Growing addiction: Everyone's a farmer with popular Facebook application
WATERLOO - Millions of Americans are giving up city living to become farmers.
"It is probably one of the most addicting things I've ever experienced," said Austin Sorg, 25, of Cedar Falls. "I really can't explain it."
Adults and teens have been dedicating hours a day to FarmVille, an online game in which people must plant, grow and harvest virtual crops, trees and livestock in a timely fashion. Sorg's field of sunflowers wilted last week when he lost an Internet connection at his house.
Some crops are ready in a few hours; others take a few days. That's why players are farming around the clock - at school, work, home and in the car.
When Sorg, a senior at the University of Northern Iowa, attempted to write a paper for class, he instead found himself rearranging his farm. His friend, Adam Pasker, 33, totes his computer wherever he goes in case he or someone else needs to harvest crops.
Tending to his chores has become a morning routine for Jason Moe, 27, of Waterloo.
"Lately, I've been done with my farm before it's even light out," he said. "If I let my crops wither, I'd lose like thousands of dollars."
The game also is attracting a new generation of farmers, including Moe's son, Caleb. Moe's girlfriend, Amy Smith, 30, lets Caleb play on her account.
FarmVille has quickly become
the most popular application in the history of Facebook, the social networking site. More than
63 million people have signed up to play the game since it made its debut in June, according to Zynga, the company that created FarmVille.
A new player is given land and seeds that can be planted, harvested and sold for online coins. As you accrue currency, you can buy things, from strawberry and eggplant seeds to holiday decorations, houses and tractors. Or
you can use credit cards or a PayPal account to buy more FarmVille coins.
Sorg, who started more than a month ago, confesses to spending $10 of his own money to expand his farm without having to wait to rack up enough FarmVille coins.
"I just want to do better than anyone else," he said. "I want to get to the highest level."
The game has turned into a competition among his friends.
A group gets together each Sunday at Beck's Sports Brewery to watch football, harvest crops and reveal farming secrets.
Players can invite Facebook friends to become their FarmVille neighbors and receive points for fertilizing each other's crops. They also can send each other gifts. Sue Cuvelier Kromminga of Shell Rock uses FarmVille as a way to connect with long-lost friends and relatives.
She also arranges her farm into a piece of artwork. She tediously plows squares of land and plants different colored crops to resemble a patchwork quilt.
"When they grow - the pumpkin and then the avocados and then the corn - it looks like it's a calico material," she said. "I've had a lot of people comment on my fields.
My gosh, you could just do this 24-7."
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