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: 332

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

Farmers Want Stable Canola Demand – Domestic Biofuels Market is Key

Trade Wins & the Need for Market Diversification: Lessons from the Canola Tariff Breakthrough After months of uncertainty, we are pleased to report positive developments on the trade front. Prime Minister Carney and Premier Moe’s diplomatic visit to China in January 2026 resulted in a resolution that led to a reduction in China’s canola tariffs—read this news release for greater detail on this file. While this is welcome news, it has also highlighted the risks of relying too heavily on only a couple of export markets. In today’s global trade environment, market diversification is more important than ever. Over the past year, canola—one of our largest export crops—has faced significant market risk. The recent tariff ruling confirms that depending on foreign buyers leaves us vulnerable to unpredictable policy changes. That’s why expanding domestic demand, especially biofuel, is crucial. Unlike exports, local biofuel markets can’t be affected by foreign tariffs. Crush It: Renewable Die

USask earns high marks in world university subject rankings

USask was listed among the top 50 universities in the world for veterinary science in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for 2026, earning a spot at 49th overall. In addition, USask ranked 54th in the world in agriculture and forestry, both increases that speak to USask’s strong research and scholarly impact in those subject areas. “Seeing USask’s success in these international rankings is just one indicator of the incredible research, scholarly and artistic work that takes place on campus,” said USask Vice-President Research Baljit Singh. “We are proud that the world-class work of our staff and faculty is recognized on a world stage such as this.” USask also climbed the rankings in four other subject areas: geophysics, chemistry, electrical and electronic engineering, as well as physics and astronomy. USask placed in the top 300 institutions in the world in the subject areas of veterinary science, agriculture and forestry, environmental sciences (151-200 tier), geophysics

USask Agros’ Bedpush raises more than $135,000 for Telemiracle

Bedpush 2026 raised a total of $135,400, the most ever in the history of event. In the 42 years of Bedpush, there has been more than one million dollars raised for Telemiracle. TeleMiracle is a telethon fundraiser benefiting the Kinsmen Foundation. The non-profit organization provides specialized mobility and medical equipment to people and organizations throughout Saskatchewan, as well as travel assistance for residents in need of vital medical treatment outside their home community. “Participating in Bedpush is one of my favourite memories throughout my journey at the University of Saskatchewan,” said Laurel O’Neill, an Agribusiness student and the Agros public relations officer who led Bedpush. “Bedpush has truly made me proud to be an Agro and to be involved in my community and college.” Bedpush is an exciting tradition in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources (AgBio) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). As part of the college’s legacy, the biannual fundraiser brings

Purdue University Launches New Online Digital Agriculture Course

Purdue University is offering a new online Digital Agriculture course, introduced through a webinar that highlights course features, faculty insights, discounts, and enrollment support for learners.

Lower premiums for field crop businesses

Quebec City, QC – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service