(This is Part 4 in our series on Virtual Fencing – the Next Big Thing in Grazing. Here’s Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.)
“Virtual fence technology is not going to take the role of a rangeland manager.” ~ David Bohnert
“Using these technologies, that doesn’t take the animal husbandry out of it. That doesn’t take the ranch management out of it. It’s a tool.” ~ Andrew Cox.
“Virtual fence is only as good as the manager.” ~ Pat Luark
Graziers who use virtual fence technology tell us that it’s just like any other tool we use to manage our operations. It still requires the basic skills of a successful grazier. You still need to set goals and monitor your pastures. You still need to be patient, persistent and above all, adaptive. And when things seem tough, remember to enjoy the little things. Listen to these graziers talk about how they did all that in this 10:22 video. Then read on for some tips on how to do each of these things, whether you’re trying something new, or just going about your daily work.
Setting Goals
Yes, I know just how hard this can be. So I’ve got some examples for you in this collection of articles. I especially like Troy’s piece on thinking about what you’re doing and why because he gives LOTS of examples to work from.
Monitoring
If it were easy, everyone would do it. Those who take the time to monitor eventually develop the ability to look at their pastures and know how much forage there is. This article has links to a variety of techniques for monitoring so you can choose the ones that work best for you and grow your estimating abilities.
Being Patient, Persistent, and Adaptive (and enjoying the little things too)
The best examples of this are successful graziers, folks who have grown and changed over time, who looked at the world the way it is and made it something more for themselves. So look around you for those kinds of people and see what you can learn from them.
As one example, I give you Greg Judy. In his three books, he writes about what was going wrong and how he changed to make things better. In his last book, he focuses on those personal traits he developed that carried him through. You can read more about “How to Think Like a Grazier“ here. You can find all Greg’s books and order them here.
And if you’d like ongoing inspiration, check out his youtube channel too.
And the Funnies!
I was having a hard day back in June of 2021. To feel better I watched a funny video about someone else having a harder day because pain shared is halved, and joy shared is doubled.
Enjoy!
Some Days Nothing Goes Right – So watch a funny video instead!
