around before reaching the boundary.
The Agritech Institute for Small Farms is running a program to test the technology in five cattle farms and four vegetation management projects across Vermont, according to a press release from the organization.
[...]
The institute collected more than $300,000 in grant money from the Dairy Business Innovation Center, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board and other organizations to fund the pilot program, Smith said, which means farmers can test the Nofence equipment for free during the 2024 growing season.
[...]
Farmers involved in the Agritech Institute’s pilot program for the “Nofence” system say the potential is there, though costs and network connectivity remain concerns.
By Emma Malinak
June 7, 2024, 12:08 pm
Cattle wear Nofence collars, which use GPS tracking and mobile networks to communicate with virtual fence lines. The technology allows farmers to track cattle and change boundaries in real-time from the Nofence app. Photo courtesy of Nofence.
Fence posts and spools of wire are being swapped for cell phone apps and electric collars on several Vermont farms this summer as farmers pilot virtual fencing technology to manage herds of livestock.
Using technology called Nofence, farmers can create virtual fence lines using a cell phone app, which communicates with animals’ collars via mobile networks and GPS tracking. The collar plays a series of tones as an animal moves closer and closer to the fence line before delivering a “mild, but effective electric pulse,” according to the Nofence website. With time, livestock learn to recognize the audio warning and will turn around before reaching the boundary.
The Agritech Institute for Small Farms is running a program to test the technology in five cattle farms and four vegetation management projects across Vermont, according to a press release from the organization.
[...]
The institute collected more than $300,000 in grant money from the Dairy Business Innovation Center, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board and other organizations to fund the pilot program, Smith said, which means farmers can test the Nofence equipment for free during the 2024 growing season.
[...]