By Brian Consiglio
For generations, farmers have spent backbreaking hours tearing down and rebuilding fences just to move livestock to fresh grazing fields. Now, thanks to a groundbreaking project at the University of Missouri’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture, that chore is becoming a thing of the past.
With a $900,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, five Missouri producers are beta testing a high-tech virtual fencing solution that uses GPS-enabled collars and a simple mobile app to guide animals with sound and mild shock cues. No posts, no wires, no sweat. Just smarter grazing, healthier pastures and more time back in a farmer’s day.
Kaitlyn Dozler, manager of Mizzou’s Virtual Fence Program, is leading the three-year project alongside Rob Myers, a professor with the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and director of the Mizzou Center for Regenerative Agriculture. The project is specifically designed for Missouri farmers whose animals graze on cover crops — plants that protect and improve soil during the time of year when cash crops are not being grown.
“Farmers might be out multiple times a day moving their physical fences in extreme weather, so using virtual fencing can make their lives so much easier,” Dozler said. “One producer told me she was able to take a vacation for the first time in five years because she knew she could just go online at any time and see exactly where her goats were.”
Four of the five Missouri livestock producers involved in the project — which began last summer — have collared their cattle, while the fifth has collared his sheep. All five producers have enjoyed the convenience of using the new technology so far and, as part of the grant, are sharing their experiences with other Missouri farmers at events such as the 2026 Missouri Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show.
Source : missouri.edu