The Giving Fields: Real Cows Purchased with Virtual Wheat
The Far Away is a field of wheat and a dreamscape Kansas created by the prodigiously talented builder named AM Radio. Last September, he launched an inventive fundraising project built around it, one that makes a kind of allegorical sense-- he sold small plots of the Far Away wheatfield for Linden Dollars, then converted the L$ from those land sales to real cash, and in turn, donated that to Team Heifer, an innovative non-profit that helps people in the developing world by literally buying cattle and other livestock for them. Bettina Tizzy has a full write-up of AM's groundbreaking effort (as she often does.)
AM Radio's goal was to raise $500 in L$ to buy one cow, but a couple months later, he'd sold enough of his field to buy two. At the moment, he's among the site's Top Five donors (and yes, his avatar name is listed there.) And if I'm reading his Team Heifer page correctly, he's just $95 short of his final goal, to buy a third heifer. I'm checking with him now to see if he's taking more donations [yes he is! - HA, 12/25]; in any case, it's a project worth mentioning, if only to inspire future efforts like it.
Some of you may remember Bhodi Silverman, and VERTU. She raised money for Heifer International a few years ago. I'm really glad to see the tradition continue, and a worthy effort supported in Second Life!
Posted by: RobinLinden | Monday, December 24, 2007 at 03:51 PM
Buy a cow???? For what? To eat???Im vegatarian, and i dont like this idea at all. Sorry! Do something to helps the animals, not to eat them!!!!
Posted by: MIG Courtois | Tuesday, December 25, 2007 at 08:04 AM
Dear Mig:
Nooooo. The cows are not for eating! Here is a direct quote from the Heifer International website, which can be seen here: http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.2663295/
"A good dairy cow can produce four gallons of milk a day - enough for a family to drink and share with neighbors. Milk protein transforms sick, malnourished children into healthy boys and girls. The sale of surplus milk earns money for school fees, medicine, clothing and home improvements.
And because a healthy cow can produce a calf every year, every gift will be passed on and eventually help an entire community move from poverty to self reliance. Now that's a gift worth giving!"
Hamlet, thank you for getting the word out! I misunderstood AM Radio a couple of weeks ago and thought that enough had been raised for that third cow, and $95 US is so very little and will make such a huge difference in the lives of an entire community. Merry Christmas <3
Posted by: Bettina Tizzy | Wednesday, December 26, 2007 at 08:36 AM