Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Pure profit: $830,000 in two weeks selling seed potatoes

Warning: Real potato farmers should stop reading here. This might ruin your week. A San Francisco-based company just cleared $830,000 US in two weeks by selling seed potatoes. The potatoes are virtual but the money is very, very real. Zynga is a developer of apps for Facebook and the iPhone. One of their biggest hits is... get this... a game about farming. Farmville lets users own and manage a virtual farm. Apparently it's very addictive. At least, the 20 million users who are currently playing the game must think so. A screen capture of the Farmville game on Facebook

The game is free to play. The way the company makes money is through micropayments. People can spend real dollars buying tractors and things like seed, such as this special new potato that was released. The micropayments are small and allow players to improve their farms without having to earn the extras through normal play. This from a game strategy website: For people who don't want to waste time waiting for the crop to grow, farm coins can be purchased with real-world cash using a PayPal account or credit card. The cost is currently 7,500 coins or 25 farm cash for $5; 15,800 coins or 55 farm cash for $10; 33,300 coins or 115 farm cash for $20; or 70,600 coins or 240 farm cash for $40. Players can also earn free farm cash or coins by taking part in special offers or questionnaires. I've blogged about micropayments before. I've already purchased apps for my BlackBerry, such as the Nat Decants app that allows me to go to a wine store, choose a wine, and find recipes to match. That application cost me $3. An editor of a major trade newspaper was telling me that micropayments could be the future of journalism. It's not hard to imagine a tiny Visa and MasterCard icon beside the headline on a publication's website. The only way to read the whole story would be to click one of the icons and have 25 cents charged to your card. Log-in once in the morning and stayed logged in, securely, all day. Sure 25 cents ain't much. But multiply that by 100 readers. That's a day's wage right there. Okay potato farmer. Unplug your ears. And if you were listening after all, just remember that all these virtual farm game players probably eat a lot of REAL french fries. [Note: For more posts like this one visit www.andrewdouglaspr.com]

Views: 329

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by Richard Hamilton on November 6, 2009 at 4:00am
Good article Andrew. I know several people who are addicted to it. I haven't played it. Anyone know if they are learning anything worthwhile about farming by using it - besides that your goat will explode if you don't milk it?
Comment by Joe Dales on November 2, 2009 at 4:26am
Hi Andrew: Good article. It is about as close to a farm as most city kids will get unfortunately.

People who have never visited FarmVille out may want to check it out on Facebook - just search Farmville and it should pop up.

Joe

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Investing in Alberta’s future vets

A new program funded by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership will encourage veterinary students to work and stay in rural Alberta. The two-year, $250,000 Veterinary Student Recruitment and Retention Pilot Grant Program is aimed at enticing rural practices to hire summer veterinary students and encouraging students to continue their careers in those communities. The program focuses on practices that provide livestock veterinary services and have a current or anticipated veterinarian vacancy. Albertans need vets they can rely on in all corners of the province. The demand is especially high in rural communities, where veterinary access is essential to livestock producers’ livelihoods. Rural vet clinics can apply now for the pilot grant program. Eligible clinics will receive up to $10,000 as a wage incentive, for one veterinary student who works at the clinic between May 1 and August 31. Applications for 2027 will open next year.

Province Celebrates International Year of the Woman Farmer

The Government of Saskatchewan celebrates International Year of the Woman farmer and the women whose leadership, innovation and hard work continue to strengthen the province's agriculture sector. "Women have helped shape every part of our agriculture sector, strengthening both our economy and our communities," Agriculture Minister David Marit said. "From farming and ranching operations to research labs and processing facilities, their leadership across the value chain is driving the innovation that continues to keep Saskatchewan at the forefront of Canadian agriculture." Saskatchewan is home to more than 34,000 farms, most of them family owned, many of them operated by husband-and-wife partnerships, and a growing number run by women. The province has an active network of female agriculture professionals who strive to connect and encourage women in the industry and serve on various industry association boards and committees. One such network is Saskatchewan Women in Ag. "Saskatche

Youth Recognized for Creating Sustainable Solutions Through AgriFood Challenge

4-H youth across Canada are proving they have what it takes to tackle some of the biggest issues facing our planet. Through the AgriFood Challenge, a national initiative delivered by 4-H Canada in partnership with Syngenta Canada, 4-H members developed actionable solutions to support sustainable agriculture and food security in each of their communities.  From building bee hotels to growing and donating fresh produce to food banks and community organizations, 4-H members turned ideas into action. Youth also taught others how to grow, cook, preserve, and waste less food. Through creative soil health experiments, food rescue advocacy, and community education, these projects show how young people are connecting agriculture, sustainability, and community care in practical, meaningful ways.  “This is a testament to the skills and talents of 4-H'ers. When given the chance to be innovative, they can solve difficult problems” said Christina Franc, CEO of 4-H Canada. “The projects submitted t

More ag superstitions for Friday the 13th

Beef and dairy producers appear to be surrounded by weather forecasters

Map: February Precipitation Reduces Prairie Dryness, Drought

February brought notable dryness and drought relief across the Prairies, although localized areas continue to suffer. The latest monthly update of the Canadian Drought Monitor shows 47% of Prairie agricultural lands were being impacted by abnormal dryness or some form of drought as of the end of last month. That is down from 62% in both January and December, and 71% in November. Most of the Prairie Region experienced above-normal precipitation during February, with large portions of the region receiving 115% to more than 200% of normal. In contrast, southern Alberta and parts of southwestern Saskatchewan remained comparatively dry, with precipitation totals below 85% of normal and localized pockets receiving less than 60%. Snow cover was initially reduced during early February due to warm, dry conditions, but late-month winter storms increased snowfall across much of the region, bringing totals back to near or above normal in many areas. Although winter precipitation through the

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service