Heritage Farmstead Will Add a Farm Animal to Your Next Zoom Call

As Zoom meetings became the norm, the Heritage Farmstead Museum began offering in June to have farm animals hop on and make video calls less monotonous // courtesy Heritage Farmstead Museum
As Zoom meetings became the norm, the Heritage Farmstead Museum began offering in June to have farm animals hop on and make video calls less monotonous // courtesy Heritage Farmstead Museum

The Heritage Farmstead Museum is the premiere living-history site interpreting the Texas Blackland Prairie region in North Texas, and it’s located right in Plano. Normally, the museum hosts visitors every day who get to experience what life was like when Plano was prairie land. Now, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the farm has gone virtual.

“In an effort to recoup the significant financial loss during the Farmstead’s busiest time of year, we’ve elected to switch direction and join the virtual world,” said Kathy Wilson, vice president of strategic growth initiatives at the museum. “For $100, we hope to lighten the mood of our public by offering farm animal cameos and virtual field trips to work happy hours, birthday parties, scout meetings and corporate meetings.”

Not only can a Zoom call consist of engaging conversation with museum staff as well as time spent with animals like donkeys and sheep, but it will also aid the museum in a time when so many nonprofit organizations are hurting financially. This time of year, the farmstead would normally be hosting plenty of visitors, birthday parties, private events and public events. Right now, none of that is happening. On top of this, they anticipate that they will receive less grant money than usual next year because of fallout due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Who wouldn't want one of these beauties to join your next Zoom birthday party? // courtesy Heritage Farmstead Museum
Who wouldn’t want one of these beauties to join your next Zoom birthday party? // courtesy Heritage Farmstead Museum

“Our Farmstead Zoom calls are ideal for all ages. They can brighten an otherwise humdrum weekly staff meeting, provide entertainment at parties or happy hours, even offer an educational component,” Kathy shared.

The video calls will be filled with fun activities, but also are part of the Farmstead’s continual efforts to further its ongoing mission of education, even in the middle of a health crisis. Staff hope to expand into creating educational videos for all to watch. “We are looking for corporate sponsors who could sponsor episodes of ‘Tales from the Front Porch,’ ‘Can You Name That Artifact,’ ‘Fun on the Farm’ or ‘Beverage Recipes from the Bathtub,’” Kathy said.

If you’d like to support the Heritage Farmstead Museum during this time, consider purchasing one of their fun Zoom calls for $100, or make a donation to the farm online. They’ve served – and continue to serve – the Plano community for so many years.

Heritage Farmstead Museum >
Written By
More from Hunter Lacey
Chaparral Boots
Born and reared in southwest Kansas, Alfredo Sanchez never knew a day...
Read More
Leave a comment