Chores at the Jacobson’s begin every morning around 6:30. Happily greeted by a small medley of livestock, husband and wife Jared and Cyndi, of Grand Meadow, journey out to their pasture in a scene that would be considered typical of a hobby farm, except for one striking anomally — the exotic assortment of animals beckoned to the gates.

Camels from the sand dunes of the Middle East, Highlander cows from rolling coasts of Scotland, miniature babydoll sheep from overcast England farmlands. These animals, native to soils tended worldwide, now enjoy the spoils of a Midwest rural family, to the delight of their caregivers and Highway 16 travelers.

“A lot of people stop by from the road to look at them,” Cyndi said. “A lot of times, you have a husband and a wife stop by because they’re fighting over whether it’s a camel or a llama.”

At present, the answer is “camel,” but the Jacobson’s have raised llama, along with ferrets, kinkachoos and multiple mixed-breed zebras, including the zedonk (a zebra-donkey) and the zorse (a zebra-horse).

Cyndi said she and her husband purchased their first exotic animal — a baby llama — about 14 years ago, one year before they came to Grand Meadow, and haven’t found a comparable pastime since.

“It’s (Jared’s) stress relief when he gets home, and it’s kind of a hobby for us,” Cyndi said. “We’re kind of animal-crazy.”

All animals come from a trade show in Macon, Mo., hosted four times annually. Cyndi said she and her husband typically arrive expecting to resist a purchase, and fail just as often.

The outdoor breeds they buy must be hearty enough to withstand Minnesota winters, as all of the animals they currently own can, and Cyndi said the family prefers tamer species that enjoy interaction.

“I don’t think an animal should just sit in a cage,” she said, adding that one prerequisite is that her two children, aged 10 and 13, take an active interest. “We’ve had a lot of luck with the animals.”

The diet of most of their livestock is corn, though Cyndi said many also graze. Thus far, the group includes three camels, three highlander cows and seven babydoll sheep, as well as about a dozen chickens and five dogs.

Cyndi said of their past buys, her favorite is the pot-bellied pig.

“They are definitely smart animals, and you can tame them,” she said.

And while she and her husband don’t have aspirations of commercializing their farm, they happily invite passersby for a closer look.

As for new additions, the family will take its next trip to Missouri in July.

“My daughter wants a coatimundi (a raccoon-like creature with a long tail),” Cyndi said. “We may look at some birds too.”