'Started as a joke': Lancashire farm makes £50,000 after offering zoom call with goats

A farm in Rossendale, Lancashire, UK has made nearly £50,000 after it started the Zoom call service with goats, which it described started as a “joke” to have “a bit of a fun”. Cronkshaw Fold Farm took the concept of the sustainable business a notch up during the COVID-19 pandemic when it came up with an idea to arrange video calls for customers on Zoom to speak with the goats. Dot McCarthy, who took over the farm from her mother in 2016, had chalked a business plan that involved using the property for educational trips, weddings, and accommodation, all of which failed when coronavirus pandemic battered the livelihood. To overcome the harsh impact of the pandemic and no other source of income, McCarthy rolled out the Zoom calls with any of the farm’s 11 goats for a cheap £5. 

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Goat zooms turn a 'hit'

In a statement to Lancashire’s local TV broadcasters, the farm owner said that she was bombarded with the bookings as customers loved the idea to host a goat in their Zoom meetings or the business conference calls, with "perfect pout”. The farm’s most beloved, thus far, had been "show goat" Lola. While the fun goat Zooms kept the Cronkshaw Fold Farm running, McCarthy also started selling manure to ramp up some income for animal husbandry. Sharing one such footage on its official Twitter handle the Cronkshaw Fold Farm wrote: “Cuthbert [goat] here didn't see the time until it was too late. He's sent you an email to apologize and ask if you'd like to reschedule. He hopes he's still on your bucket list.” In the footage, a goat was seen fiddling around with a bucket on top of its head. Meanwhile, Cuthbert’s customer on the other line took to his Twitter handle to say: “I got stood up by a goat on my video call today.” 

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While her customers have plunged deeper in love with the goat Zoom calls, McCarthy told Farming UK, that the whole thing started as a joke. She added that she came up with the idea, randomly, and told her employee Emma about it. The two agreed and it was completely out of the blue. The farm’s caretaker emphasized that the two had to prioritize other money-making ideas. The duo then set up a website and an email address for bookings.

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