Real-life Farmville
Saturday, November 19, 2011
WHO hasn't played or heard about Farmville, that addictive simulation
game on Facebook where players are given tracts of land to farm on? Many have spent hours planting and harvesting, and earning coins which are ploughed back into the farm, so that yet more coins are earned. The more money one earns, the more choices one can have for crops to plant and buildings to build.
Perhaps, you are one of those committed players who would time your planting and harvesting, so that if you have plans to leave for the day for school, for instance you don't have to worry about your produce spoiling before you could get back home for harvest time.
Many find it fun to call on neighbours for help out on some project, share goods and take care of livestock that almost guarantees money that could be used to buy cool additions to the farm. It's challenging to be responsible for the yields from a tract of land. And the rewards that come with seeing one's farm progress into a wealthy one, as well as the idea of earning coins to buy pretty things for the farm, makes it such a draw.
If you're one of those who would like to experience Farmville in real life, plant real crops or grow livestock with the help of friends, spend time growing them and when the time comes, earn money from all the hard work, then backyard farming is for you.
Many people who live in urban areas engage in backyard farming. There is even a variation: planting on the rooftops.
There are many reasons people go into backyard farming. Some do it to get a steady stream of food. A vegetable bed or a poultry farm would allow a family to get their food fresh from their backyard instead of from the market, where a favourite vegetable could go out of stock.
Others do it because they want to make sure that the food they eat is safe from cancer-causing substances that are present in artificial fertilisers. This is called organic farming.
Still others do it for its earning potential. Just like in Farmville, a backyard farmer can sell the produce at the market or to friends and earn from it.
"Home farming has come about as a result of the convergence of several different ideas related to economics, health and environment," the website Home Farming Basics (http://homefarmingbasics.com/starting-a-backyard-farm) states.
Anyone who wants to have a backyard farm has to do one basic thing: plan it.
"The best place to start anything is with some good solid planning. Determine what it is that you hope to accomplish and decide whether you have the resources to accomplish it, make adjustments, then set a plan in motion," the website states.
The website, which offers helpful tips for would-be backyard farmers, gives different options on what to grow and information on what one needs to grow them.
For vegetable gardens, "it is possible to raise a substantial quantity of root crop vegetables, and top crop vegetables on a very small area of land, or even in containers".
"The smaller the area, and the more consistent the need for production, the more labor intensive it becomes. You may need to replant the minute that one crop becomes inviolable, and have the new crops already growing and ready to transplant. It takes some serious planning and preparation, but it works."
One can also grow fruits at home, it adds.
"Fruiting vegetables are the easiest way to produce fruits for the home farmer with small acreage. Melons, cantaloupes, and strawberries can be grown in small areas, and can even go vertical," it says.
"With a little ingenuity and careful use of space, a reasonable quantity of food can be produced from small fruit trees, and fruiting vines like grapes. It is even possible to grow some small fruit trees in large containers."
Meanwhile, those who want to breed animals will "need to have a serious amount of space" for goats and cows. Chickens, though, are more manageable, the website says.
"Both chickens for egg production and fryers can be raised in a relatively small space with careful management techniques, but a wider area for 'free range' is preferred. Depending on your tastes and preferences, other small animals such as rabbits can also be raised for food production."
Backyard farming takes more work than a Farmville farm. Crops will take longer to grow, and it entails spending real money to improve on it.
Depending on what you grow, fertilisers, feeds, pens, tools and garden beds all require varying amounts of money.
You will also have to think of the elements, and you have to properly position your crops so that they get just the right amount of sun that they need to thrive.
But at its very core, backyard farming is just like Farmville. It requires dedication, hard work and commitment. It takes time away from other activities, requires planning and takes a lot of patience.
Whether you grow crops, or flowers, or livestock, backyard farming is bound to be challenging, fun and most of all, rewarding.
The Brunei Times
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