MyFarm.com is a Portugal-based company offering farmers the chance to make a profit while running a farm online. The initiative was developed by students and teachers from the Polytechnic Institute of Beja. A plot of 40 sq m is purchasable for an initial payment of EUR 60, which is then converted into 600 points. The lease is EUR 25 and new points can be purchased at the rate of one euro for ten points.
In order to run the farm the user spends the points in a fashion similar to FarmVille, deciding which crops to grow, what new equipment to purchase, etc. Once the user has designed the plot the details are sent to management teams who set out to complete the layout. After the farm is up and running a sample of the produce is sent to the user, a great way to engage consumers with the food they eat.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Online Farming
- Opportunity to create online farming platforms that allow users to run virtual farms and engage with consumers.
- Micro-investment
- Opportunity to develop micro-investment models where users can purchase small plots of land for farming purposes.
- Consumer Engagement
- Opportunity to engage consumers with the food they eat by providing them with samples of the produce grown on the virtual farms.
Sectors Adopting This
- Gaming
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for gaming companies to create farming simulation games with real-life farming elements.
- Agriculture
- Opportunity for the agriculture industry to adopt online farming platforms to attract and educate new farmers.
- Food and Beverage
- Opportunity to collaborate with online farming platforms to provide consumers with fresh and locally sourced produce.
