Petting zoo helps students relieve stress

Taylor Greife / Staff Writer

Students find relief from end of semester stress by visiting a petting zoo set up on the MVC quad.

Crank Farms came to Missouri Valley College with some furry friends to help students relieve their end of the semester stress.

Josh Crank, owner of Crank Farms, and his wife Sarah brought several baby goats, donkeys, a dog and even a llama to campus for students to enjoy an afternoon of animal fun.

Crank Farms has raised animals of all kinds for many years. They raise cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, mini donkeys, mini horses, camels, and llamas.

“I’ve been raising livestock my whole life but the petting zoos we’ve probably been doing 10 years.” Crank said.

The students at Missouri Valley enjoyed bonding with the animals and lifting the weight of school off their shoulders for a few hours.

MVC Senior Rylee Mills (at left) was among the students who visited the petting zoo brought to campus to help students unwind from the pressures of studies.

“I think this is such a cool and unique experience and it’s a great way to relax before finals,” MVC student Aidan Oldham said. “I feel like it’s something that everyone can enjoy.”

Having a student body that is from all over the world, many students don’t get to interact with animals like these everyday so it was a great opportunity for students to experience time with these specific animals.

“It’s a great interaction for students that don’t get to see this all the time,” MVC student Kaiden Kelly said. “Having them being included in this is a great stress reliever.”

The baby goats, especially, stole the hearts of students and made their experience at the petting zoo so much fun and thoroughly enjoyable.

The Delta