Karl Palmberg knows the kind of beef he wants to raise. Steakhouse-quality, grass-fed beef that's tender, juicy and full of flavor. And he's particular about how he gets there.
At Sunlight and Rain Grass-Fed Beef near Larchwood, Iowa, Karl and his family raise cattle through grass finishing, using regenerative grazing practices.
For Karl, producing great beef starts with what his cattle eat. He wants them grazing diverse forage, with access to fresh, high-quality grass to get the energy they need.
"I was walking miles every day putting in polywire."
He knew he couldn't keep doing it all himself forever. But he wasn't willing to compromise on the way he wanted to raise his cattle.
"My vision for the future was probably either hiring two or three additional people or completely wearing myself out."
Today, Karl's grazing goals haven't changed. But the way he achieves them has. With virtual fencing, he can make those frequent pasture moves himself without spending hours setting up and moving polywire.
The right virtual fencing system for him
Karl had already been using virtual fencing for almost a year when he came across Monil's collars at a conference. He picked one up and immediately noticed how light it felt compared to the collars he was already using. Curious about the difference, he decided to try Monil alongside his existing system.
"The Monil collars have been much lighter. They stay on the animals better. They take less abuse because they don't have anything down below the neck," Karl explains.
Being able to manage his grazing without adding more work to an already full day is considered a win in his book.
"Monil virtual fencing allows me to graze the animals exactly like I want to graze them."
Instead of spending his time in the pasture stretching polywire, Karl can focus on checking his animals, assessing herd health and looking at rumen fill. He's still out with his cattle, he's just spending more of that time doing the things that matter to him.
More time for the things he can't get back
The hours saved moving fence have made a difference beyond the pasture, too. Karl can check on his cattle from his phone, wherever he is. That means less worrying about whether his animals have gotten out and more peace of mind throughout the day. It's also given him time to pursue other ideas for the farm.
When Karl talks about what virtual fencing has really given him, the first thing he mentions isn't the grazing or the work he's saved. It's his family.
"My kids are young. They're in grade school. And this only happens once in my life. But I know that I need to enjoy this time that I have with my kids."
"With virtual fencing, I have more time with my family."
And while virtual fencing has made a big difference in his operation, he's realistic about the commitment it takes.
"The financial investment in virtual fencing is a multi-year investment," he says.
Still, after some time using the technology, Karl has a hard time imagining going back. He's raising the beef he wants to raise, grazing his cattle the way he believes in, and spending less of his day moving fence to make it happen.
"After having virtual fencing for about a year and a half, I cannot imagine farming the way that I'm farming without it."
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