Nofence digital grazing tools appear on Clarkson’s Farm

Fans of the farming show recently had a chance to see more than lambing chaos and rural mishaps. The Amazon Prime series has highlighted Nofence, a virtual fencing system for livestock, that offers a real-life example of how farmers are embracing digital tools to transform day-to-day operations.

Seen in action on goats at Diddly Squat Farm, Nofence is enabling forward-thinking farmers like Jeremy Clarkson to adopt more sustainable land management practices, the company’s team explained.

By replacing physical fences with GPS-enabled collars and an intuitive app, Nofence allows users to set and adjust virtual boundaries, track herd movement, and adapt grazing plans remotely.

Farmers across the UK have already been putting the system to work, particularly in areas where traditional fencing is time-consuming, labour-intensive, or costly.

Supporting sustainable farming

The Nofence system works by training animals to respond to audio cues that gradually increase in pitch as they approach a virtual boundary, with a mild electric pulse – half the intensity of traditional electric fences – used only as a last resort.

Most animals quickly adapt to the system and rarely receive the electric pulse after the initial training phase – with around 96% of interactions resolved with audio alone. The system encourages natural movement and improves pasture rotation, helping to reduce stress on animals, the company confirmed.

Jeremy Clarkson, who has finally put his goats to work in some of the most overgrown and inaccessible parts of Diddly Squat Farm, said: “When they were fully compliant, I could release them to do the job I bought them for in the first place, which was to clear the brambles in all the inaccessible parts of the farm. In five minutes one bramble bush is really in trouble. That’s fantastic.”

The system has allowed for a rotational approach – grazing down one area before moving the animals to the next – in a style similar to mob grazing. It has been a practical solution for tackling dense bramble patches and reclaiming underused corners of the farm, improving both land management and livestock utility, Nofence said.

Virtual fencing takes root across UK

While Clarkson’s Farm brings virtual fencing to a mainstream audience, Nofence is already in use across the UK.

From the windswept hills of Wales to the rugged crofts of the Outer Hebrides and the rolling fields of Wiltshire, Nofence is helping modernise livestock management by reducing labour, supporting animal welfare, and unlocking land once too costly or difficult to graze.

The technology, available for both small ruminants like goats – as seen on screen – and for cattle and sheep, is gaining traction across the UK.

In Compton, Pewsey, James Waight is part of that shift. Managing a herd of pedigree cattle, Mr Waight sought a way to reduce labour without compromising animal care. He said: “It means that we can keep really good tabs on the health and welfare of the cows.

“A cattle bovine’s instinct is to be a herd, and if there’s an animal sort of straying or flagging away from the herd, it’s quite a good early indication that its health is an issue.”

In the remote uplands of Wales, sheep and cattle farmer Hywel Morgan has seen equally impressive results in terms of nature gains.

He said: “With 120 sheep using collars, this is my second year running a university-backed trial. The sheep responded really well and adapted quickly – it’s impressive.

“I’ve gained around 200 extra acres for conservation grazing, thanks to the flexibility it offers.”

In the far north, crofter Donald MacSween is applying the technology to his flock on the Isle of Lewis. Facing rising input costs and limited grazing ground, he found Nofence to be a powerful solution. The farmer said that the system allows him to make 80 to 90 percent savings in terms of the feed costs.”

Virtual fencing is proving its value on farms across the UK – from Clarkson’s Farm to operations run by Hywel Morgan, James Waight, and Donal MacSween – delivering results in everyday farming, the Nofence team concluded.

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