Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Means.
Hi Stacy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Ever since I was a child, I have always dreamed of living on a farm. We started with goats and chickens and grew our hobby farm from there. About 5 years ago, my daughter Marie said “Mom, we have all these sweet friendly animals. We should start a business where we take them to parties so other kids can enjoy them too!” I said “Ok, design a Facebook page and let’s see what happens.” We started off doing a couple parties a month and now we average about 200 events a year.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Since Herbert and Friends is a small, family-run business, one challenge is balancing my work schedule with my family life. I book events months in advance so it can be difficult to fit in family activities. My teenagers all take turns working events with me but sometimes, as hard as it is to believe, they get tired of hanging out with the chickens and goats. I was able to find some teens at church that love animals and are glad for an opportunity to work occasional parties.
We’ve been impressed with Herbert and Friends Mobile Petting Zoo, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a mobile petting zoo. We bring our farm animals—including piglets, bunnies, chickens, alpacas, baby goats, sheep, guinea pigs, donkeys, and mini horses—to birthdays, schools, corporate events, daycares, retirement homes and more. All our animals are either rescues or raised right here on our farm, where they enjoy plenty of open space and sunshine. Our customers always comment on how friendly and well-kept our animals are. I see our animals as ambassadors, teaching children empathy and kindness along with farm knowledge many would not otherwise get to experience. I love sharing our love of animals, and hearing the kids say “this is the best day ever!” at the end of an event is just icing on the cake.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Sharing my love of animals with others has been a lifelong dream, and I feel very blessed to be living out that dream. Though it certainly took hard work, there were certain opportunities that fell into my lap. My animals were able to participate in iconic Greenville traditions like the Greenville Drive baseball games and the Swamp Rabbit hockey games, and even take photos with the mascots!
Pricing:
- Parties start at $300
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @herbertandfriendspettingzoo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DickensOfATailFamilyFarm
- Other: herbertandfriendszoo@gmail.com
