Agricola Makes You Want to be a Farmer (I Should Know)

According to his weekly newsletter, Erik Arneson reports that the Estonian Government recently purchased 500 copies of Agricola (Lookout Games, 2007) to make farming seem cooler to its youth.

No joke.

"One of our biggest tasks is to promote country life and farming," said Hindrek Riikoja, a representative of Estonia's press ministry, "Especially among youth."

I often get the hankering to get out of the city, purchase 500 acres of farmland, and try my hand at farming, especially immediately after I finish a game of Agricola.

Joke.

In all seriousness though, I applaud the Estonians for utilizing board games for marketing like this. Agricola, after all, is a critically acclaimed design, and it is highly unlikely Estonia could find a higher-quality piece of artwork that glorifes agriculture this side of the 1950s.

If Puerto Rico can make you more interested in the history and economy of the island by the same name, then maybe just maybe Agricola can make youths more interested in farming.

In either case, its an interesting news item highlighting the growing use of board games to solve problems. Cheers to Estonia.

Check out Arneson's review here, or the original news item here.