Fresh Valley Farms relies on Gallagher Animal Management for the tools that make our grazing system work. The modern electric fence, first pioneered by Gallagher founder Bill Gallagher in New Zealand, made rotational grazing practical at farm scale.
Today, that same innovation shows up in portable fencing systems that are fast to set, easy to move, and respected by animals every time. Gallagher’s equipment allows us to build small paddocks, move livestock on schedule, and protect regrowth, keeping our pastures productive, resilient, and healthy.
Why we use Gallagher
Gallagher’s portable fencing is not just “a fence” on our farm. It is part of the grazing plan. We use portable posts, reels, polywire, and reliable energizers to divide bigger fields into smaller grazable areas, then adjust those sizes as forage changes through the season. This helps us control where animals graze, how long they stay, and how much grass they leave behind, which supports pasture recovery and soil cover.
eShepherd and virtual fencing
Gallagher also builds eShepherd, a virtual fencing system that helps manage cattle movement without a physical fence line in every spot. It adds another option for planning grazing moves, especially when terrain, access, or labor makes fencing harder. It is part of the bigger shift toward more precise, low-stress livestock control on pasture.
Bill Gallagher, inventor of the electric fence
Bill Gallagher (Alfred William Gallagher, 1911–1990) was a New Zealand inventor, engineer, and farmer who popularized the electric fence and changed livestock management worldwide. Raised on dairy farms in Waikato, he was hands-on and mechanically curious from a young age.
In the 1930s, a simple farm problem sparked his breakthrough. A horse kept rubbing against the family car, so Gallagher rigged a safe electrical pulse to stop it. The idea worked. By 1937, he had adapted the concept into one of the first practical electric fences for farmers and secured a patent. He began selling battery-powered fence units that made animal control safer, cheaper, and more flexible than traditional fencing.
After World War II, Gallagher scaled production and continued refining his designs. In 1963, he founded Gallagher Engineering Limited, later known as the Gallagher Group. The company expanded electric fencing from battery power to mains power and began exporting internationally, laying the foundation for a global animal management business.
Gallagher Animal Management now works in more than 100 countries and invests heavily in research and development, which matters in farm tools that need to perform in real weather, real mud, and real pressure.
Why we recommend them
Gallagher has a long history in electric fencing, and their focus stays the same: practical solutions that help farmers protect land and manage animals well. For us, it comes down to this. When our fencing system works, our grazing stays consistent. And when grazing stays consistent, the farm runs better.