Herding from halfway around the world

Ignacio Perez, herd manager at Mount Rivers, with his partner Yanina Ferro. With cattle moving taken care of, they get to see a lot more of each other at home.

From Ashburton New Zealand, all the way to Osorno Chile: herding cows via satellite from 12,000 km away.

In Valetta, near Mayfield, Mount Rivers is the latest in a growing community of Kiwi farms to adopt an innovative approach to farming, connecting family and technology, and stretching all the way from rural New Zealand to southern Chile.

At Mount Rivers Dairy Farm, herd manager Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Perez is trying something new.

Using smart collar technology developed by Halter, a Kiwi based agricultural-tech company, Ignacio has made it possible for his father Oscar Perez to move Mid Canterbury cows to the milking shed, from more than 12,000 kilometres away in Osorno, Chile.

From the saddle of his rodeo horse, on a virtual app, Oscar sent a herd of dairy cows to milking entirely remotely, sparking what his son described as a “powerful” moment for both farming innovation, and family connection.

“I first got the idea [to introduce Halter] when I was just out riding the bike, too early and too cold, and thinking how nice it would be to do this from home,” Ignacio said.

Mount Rivers is a 345-hectare dairy operation, milking around 1,000 cows, and now, they’re also running a farm without fences.

1    The Halter collars in action, high-tech accessories for this local herd.

The Halter system uses solar-powered smart collars fitted to cows, which guide them using audio and vibration cues, removing the need for fencing, and allowing farmers to move stock from their phones.

Through a mobile app, farmers can create virtual fences, move animals, and monitor their health in real time.

But the transition required some adjustment, for both humans and animals, Ignacio told the Guardian.

“We did have to do some transitions,” he explained. “We have to teach the cows what the signals actually mean, before they learn where to go.”

But the herd adapted quickly, Ignacio said.

“By the second day, they had forgotten about the collar. They’re quite happy to wear them,” he said.

For Ignacio, who comes from a long line of Chilean farmers, the comparison to traditional methods is striking.

“It’s so totally different for us. At home, my dad still uses rodeo horses to move herds,” he said. 

“Sadling up the horses before you can move the cows already means you have to wake up one, two hours earlier. This is a comfortable change.”

    Oscar Perez, ready with his rodeo horses to move cattle in Chile, all while moving New Zealand cattle to the milking shed using just his phone.

And for this Mid Canterbury herd, the benefits extend well beyond convenience. 

Ignacio told the Guardian, the new technology has improved both farm efficiency and animal welfare.

“The app helps support cow wellbeing, it will tell you when a cow is sick, or not moving, and where to find them,” he said.

But despite the high-tech approach, Ignacio is quick to point out that people remain essential.

“Here on the farm we didn’t lose any staff,” he said. “You still need people, not everything can be done by technology.”

Perhaps the biggest change, however, has been personal.

“My favourite part of the whole system is spending more time with my family,” Ignacio said.

“Now I can move the cows from my family home, or even from the supermarket. It’s really cool!”

He also makes use of the app during bad weather, managing the herd without needing to head out into the elements.

Founded in 2016, Auckland-based Halter is rapidly expanding, with thousands of users across New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, and while the technology is not yet available in Chile, Ignacio hopes stories like his will spark interest among farmers back home.

For now, the technology at Mount Rivers stands as a local example of the ways innovation is reshaping agriculture; while keeping families connected to the land, no matter how far apart they may be.