Virtual cattle fencing could have ‘huge’ potential for getting cattle back on the land

MUSCATINE COUNTY, Iowa ( IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH ) - Cattle at a nature preserve in eastern Iowa appear to roam the land freely — no fences or cowboys on horseback patrol their movement.

Instead, these cows wear special collars that keep them from grazing beyond the boundaries their owners designate via a phone or computer.

The Nature Conservancy has studied this form of virtual fencing with cattle at its Land of the Swamp White Oak Preserve for the past three years with the hope that the technology can be integrated into other ranchers’ operations.

Amy Crouch, The Nature Conservancy’s Little Sioux project director who headed the virtual fencing project, said the collars can give ranchers peace of mind, reduce labor on managed grazing operations and help put cattle onto more land.