FarmVille Freak – #1 Unofficial Fan Page – FarmVille Tips, FarmVille Secrets, FarmVille Cash

"I can't stop watching my crops!" – FarmVille Freak

This week’s Podcast was hosted by Voltai and he will also be filling in for Lexilicious on the next podcast as well. Listen to the video above or check out the FarmVille Freak Summary below.

We learn some exciting news. Finally, FarmVille will be doing something for all those FarmVille arborists- Tree Mastery. We are looking forward to that function and also the upcoming farmer avatar changes including Halloween Costumes.

FarmVille Freak October 8th 2010 Podcast Summary:

Limited Edition Germany/Oktoberfest Theme is ending.

Introduction of a new LE Fall and Halloween theme.

• Haunted House introduced as a constructible building with 3 phases.
• Works with the upcoming Candy collection feature.
• For farmers that have already collected hundreds of candy, just hold on to that tightly wrapped Gift Box of yours that is spilling over with candy, as FV works on releasing the rest of the Halloween Candy event. (Look for it this upcoming week!)
• Some new Halloween features will let you play a trick on your neighbors by “wrapping” their Barns in cobwebs and turn their animals into Ghosts! (not permanent changes).

McDonald’s & FarmVille

• McDonald’s was in town for one day only in FarmVille.
• Special promotion allowed you to visit the McDonald’s farm and get a special hot air balloon and energy boosting coffee.

Haiti, School of Choice Campaign

• Farmers raised a total of $1 million dollars going towards the building of a new school in Haiti.

Combine Vehicle Released

• Must collect 40 total points after purchasing the chassis.
• Combines are mult-tool vehicles that plow, plant, and harvest!

FarmVille YouTube Channel

• The official FarmVille YouTube channel will showcase Limited Edition animated items (on the farm) before you buy them you can preview them on the YouTube channel.
• FarmVille on YouTube

Coming Soon to FarmVille!

• More Halloween LE items.
• Feed Trough feature (sneak peek pictures released on FarmVille Freak). The Feed Trough will be a feeding building that attracts lost, lonely animals to your farm.
• Tree Mastery! and Orchards!

Visit the FarmVille Forums to VOTE for your favorite design of the upcoming Tree Crop Mastery!

http://forums.zynga.com/showthread.php?t=765166

FarmVille Players Unite for Haiti

Once again FarmVille is calling its players to support a cause benefiting Haiti.

With the “L’ Ecole de Choix” or “School of Choice” promotion, farmers can purchase with farm cash or ask for and send free virtual school supplies to fill up their “Backpacks” to benefit fund raising efforts in Haiti that will go towards the building of a new school.

Every farmer can find their free Backpack in their FarmVille Gift Box. The Backpack serves as the hub for this event, where you can access all additional details and progress.

This event works similar to other Limited Edition collecting events such as the past Tuscan Wedding or holiday events.  By accessing your Backpack and “Looking Inside”, you will be able to track your own progress, see a neighbor comparison, or learn more about the school and Zynga’s campaign efforts in Haiti.

5 School Supplies can be purchased directly for 5 FV$ farm cash. You may purchase them via your Backpack or directly through the FarmVille Market.

After collecting so many virtual school supplies, you can trade them in and redeem them for special prizes. The prizes are Hatian themed and are not available for purchase in the FarmVille Market.

FarmVille Haiti Backpack Prizes

Zynga is promising to donate 100% of the proceeds from this “School of Choice” promotion. Additionally, if farmers send at least 400,000,000 virtual school supplies, Zynga will donate $100,000 to build a new school in Haiti.

FarmVille Haiti Backpack School of Choice

Coinciding with this “School of Choice” Haiti promotion, farmers may also purchase a special permit license to plant limited edition Sweet Beet seeds for a donation of 25 FV$ farm cash.

FarmVille Sweet Beets

Limited Edition Sweet Seeds for Haiti, Sweet Beets

Sweet Beets

• Permit: 25 FV$ farm cash, 1 week permit
• Seeds Cost: 10 coins
• Sells for: 125 coins
• Harvest: 6 hours
• XP: 3
• Seeds Never Wither.

Co-Op Farming Job, “Sowing Seeds for Haiti”

There is also a special limited Co-Op farming Job, “Sowing Seeds for Haiti” that works with Sweet Beets only. Farmers will grow Sweet Beets for Haiti school lunches. Farmers who complete this Co-Op Job will receive a special LE Haiti Seeder.

What are your thoughts about this new charity event? Are you happy that Zynga made a way for all farmers to participate?

This week’s podcast was on time as schedule (two weeks in a row) and hosted by FarmVille Community Manager, Lexilicious.

The majority of this week’s podcast is a recap on the specific details of Storage Cellars, but there is also some exciting news regarding the release of Pig Pens! We all saw the Pig Pen teasers on the FarmVille loading screen and now we have a little more information about it as we anticipate its release.

You can listen to the video above, read the FarmVille Freak Summary below, or read the entire official transcript provided by Zynga at the bottom of the post.

Storage Cellar

• Store up to 500 items. (As part of a shared inventory. 500 maximum for all combined storage buildings).
• Available to Level 16 and above.
• Can build for free or purchase with farm cash.
• You cannot sell or delete Storage Cellars once placed on your farm. You can however move them to a new position on your farm. O
• Please read the complete details on Storage Cellars on FarmVille Freak by clicking here.

