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: 327

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

Welcoming Visitors: Show Off Your Herd Safely

Welcoming visitors onto your beef operation for tours, sales or informal stock viewings is a great way to connect and tell your story, but it also opens the door to a serious risk: disease. Every visit—whether from neighbours, tourists or family—carries the potential to introduce or spread disease to or from your operation. Good biosecurity practices help manage these risks while also reducing the probability of disease at the herd, national and even international levels. It’s important to understand why biosecurity matters during tours, as well as what actions should be in place before, during and after tours to minimize risk. Why Biosecurity Matters During Tours Biosecurity planning and precautions should be implemented during tours to limit the potential spread of disease to your livestock. This not only helps protect against significant reportable and trade-limiting diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, but also helps reduce the spread of endemic diseases, such as bovine viral

Health Canada opens consultations on drone pesticide applications

Health Canada is looking at allowing drone applications of pesticides

CWRC review of Canadian wheat breeding innovation system confirms significant gaps and risks

The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) has completed its review of the Canadian wheat breeding innovation system. The review, which was conducted by Synthesis Agri-Food Network, featured comprehensive analysis of related reports and studies, as well as interviews with 29 key stakeholders. This process confirmed three crucial facts about the current wheat breeding landscape in Western Canada: 1. The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) wheat breeding program is an integral part of western Canadian wheat variety development. 2. The current wheat breeding system is at risk from recent and historic budget cuts, especially at the variety development and pre-market evaluation stages. 3. Wheat breeding is a long-term process and decisions made today will impact agriculture decades into the future. “It’s clear that the status quo is not a viable path forward,” says CWRC chair Jocelyn Velestuk, CWRC chair and a farmer near Broadview, SK. “Our system has been incredibly productive

Protein Industries Canada partners with nine companies to boost domestic food production and strengthen Canada’s food supply chain

Today, Protein Industries Canada announced the second cohort of companies participating in its Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain Program: nine companies that span the value chain, focused on bringing their supply chains home to Canada and advancing the country’s value-added opportunity. This initiative builds on Protein Industries Canada’s efforts to increase domestic food and ingredient processing as a key market for Canadian crops. By working with companies to Make It Here, Protein Industries Canada is driving increased food production and value-added agriculture in Canada—critical factors for strengthening Canada’s supply chain and economy. “The Government of Canada is committed to shifting Canada’s economy from reliance to resilience—building strength at home and reinforcing the supply chains that secure our prosperity,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. “Through Protein Indust

Rollins, Vaden, and Forst Announce Disposal of Dilapidated USDA Facilities

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden, joined by General Services Administrator Edward C. Forst, announced the imminent disposal of the South Building and Braddock Place, returning resources to the American taxpayer, effectuating the vision of President Donald J. Trump, and reducing the real estate footprint of the U.S. Government in the National Capital Region. “This is a long overdue move to protect American taxpayer dollars from being wasted on expensive real estate inside the Washington, D.C. area when our government should be closer to the farmers and ranchers we serve,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “More than 85 percent of the South Building is unoccupied and there is a $1.6 billion backlog in deferred maintenance. It is simply unacceptable to put these costs on the taxpayer. We are being strong stewards of taxpayer dollars while also ensuring top notch customer service and fulfilling our promises to American farmers.” “P

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service