When Social Media Leads to Social Experiments: FarmVille In Reality

Chances are good that at some point you have dabbled with the Internet game sensation, FarmVille. I mean come on, who wouldn’t want a chance to run their own farm, upgrade and own property, even if it’s virtual. FarmVille, one of the most played Facebook games to date, has caught the attention of some, let’s call them, extremely open minded farmers. Although this experiment is daring and the success of the project could fail, it is still a very innovative approach to any task.

My Farm Experiment is located on the Wimpole Estate, an actual farm located in the UK. Owned by the National Trust, a British charity, they are opening the doors to somewhere around 10,000 people to help the farm manager Richard Morris run the farm. Now, this may seem better than the game FarmVille, and it very well might be, but it comes at a cost. £30, which is about $49 is all it takes to become a virtual farmer.