NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD-TV) — For Elizabeth Bergschneider, farm succession planning has meant finding ways to remain involved in her family’s cattle operation even while living three and a half hours away.
Virtual fencing technology is helping her take on more responsibility while supporting her father, who still manages the farm.
Bergschneider, who works with Monil Virtual Fences, grew up on a sixth-generation commercial cow-calf operation. She said her family’s farm has been part of her life for generations, and she always planned to return home.
But after graduate school and marriage took her away for several hours a day, her approach to succession planning changed.
“Succession planning kind of shifted from, ‘What happens when I get home?’ to, ‘How can I be involved no matter where I am?’” Bergschneider said.
Virtual Fencing Offers an Extra Set of Boots on the Ground
Bergschneider said her father, now in his mid-70s, manages the farm without the extra family labor available when she was growing up.
Virtual fencing gives her a way to help from a distance by providing cattle location information, alerts, and tools for managing grazing.
“I kind of think about it as an extra set of boots on the ground,” she said.
Bergschneider said the technology allows the family to know when cattle move beyond their designated boundaries without waiting for a neighbor to call or for animals to spread across surrounding pastures.
It also provides information about cattle activity that she would not otherwise have while living away from the operation.
She said those insights can help the family manage cattle more effectively and plan rotational grazing.
Cattle Learn Virtual Boundaries Quickly
Bergschneider said cattle learn to respond to the virtual fencing collars relatively quickly, with much of the learning taking place during the first three days.
“Within seven days, your cattle are going to be trained to a virtual fence for the most part,” she said.
She highlighted Monil’s collar design, which the company developed with the GPS technology mounted on top. Bergschneider said the design supports location accuracy and allows the system to provide activity information through its app.
She plans to use heat maps and other insights to help her father plan grazing areas and make better use of available pasture.
Bergschneider said improved rotational grazing could also help the family reduce winter hay needs.
Technology Can Support Farm Succession
For Bergschneider, virtual fencing is more than a cattle management tool. It offers a practical way to stay connected to the family’s operation while living away from the farm.
She said technology can give the next generation additional ways to contribute, even when returning home full time is not immediately possible.
Bergschneider encouraged farm families to begin succession planning early and explore options that fit their individual circumstances.
“The future starts tomorrow. Not next week, not next year,” she said. “The time to start planning is today.”
She said families should consider technologies and resources that could make the transition easier and help the next generation stay involved.
Bergschneider’s experience illustrates how virtual fencing can help connect family members across distance, allowing them to contribute to cattle management while supporting the continued operation of a multigenerational farm.
LEARN MORE: www.monil.com
