Video simulation allows students to become temporary farmers

What challenges do farmers face to feed an anticipated 9 billion people worldwide by 2050?

That’s the question middle and high school students who play Journey 2050, a video simulation promoted by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, will attempt to answer.

During the game, “students begin planning their farm, and start running into the challenges a farmer would have in their own business,” noted Tammy Maxey, senior education manager for Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom. “These include financing, weather, taxes and equipment issues. And as players move on, things go faster and faster, just like in real life.

“It’s a very good tool. We have promoted it in Virginia, specifically with our secondary school agriculture education teachers. But it’s also a great tool for science classes or any subject dealing with the economics of farming.”

Several Virginia agriculture teachers are using Journey 2050 in their classrooms, confirmed LaVeta Nutter, Virginia Department of Education agriculture education specialist.

The question of how to sustainably feed the world sets this farming simulation apart from comparable teaching tools. Students learn about the environmental and economic impact of their decisions on three farm families in Kenya, India and Canada. The goal is financial success as well as improving rural communities.

“We had a blast playing it last year at our regional Ag in the Classroom meeting,” Maxey said. “When you start out you might be planting a corn patch, but then a piece of equipment dies, and other problems come up, often at the same time. It’s very true to life. There’s a fair amount of reading required as well, so students are working on comprehension and decision-making skills.

“Programs like this are valuable for all students, not just those interested in an agriculture career,” Maxey continued. “The great majority of all our middle school or high school students have very little understanding of the importance of agriculture to their lives or our economy.”

The video simulation and a related curriculum is available for students in grades 7 to 12. It can be completed in five hours and requires Internet access. The program is free.