LE Summer Theme

• A new Summer theme was introduced this week.
• Matches well with the past LE Beach and New England themes!

Coming Soon to FarmVille

• Pig Pens will be coming very soon. It will be released in 2 phases. The first part will be a construction building period. Then the second phase will introduce “Truffle Hunting” which will allow you to trade in Truffles for new items. To gain Truffles you will have to feed your Pigs Slop, which is made from Bushels! Once your Pigs eat Slop, they will hunt for Truffles on your neighbors’ farms! Those Truffles can then be traded in for new exclusive prizes, including new Pigs!
• A new charitable campaign for Haiti will be coming. The goal of this campaign is to build a school in Haiti for children. An exciting new feature of this campaign is that there will be opportunities for you to participate and not may money.

Official FarmVille Podcast Transcript- August 20, 2010

What was your favorite news from this Podcast? We are looking forward to the much needed Pig Pens!

Some FarmVille Freaks have seen this new loading screen appear. Looks like FarmVille is going to keep pushing the Sweet Seeds for Haiti. Like many FarmVille Freaks, I would like to see Zynga branch out and donate to other organizations!

The flags in the picture depict the special prizes given when you donate to this Sweet Seeds campaign. The purple flag is given to those who donate and the pink flag can be shared as a Facebook newsfeed which will give your neighbors the opportunity to “adopt”.

FarmVille Freak Steven's Sweet Seeds for Haiti Loading Screen

What other non profit organizations should Zynga support?

Source:

1. FarmVille Sweet Seeds for Haiti New Loading Screen – Zynga FarmVille

FarmVille Sweet Seeds for Haiti Sweet Yams

In the third installment of the Sweet Seeds for Haiti campaign, FarmVille debuted limited edition Sweet Yams seeds.

You can purchase Sweet Yams seeds in the FarmVille Market for 25 FV$ and will be given a one week (7 day) license to plant the seeds. You can plant and harvest the seeds as much as you want during the one week period. The Sweet Yam crops will never wither. Everyone who donates to the Sweet Seeds campaign will receive a special prize, a purple flag designating you as a donor for this Sweet Seeds for Haiti. Also, those who donate can post a Facebook newsfeed stating that “(they) are proud to plant Sweet Seeds for Haiti in FarmVille” which will give their FarmVille neighbors an opportunity to “adopt” or receive their own special Sweet Yams pink flag.

FarmVille Sweet Yams

As with previous Sweet Seeds campaigns, Zynga will be donating 50% of the proceeds to benefit Haiti. Specifically, with the Sweet Yams campaign, donations will benefit the development of a new K-12th grade school for the children in Mirebalais, Haiti.  In combination with past Sweet Seeds for Haiti campaigns, Zynga has raised over 3 million dollars to date.

Will you contribute to the Sweet Seeds for Haiti- Sweet Yams?

FarmVille Sweet Seed for Haiti's Information

(more…)

Charity alert! Today, Farmville released “Sweet Seeds for Haiti” which is a crop of Sweet Potatoes.  This is a new concept for Farmville. They are advertising within the game and directly asking for money donations.

Good News: The Sweet Potato crop NEVER withers, harvests in 1 day and yields 3 XP and 125 coins, promises a special gift with purchase and finally, benefits charity.

Bad News:  Must be purchased with FV cash! It says 10 coins, but it then prompts you to pay 25 FV cash. If you do buy these seeds,  you can only plant them for 1 week.

In my opinion, if they had to ask for FV cash, then it should have been less. 25 FV cash is a lot when FV cash is already difficult to come by in this game and not many people will be willing to let it go. If this was strictly for charity, then why are they keeping the other half for profit? If they are going to ask Farmville players for $, then they should at least let them vote on the charity it benefits!

Thoughts? Will you purchase the Sweet Seeds for Haiti seeds?

Here’s the scoop directly from Farmville:

“Salutations, y’all! Today, FarmVille is proud to release “Sweet Seeds for Haiti”. In this event, y’all will be able to purchase Sweet Potatoes that NEVER WITHER, yield XP and 125 COINS PER HARVEST! Even better than that is the f…act that 50% of the proceeds will go to helpin’ children in Haiti. What could be sweeter than lending a helping hand to children in need? You’ll also get a SPECIAL GIFT with your purchase so hurry on over to FarmVille and check it out!”

More Info on Sweet Seeds for Haiti from Farmville:

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and the 7th poorest in the world. Zynga’s mission of connecting the world through games is enhanced by our opportunity to support the health and education of these children and their families. For additional information on the recipient organizations, please see www.FATEM.org and www.FONKOZE.org.

FATEM is a non-profit organization based in Mirebalais, Haiti, and originally organized to bring information technology to the people in the region, thus helping with the economic advancement of the area. More recently, however, FATEM recognized the need for a sustainable means by which to support the general education of Haitian children and to ensure that these children have the necessary meals that will permit their young bodies and brains to learn and grow.

FONKOZE, based in Port-au-Prince, is an alternative bank for the poor. It is Haiti’s largest micro-finance institution and is committed to the economic and social improvement of the people and communities of Haiti and to the reduction of poverty in the country.