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From Golf Courses to Nature Trails, Goats Are Reclaiming the Land

In Wisconsin’s Fox River Valley, Stephanie Bowers is proving that goats can do more than make mischief. Her herds are restoring golf courses, residential property, and nature preserves one bite at a time. At Glorious Goat Ranch, targeted grazing has become a family business built on land stewardship and creativity.

Each project comes with new challenges, whether it is curious onlookers, unpredictable terrain, or dense patches of buckthorn. Yet, the results are unmistakable. What began as a way to manage invasive species has grown into a movement that helps communities care for their land in a more natural way. “The goats get to do what they love, and we get to see the land come back to life,” Stephanie says.

 

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Targeted Grazing Meets Technology

Stephanie runs around 300 goats and 100 sheep, for conservation grazing projects. Throughout the grazing season, the herds work across a range of sites, helping to control vegetation wherever it’s needed. Before adopting Nofence, the work involved hours of setting up and taking down electronet fencing at each site.

“Fence up, fence down, every single job,” she recalls. “We had nowhere near as many goats back then because it just wasn’t scalable. Now, with virtual fencing, it is.”

Nofence collars allow Stephanie to define and adjust grazing boundaries directly from her phone. The result is a dramatic reduction in labor. “I’m constantly measuring how much time we save, and it’s huge. I keep a tally of hours saved on each job, and it’s a key reason this technology pays off.”

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“I can check the app and instantly see where each animal is. If a collar sends an alert, I know right away and can take action before it becomes a problem.”   — Stephanie Bowers

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Family Business, Flexible Life

Stephanie’s grazing operation is a true family affair, run alongside her husband Jeff and their two children. During the busy grazing season, herds are spread across several sites, yet technology keeps her connected to every one of them. The ability to monitor and move animals from her phone has changed the way her family works and lives.

“It gives us room to breathe,” she says. “I can check on the goats at 5 a.m. and know they’re safe before the day really starts. I can sit at my kids’ soccer games and still keep things moving. Without Nofence, we wouldn’t be able to do this type of work at all.”

That flexibility has turned their grazing business into something the whole family can share. The kids help manage pastures through the app, learning as they go. “Our 10-year-old set up his own herd last year,” Stephanie laughs. “He even renamed half the goats with emojis. It’s fun for them, but it also helps them understand the responsibility that comes with caring for animals.”

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“There are always people walking dogs or stopping to watch the goats. Nofence gives me peace of mind because I always know exactly where my animals are.”  

— Stephanie Bowers

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Peace of Mind in Public Spaces

Many of Stephanie’s grazing projects unfold in the middle of public life, where curious onlookers, golf carts, and off-leash dogs are part of the daily scenery. That makes reliable containment more than a convenience—it is essential. 

“We graze everywhere from golf courses to community parks,” she says. “There are always people walking dogs or stopping to watch the goats. Nofence gives me peace of mind because I always know exactly where my animals are.”

The system’s real-time alerts have saved more than a few headaches. When a goat collar once triggered an alarm, Stephanie discovered a homeowner had picked it up and carried it past the boundary. “She couldn’t believe I knew right away,” Stephanie recalls with a laugh. “I told her, ‘Just don’t touch the chain, and I’ll come get it.’"

Whether it is keeping the herd off a fairway or away from a flower bed, Stephanie can handle it all from her phone. “If a goat wanders too close to a sidewalk, I can see it instantly and adjust before it becomes a problem,” she says. “That kind of peace of mind is priceless when your animals are grazing where the public plays.”

 

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Trust in the Herd and the System

Training came naturally for Stephanie’s goats, who seemed to understand their new collars almost instantly. “Goats are quick learners,” she says. “Once a few figure it out, the rest follow their lead.” Even the sheep eventually caught on, though they tested her patience at first. “They’= were a little slower to learn, but once they got it, they were solid.”

Her confidence in the system was sealed after one unforgettable morning. “I noticed a goat was far away from the herd and hadn’t moved for a while,” she recalls. “When I checked the app, the collar showed the exact spot. She’d gotten herself wedged in a tree. That alert probably saved her life.”

Moments like that have proven what the data already shows. Stephanie tracks time savings, herd health, and grazing efficiency, but she says the true payoff is peace of mind. “It’s like hiring another person, except this one never forgets to show up for work,” she says with a grin.

For her, success is about more than cutting hours or improving margins. It is about keeping a growing business running smoothly while caring for the land and the animals that make it all possible. “When you work with livestock, something will always go wrong,” she says. “But this takes the chaos and makes it manageable. And that’s something you can’t put a price on.”

Learn how Nofence is working for other herds:
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