Farm With Your Friends

What Is A Farmville Community Growing Project?

A Farmville growing project is a unique and rewarding way for Farmville participants to raise money to fund food security programs - a long-term solution to the problem of world hunger - in villages in the developing world.

A typical project involves a group of people getting together online to farm a virtual plot of land. Once harvested, the crop is converted to cash which is donated to the Food Resource Bank to supply real seeds, tools, drip irrigation, animals and instruction to actual villagers who work to create community gardens, wells, herds, etc., that will sustain them long-term.

Organizing a successful community growing project takes a committed group of volunteers - land, some creative fundraising and publicity, and lots of good, honest work!

Despite the challenges, community growing projects have tremendous benefits. You'll feel a sense of achievement and build community spirit. You'll gain a new appreciation for farming, learn about food security issues and work together with many others to achieve a common goal: helping hungry people in the developing world know the dignity and pride of feeding themselves.

Most importantly, you will help reduce world hunger by using the talents you have been blessed with and encouraging others to contribute their talents as well.

What Shall We Grow?

The choice is entirely up to you. If you're willing to share and the crop can be sold, we're willing to do what we can to utilize the resources you provide. Climate, crop rotation, availability of seed and the value you'll get on delivery will help you determine what to grow. In the Midwest, corn and soybeans are the most popular, but we've also had pumpkins, ornamental gourds and shrubs, hay, winter wheat and even beef cattle!

Getting Started

Growing projects are not the responsibility of the pastor. The pastor can help identify potential leaders, add his or her spiritual blessing and endorsement, and then become a "cheerleader" for the effort. A leader is needed to convene a group of like-minded people who have a passion for overcoming world hunger. The initial organizer may or may not become the eventual project chair, but is the catalyst for organizing the group. This group soon structures into an ad-hoc leadership committee. There should be a chairperson, a secretary, a treasurer, and someone to handle publicity and community relations. Inclusion of other farmers, people with farming backgrounds, general business people, agribusiness people, and community "thought leaders" is useful. However, wherever "two or three are gathered together" with God's help, a lot can happen!

It is the committee's responsibility to determine the structure, size and scope of the project. Planning all aspects of the project as early in the crop year as possible is highly recommended.

The structure your project takes will be unique to your community. Some of our past projects have been:

• organized by a single church or a group of churches
  
• organized by a group of farmers
  
• as small as 10 acres or well over 200 acres
  
• a collective effort, involving everyone in a community
  
• a "twinning" project between a rural and urban or suburban community

Foods Resource Bank will also help. We are available to meet with you and your group, in person or by telephone, to provide support in the form of information or ideas and share stories with you about previous projects.