Zynga and Dreyer's Give Farmville Players a Real Life Farm

Farmville, the widely used Facebook game, is moving players’ hands off the computer keyboard and into some real, non-virtual dirt this summer. On June 13, Farmville’s top winning competitors will have the opportunity to travel to Farmville, VA and plant a real fruit orchard.  The creation of this new orchard is to acknowledge the branded integration partnership between Zynga (the number one game developer for social networks and creator of Farmville) and the Dreyer’s Fruit Bars brand.

Sharyn Martinez, one of the distinguished Farmville players who will get to plant fruit trees in Virginia, commented on the upcoming trip, "Being from Los Angeles, I thought the only way I'd get to plant an orchard was on my beautiful virtual farm! But now, thanks to Dreyer's Fruit Bars and Zynga, I am getting ready to dig in and plant fruit trees in the real town of Farmville.”

The initiative is part of Dreyer’s Fruit Bars efforts to plant more fruit trees around the country.  Last year the company started the program, Communities Take Root, in order to plant fruit trees in communities that were most in need.  Over the course of this summer, people can vote for communities which they believe deserve a fruit orchard.

The planting will take place in conjunction with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, an international non-profit organization which is committed to encouraging nutrition, alleviating world hunger, and combating global warming by planting fruit trees.  In 2010, 25 communities received a fruit orchard through the project, while 20 communities will reap the future benefits of a fruit orchard in 2011.

"Dreyer's is passionate about helping neighborhoods become greener, healthier and of course, sweeter. We're thrilled to introduce Fruit Bars and the Communities Take Root program to Farmville's passionate community, and to support FarmVille players in bringing a thriving fruit orchard to the Farmville, VA community," said Jia Li, Fruit Bars Associate Brand Manager in a recent press release.

That same week of June 13-19, Farmville players will be virtually be planting limited edition Dreyer’s Fruit Bars branded crops and have the chance to make a profit and obtain planting, growing and selling fruit bar crops mastery recognition.

It’s positive to see Farmville players planting something that people will actually be able to eat. But players don’t have to wait to be a top winner to be able to plant real fruit trees or any other crop for that matter. Look for a local community garden to volunteer with or plant one in your very own backyard.