Ben Miller, owner of Buck Hill Fencer, has been helping Amish farmers utilize solar power to power fence chargers for 20 years. In recent years his Pasture Combo Shock Box has caught the attention of all farmers interested in using solar fencing in a safe and convenient way.“It is very popular because a lot of people want to go solar. They have no power to go to their property,” says Caren Remsberg, who sells the box through Valley Farm Supply, The fencing, weighing and watering supply business she and her husband, JC, own. With the coronavirus there’s been a surge of people planting gardens and raising livestock for food, who need electric fencing.“There is a huge demand for the Shock Box, which is a nice, all-in-one-box,” Remsberg says. “Ben designed them to work with the Cyclops Fence Chargers, though they also work with other chargers.”The manufactured, UV-resistance wooden box has room for the charger, a 12-volt Deep Cycle Marine Battery and the solar panel controller. The solar panel attaches to the lid, and a metal U-bolt on the back secures the box to a 4×4 post. The boxes come in four different sizes to accommodate solar panels that range from 40 to 80 watts.

Prices for the Shock Box start at $400 (charger and battery are extra). Valley Farm Supply sells packages with boxes and different size Cyclops chargers. Many states offer grants and funding for using solar, which can help pay for the units, Remsberg adds. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Valley Farm Supply, LLC, P.O. Box 198, New Providence, Penn. 17560 (ph 717 786-0368; www.valleyfarmsupply.com; valleyfarmsupply@aol.com.