There’s a lot going on these days, and studies suggest staying plugged into all of it is partially why more and more Americans are reporting increased anxiety.
But what if your arms were wrapped around a fuzzy goat instead of your scrolling device of choice?
Research consistently affirms that interacting with animals can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and abate loneliness.
Vermont Public’s Jenn Jarecki visited New Village Farm in Shelburne to learn about their goat snuggling program. She spoke with executive director Maggie Joseph, longtime volunteer Logan Selkirk and farm owner Michaela Ryan. This interview was produced for the ear. We highly recommend listening to the audio. We’ve also provided a transcript, which has been edited for length and clarity.
Jenn Jarecki: Now, when you're instructing folks. So, you mentioned, you know, coming in, you got the two gate rule—
Maggie Joseph: Right, two gate rule.
Jenn Jarecki: Calm body.
Maggie Joseph: Calm bodies, calm voices.
Jenn Jarecki: Calm bodies, calm voices. What does that conversation sound like?
Maggie Joseph: Well, goats can be agents of chaos. They take in whatever energy we're giving out, right? So, if we come in really grounded and calm, they will be too. Yeah, once you get all of your kids coming in and screaming, they wreak havoc on the place.
Jenn Jarecki: Sounds like it could be pretty exciting.
Maggie Joseph: Yeah, to say the least.
That's Mandy.
(Goat noise)
Jenn Jarecki: Mandy?
Maggie Joseph: Yeah. All right, so we've got Plum here. We've got Mordecai, who's actually one of Logan's goats, they have adopted Mordecai. And we have Walnut here, Hershey, Hilma, Ingrid, Daphne, Jasper.
Jenn Jarecki: When did you go from visiting to volunteering?
Logan Selkirk: Well, the first time I visited, and the second time I was already volunteering.
I love the goats. I love the people here. I like how there's always a sense of belonging and respect here, which is really cool. Even if you're just, like, mucking the barn, that's seen as a respectful job, and people are really thankful for it.
I love how the animals are treated. They're all treated really humanely and like, they're our friends, really, you know? And I really love that. I also own two of the goats, so I have to come back and see them. Oh, he's going for your hair.
Jenn Jarecki: OK, yeah that's happening. It's happening. (To goat) Hey bud.
Jenn Jarecki: Can you tell me more about the therapeutic benefits that you get when you're hanging out with goats or holding a goat or milking a goat?
Logan Selkirk: Yeah, I find it very grounding. So like, I have complex PTSD and issues with anxiety and depression. And I find coming here to be very therapeutic. It's a really good addition to the other like traditional therapies I do.
I just really like the animals, and it's something very calming about being around them, because they're just being. They don't have to do anything. And it's a good reminder that you can just be and not have to, like, produce anything or do anything.
I think it's very soothing and calming, and I don't have to talk, you know? Because most other treatments, you have to talk about the things that have happened to you or the things that are bothering you. And here, I'm just hanging out and petting animals, you know, and it's a different type of processing that can happen then.
Jenn Jarecki: What else is it important, for you, that kiddos who come visit the farm, or even folks who come to goat snuggle, that they take away from this experience?
Michaela Ryan: For me, it's connection, you know? It's really like connection to animals, connection to place, connection to season, weather. When we're disconnected from our natural world, we make poor choices, you know? We forget the full life cycle of what we're taking on or doing or purchasing. And I think that the more we're exposed to that life cycle in real time and in person, the more grounded we are in the choices we make that include nature, farm, plants, dirt, animals, environment.
Jenn Jarecki: Anything else you want to share before we let these guys snuggle some goats?
Michaela Ryan: I think that, you know, a farm can really serve as a place to find your ground again. Like, I think one of the biggest things we run into in our culture and dealing with children is that we create artificial conditions and environments for them, and I think that they can handle what life is. It's when we kind of hide from it and we shield them from it, that we create problems. You know, with the kids, we really strive to have them engage with the farm and do the chores of the farm and work alongside us in a way that really has them viscerally understand their belonging to this place.
Maggie Joseph: For me, it's just lovely. They've got great personalities. They're just good friends. They make a great backrest. They're soft, they're cuddly. I can't recommend it enough.
