Why Monil Is Bringing Virtual Fencing to the Midwest
Why Monil Is Bringing Virtual Fencing to the Midwest — and Moving a Family to Do It
As interest grows in tools that support rotational grazing and pasture management, Norwegian agtech company Monil has started its U.S. journey in the Midwest. But instead of launching from afar, the company is starting with ranch visits, conversations, and a Norwegian family with their boots on the ground in Kansas City.
Kansas City, Kansas — When Norwegian agtech company Monil decided to expand into the United States, they didn’t begin with a distributor agreement or a remote sales office. They moved a family.
Oliver Halvorsrød and Nina Volstad relocated to Kansas City with their children earlier this year to begin building Monil’s first permanent presence in the United States. Their kids are now attending school locally, and the family is settling into everyday life in the Midwest while traveling across Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Oklahoma meeting cattle producers.
The goal is simple: learn from ranchers while introducing a technology that could change how producers manage pasture.
That technology is virtual fencing.
Managing Grass Without Moving Fence
Virtual fencing replaces traditional fence lines with digital boundaries drawn in a mobile app. Cattle wear GPS-enabled collars that guide them using audio cues acting as a sound barrier when they have learned the system and approach a boundary.
Instead of installing wire and posts, producers can move paddocks with a few taps on a phone.
For operations interested in rotational grazing, paddock grazing, and frequent shifts, the system makes it easier to manage where cattle graze without the labor of moving temporary fences.
“Most producers understand the value of managing grass more actively,” Oliver says. “But moving wire every couple of days takes time. Virtual fencing gives you another way to manage pasture.”
That flexibility allows producers to test different grazing patterns, protect sensitive areas, or adjust paddock size as grass conditions change.
Over time, those adjustments can support better pasture optimization, improved yield utilization, and more consistent grassland yield optimization.
A Tool for Regenerative Grazing and Soil Health
Across the Midwest, more cattle producers are experimenting with regenerative farming practices.
Many are interested in improving soil health, increasing pasture productivity, and making better use of the land they already manage.
Those goals often depend on controlling where cattle graze and how long they stay in each area.
Virtual fencing makes that level of management easier.
Producers can divide larger pastures into smaller paddocks and move cattle more frequently without installing new fence lines. These frequent shifts allow grass to recover and distribute grazing pressure more evenly.
For producers already practicing rotational grazing, virtual fencing can remove some of the practical barriers.
“We hear the same question everywhere,” Oliver says. “How do I manage grass better with the time and land I already have?”
Virtual fencing doesn’t replace good grazing management. It simply gives producers a more flexible tool for doing it.
A Different Type of Collar System
Monil’s approach to virtual fencing focuses on simplicity for everyday ranch use.
Each animal wears a small, lightweight collar that sits on top of the neck, where it creates minimal disturbance. The collars are solar powered, allowing them to recharge during normal grazing.
Monil’s collars operate independently using cellular coverage, without relying on base stations or fixed infrastructure. That means producers can manage virtual paddocks across large grazing areas without installing towers or additional equipment in the pasture.
For many operations—particularly small to medium-sized cattle operations—that flexibility can make adoption easier. Monil’s system was designed with practical ranch operations in mind: simple equipment, minimal infrastructure, and flexible grazing management.
“It’s a system designed to move with the herd,” Oliver explains.
The collars create a sound barrier that cattle learn to respect. When an animal approaches a virtual boundary, the collar delivers an audio cue first, allowing cattle to turn away before reaching the line. If she doesn’t respond, the collar delivers a brief, low-level electric stimulus that encourages her to turn back into the paddock.
Over time, most animals learn to respond to the sound alone.
Learning From Ranchers Across the Region
While the technology is new to many U.S. producers, Monil’s team believes the most important step in entering a new market is listening.
Since arriving in Kansas, Oliver and Nina have been traveling extensively across the region—visiting ranches, walking pastures, and talking with producers about grazing management.
Sometimes the whole family comes along.
