Meg Greski with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission discussed an upcoming event with Farm Driector, KC Sheperd, focused on regenerative ranching with sheep and goats, co-hosted by the Oklahoma Grazing Lands Coalition and Noble Research Institute. “In addition to working for OCC, I’m also on the board of the Grazing Lands Coalition,” Meg explained. “We are teaming up with Noble on September 25 at Noble’s Oswalt Ranch in Marietta, Oklahoma talking about how sheep and goats can be used to accomplish soil health and regenerative management goals.”
An exciting feature of the event will be discussions about livestock guardian dogs. “It’s my first year having goats, and the goats have been easy, but the guard dogs are what has given me some moments that I pulled my hair out,” she shared. “Since I got my guard dogs, I have not had one single loss, and that’s the most important thing.” She emphasized the value of hearing from producers who’ve had long-term success managing predators with these dogs.
Greski also highlighted the common challenges of fencing goats, noting their reputation as escape artists. “Goats are notorious for getting out,” she said. “This is the solution that I have found — virtual fence collars.” She explained how the system works: “I can put them anywhere I want, just with a couple of clicks… on my phone. And I also can see where they are in real time, because each collar shows up as a GPS beacon.” However, she noted, “The virtual fence companies say that it’s not meant to be used as perimeter fencing.”
Despite those limitations, virtual fencing has been a game changer for her operation. “The virtual fence system has been totally effortless with the goats the collars have stayed charged due to the solar panels that are on them.” While traditional fencing is still important for some boundaries, Greski explained why this tech is especially appealing: “There is no possible way I was going to put up goat fence… around my 400-acre place.”
Greski encouraged anyone interested to sign up for the limited-spot event. “You can do that online [at Eventbrite], or you can give me a call, text, or email,” she said. “It’s $50 per person to attend.” She added that the event is ideal “whether you’re an established sheep and goat producer, or you’re just thinking about getting into it just to come and hear what other people have to say and some real-life success tips.”
