If your morning Zoom meeting is starting to get a bit stale, we’ve got a clever solution to jazz it up. Thanks to California-based animal sanctuary Sweet Farm, you can spice things up by booking a Goat-2-Meeting instead. Sanctuary staff will join your Zoom or Google Hangout meeting with llamas, goats, cows, turkeys, and other adorable farm animals to make your meeting {which we all know can sometimes be a snoozefest} that much more bearable {and adorable}. Here’s what you need to know:
{Photo credit: @thesweetfarm}
About Goat-2-Meeting
Because life is stressful, work is stressful, and working remotely can be challenging…. for our daily team Zoom meeting today I had Paco the llama call in from @TheSweetFarm. And it was perfect! Thanks for the Monday smiles and a break from the routine! pic.twitter.com/eB2aEQdvoC
— Ben Smith (@benasmith) March 30, 2020
A pun on “GoToMeeting,” Goat-2-Meeting started as a way for Sweet Farm, a 501{C}3 nonprofit animal sanctuary, to bring the happiness that animals can bring us to people who were stuck inside, working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak. Meeting fees range anywhere from $65 to $250 and depend on the size of the meeting, how long it is, and which specific animals you request.
For a 20-minute virtual private tour, for example, Sweet Farm requests a $65 donation for up to six people. The tour brings you virtually around the farm and introduces you to some of the sanctuary’s animal ambassadors.
See More: How Hoboken + Jersey City Locals Are Celebrating Birthdays Virtually
For a 10-minute corporate meeting cameo, the price is $100 for unlimited guests. All you have to do is provide the meeting link and a member from Sweet Farm will join and help some of the animals work the video call.
{Photo credit: @thesweetfarm}
Then there’s the 25-minute corporate meeting virtual tour option — $250 for unlimited guests. Unlike the 10-minute cameo, this option gives you a full tour of Sweet Farm.
{Photo credit: @thesweetfarm}
Lastly, the 25-minute VIP meeting tour requests a $750 donation for unlimited guests and features the Executive Director, who will give you and your colleagues a virtual tour of the farm from a very “special” point of view.
And holy cow — pun intended — has it really has taken off!
According to the Sweet Farm website, “We have been truly amazed at the reception to our Goat-2-Meeting program. We’re overloaded on requests, so your favorite time slot might not be available. We’re working hard to open up more time slots, so check back soon!”
In an email interview with Mashable, Sweet Farm cofounder Anna Sweet said, “We’ve currently booked over 300 calls! It’s amazing!”
The Science Behind It
FaceTiming with animals may seem frivolous or random — especially during a global pandemic that has already resulted in so many diagnoses and even deaths — but there is actually scientific evidence that animals can help people feel better.
For starters, Independent Co reports that seeing images of animals induces an “emotional experience” for humans. “Just as research from psychology shows that life’s little stresses {misplacing keys, missing the bus} create the most negative effects on us, we also know that little moments of happiness can bust stress,” psychiatrist Dr. Simone Moore writes. “… Simply seeing, or sharing, a cute or funny photo can make us feel good.”
{Photo credit: @thesweetfarm}
Any cute or funny photo will do, of course, but animals particularly evoke a positive emotional response in humans. According to Independent Co, a “happiest picture” poll found that people were “very likely to smile at cute animals, especially if those animals were doing something surprising.” Dr. Moore continues, “Sharing pictures of funny animals is ‘psychologically safe’ in comparison to sharing pictures of our family or our holidays.”
Aside from looking at and sharing funny pictures of animals, there’s only scientific evidence to support that owning a pet makes people happier. According to a 2015 Harris Poll, owning a pet is particularly beneficial for mental health. Data shows that owning an animal can help make socializing easier for kids and that some pets can even significantly reduce PTSD in children and adolescents.
If you’re interested in booking a Goat-2-Meeting, visit Sweet Farm’s website. And if you’re interested in adopting your own pet, check out Hoboken Girl‘s adoptable pets!
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