“We’re here to learn,” Nina says. “Every ranch manages grass differently. Those conversations help us understand what producers actually need.”
That approach reflects Monil’s philosophy: technology in agriculture works best when it’s built with producers, not just for them.
What’s stood out most so far is the reception on the ranches themselves. Conversations have been open, practical, and often curious. Many producers want to understand how virtual fencing might fit into the way they already manage grass, cattle, and pasture.
For Oliver and Nina, those discussions have been one of the most meaningful parts of the move.
“Producers have been incredibly welcoming,” Nina says. “We’ve been invited to walk pastures, look at grazing plans, and talk through ideas. Building those relationships face to face has been one of the most rewarding parts of being here.”
Those early conversations are helping shape how Monil approaches the Midwest market—not just as a place to sell technology, but as a community to learn from and grow within.
From Norway to the UK — and Now the Midwest
This isn’t Oliver’s first time helping introduce virtual fencing to a new market.
Before coming to the United States, he led Monil’s expansion from Norway into the United Kingdom, working with producers there to adopt the technology.
Now he leads the company’s U.S. efforts while Nina helps manage operations and communications as the team grows.
The move to Kansas City is the first step toward building a full Midwest-based team.
“We’re here for the long term,” Oliver says. “The plan is to build a U.S. team from the ground up.”
That means hiring locally, continuing ranch visits, and working closely with cattle producers across the region.
Why the Midwest
The Midwest remains one of the most important cattle regions in the country, with a strong culture of grazing management and pasture-based production.
For Monil, that made it the natural place to begin building a U.S. presence.
Producers in Midwestern states manage diverse landscapes and grazing systems, from native prairie to improved pasture.
Many are also exploring ways to improve efficient farming practices while keeping operations practical and cost-effective.
Those conversations are shaping how Monil introduces virtual fencing in the United States.
“We’re meeting producers who care deeply about how they manage grass,” Oliver says. “That’s exactly the kind of environment where this technology can make sense.”
The First U.S. Rollout
Monil’s virtual fencing system is already used by hundreds of producers in Europe. Now the company is preparing for its first U.S. launch. Shipping to Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Missouri is expected in April pending FCC approval.
The system is designed to support operations looking to improve grazing flexibility while maintaining practical, day-to-day management.
For producers interested in managing grass more actively, virtual fencing offers a new way to experiment with paddock design and grazing patterns.
And for many ranches, that flexibility can mean better use of the land they already have.
What Comes Next
For now, the Monil team will continue traveling, visiting ranches, and learning from producers across the region.
Introducing new technology in agriculture rarely happens overnight. It happens pasture by pasture, conversation by conversation.
Technology alone doesn’t change ranch operations. Relationships and trust do.
Proposed End of Article (some sort of callout etc)
Monil is currently taking US pre-orders, building a Midwest team, and hosting video events for producers who want to learn more about virtual fencing.
Proposed Sidebar Fact Box
What Is Virtual Fencing?
Virtual fencing uses GPS technology and smart collars to guide cattle within digital pasture boundaries.
Instead of installing physical fence, producers create paddocks in a mobile app.
Key features
• Small, lightweight solar-powered collars
• Top-mounted collar design for minimal disturbance
• Digital paddocks created in a mobile app
• Audio cues and a sound barrier guide cattle away from boundaries
• Flexible paddock changes without moving wire
• Supports rotational grazing and frequent shifts
Designed for practical ranch use
Monil’s system is built for simplicity—minimal equipment, flexible pasture management, and tools that fit into everyday ranch operations.
Proposed Quotes
“We didn’t want to enter the U.S. market from behind a screen. If you want to work with cattle producers, you need to be where they are.”
“At the end of the day, this is about managing grass better. Virtual fencing just gives producers more flexibility to do that.”
“After working with farmers across Scandinavia and the UK, I can honestly say the producers I’ve spoken with here are far more progressive in how they manage grazing. This makes me extremely excited to be working with Midwestern ranchers.”
April 2026
