Flexing the Farm

Jon Aumann, owner of Grouse Hollow Farm in Central Wisconsin, takes time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about fencing challenges as he looks to grow his business…

Jon: “Regardless of size, the one thing farmers never seem to have enough of is time. Rappa Winders are changing this farm by farm.”

The Need

Grouse Hollow Farm is a small ranch located in Central Wisconsin, boasting a mixed group of sheep and goats. At any one time there can be more than 40 animals, whilst Jon and his family also grow grain and hay to feed the livestock.

With the family business looking to expand, Jon identified fencing as a key problem area. Not only was it limiting growth plans, but it was going to take significant financial investment to rectify the problem.

Jon comments: “As our farm has increased in size, we have outgrown our fencing and were looking down the barrel of having to invest in a large amount of new perimeter fencing.”

The Solution

Once Jon had settled on fencing as a key challenge, he went searching for a solution.

Having seen Rappa Winders in action on YouTube, he got in touch wanting to know more about how and where the product could help him and his family.

Immediately Jon was drawn to how the system reduced the need for permanent infrastructure and allowed for greater flexibility with how his acreage was being used.

The Results

The first and most noticeable impact of introducing the Winder has been the reduced number of hours and labor necessary to set up fencing. Before the Winder, it took three people many hours to fence the farm, whereas now the job can be done by one person in just one hour.

In addition, the Rappa Winder allows Jon to plan more strategically by fencing more areas, but in much less time. Jon can set up temporary paddocks on his current fields, meaning they can be rotated when they need to be, as well as adjusting paddocks based on the needs of the stock rather than fence location.

“We are already seeing several benefits of using the Rappa Winder. The system has allowed us to expand our grazing area to reduce the need for both grain and hay feeding during the grazing season. We would certainly have run out of available pasture in previous years.”

This rotation has already led to healthier animals. The sheep and goats were described by Jon as being in ‘visibly better condition’ than this time last year. Plus, at a time where Jon has historically moved the animals on to store bought food, he is still grazing them on grass due to a stronger daily gain.

Looking to the future, Jon predicts a great return in terms of soil health, as what has previously been crop land goes back into rotation as either permanent or seasonal pasture.

Jon concludes: “In terms of ease of use and quality of product, the Rappa Winder has been far and above what I have found from other suppliers. It is fast, easy, and durable.”