The Farming Game (1979)
The Farming Game
“The Farming Game” is a board game that simulates the economics of a small farm, published in 1979 by George Rohrbacher, a rancher in Washington state. The game was created as a way to raise money to save the family farm, and it has since sold several hundred thousand copies. The game has been adapted for Mac and Linux, and is available for download on PC, Mac, and Linux as late as 2018.
Why is The Farming Game Popular?
The Farming Game is popular and significant because it:
– Reflects the real-life difficulties of running a farm, with names and places in the game based on real families that have farmed for generations in the Yakima Valley and other parts of Central Washington.
– Provides an educational and entertaining experience for players, allowing them to learn about the challenges faced by farmers while having fun.
– Has been used in schools worldwide, helping students understand the complexities of agriculture and farm management.
Game Components of The Farming Game
The Game Components of The Farming Game include:
– A board representing a calendar year with rentable grazing ranges for heads of cattle.
– Player pieces, such as cattle, wheat, hay, and cherries.
– Money, which is used to buy fields, pastures, and ridges, as well as to pay for farm machinery and other expenses.
– A die, which determines the harvest and weather conditions.
Game Setup of The Farming Game
To set up the game, players:
– Place the board in the center of the table.
– Each player is given a set of player pieces, including cattle, wheat, hay, and cherries.
– Players take turns moving their pieces around the board, buying fields, pastures, and ridges, and managing their resources.
Gameplay Mechanics of The Farming Game
The gameplay involves:
– Players moving their pieces around the board, buying fields, pastures, and ridges, and managing their resources.
– Harvesting crops with the roll of the dice, dodge droughts, uncertain markets, and insects.
– Borrowing tens of thousands of dollars at a time to purchase acres of planted crops, or heads of cattle or orchards, as well as farm machinery.
– Players making strategy decisions based on the choices given, as the game varies each time it is played.
Game Objective of The Farming Game
The game’s objective is to raise money by harvesting crops and selling livestock, including hay, fruit, grain, and cattle. Players can buy land, cattle, wheel and deal, and build the best farm in the county.
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