The “Show Me State” may be a long way from the North Pole, but one Missouri family has cornered the market on Christmas cheer with their reindeer farm.
Jeremiah and Kari Scull and their children Addie and Audrie have traveled around Missouri during November and December with their herd of reindeer for years, attending parades, tree flashings and a Santa sack full of other holiday events.
Recently, two of his 15 reindeer were invited to Windsor High School in Imperial, near the Illinois border, to cheer up students during finals week, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The two deer slept in a pen most of the time and the students were not allowed to touch them, but that did not stop the young students from feeling the Christmas spirit.
“They are also my family, my pets, so I don’t tie my animals to a sled or leave them there on the rope for hours,” Jeremiah told the outlet.
A Missouri family has been spreading Christmas cheer across the state for years with their reindeer farm. showmereindeer/Facebook Jeremiah and Kari Scull and their children Addie and Audrie travel through Missouri during November and December with their reindeer herd to attend parades and lightning in the trees. and more. showmereindeer/Facebook
“The children have been very excited. They’re high school students, but look at them,” student council advisor JoAnn Marty told the Post-Dispatch. “I’m just as giddy as the kids, because I know how excited they are.”
Family business Show-Me Reindeer booked 70 events this winter, the outlet reported.
Schull started reindeer herding in 2014, after taking her eldest daughter with her. Addi. to a farm in Arkasnas that had one of the hoofed animals, which are native to Scandinavia and northern Russia. She noticed how the animal drew crowds and, after learning that the reindeer were traveling through the Midwest, she wondered why no one in Missouri had done the same, she told The Post-Dispatch.
“We were looking for a hobby animal to dedicate ourselves to. I started researching reindeer in general,” he said. “There was no one really doing that at the time.”
Schull started her family’s business in 2014 after taking her oldest daughter Addie to an Arkansas farm that had a reindeer and learning that the animal traveled around the Midwest for events and exhibits. showmereindeer/Facebook As the family’s business grows, they hope to raise their reindeer to sell to other farms. They also hope to start offering guided tours of their farm and rent their reindeer throughout the winter season. showmereindeer/Facebook
Since then, the reindeer business has really grown, with 130 farms in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, according to the Post-Dispatch. The average cost of a reindeer is $18,000 to $20,000.
Keeping cold-weather animals in Missouri requires a lot of work, and the family must constantly monitor the deer, as they are prone to parasites and tick-borne diseases. They also have to keep the animals cool all summer long, including giving them wading pools and grooming them to help them with their winter coats.
The family does not host “Christmas in July” events, as the reindeer grow antlers in the spring and summer.
As the business grows, the Schulls hope to raise their reindeer to sell to other farms, they told the outlet.
They also hope to start offering guided tours of their farm and rent their reindeer throughout the winter season.
Jeremiah also said he hopes his daughters continue the business and expand it further throughout the state.
“I would love to be able to continue this,” Addie said. “It’s an incredible job.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn