Evensen is a professor of engineering physics at UW–Platteville with research interests in carbon nanotube-based electronics, automated rotational grazing, and advanced automation. He earned his PhD in engineering physics from UW–Madison.
Pasture systems are an effective and potentially economical way to produce feed for livestock, but grazing management can be a challenge. Previous Hub-funded research developed two prototype systems, physical and virtual, for automated rotational grazing to improve the flexibility and efficiency of pasture grazing. This technology can close the “expertise gap” and allow more farms to effectively utilize rotational grazing while gaining actionable data on their animals and forage. With this additional funding, the researchers will gain a better understanding on how individual animals learn and respond to the stimuli of the developed barrier technologies. Additionally, researchers seek to determine changes in forage composition and utilization in pasture systems equipped with these novel technologies.