Introduction to AgLand

Welcome to the world of AgLand! You and the group you'll "facilitate" are about to become part of a medium-sized, rural community. It's a pleasant little spot, the kind of place that receives five-star ratings from chambers of commerce. The game board is your map to AgLand: there are four 640-acre farms, a small town, a river with surrounding wetlands, and wildlife. An elected governing body known as the Policy Council is responsible for keeping as many citizens as possible satisfied by influencing the management decisions of the farmers.

As in real life, this community does not exist in a vacuum. Life here is interdependent. Decisions that each farmer makes influence not only that particular family's prosperity, but also the well-being of the other farm families and townspeople, as well as the state of the natural ecosystems and the health and survival of the area's wildlife. Likewise, decisions that the Council members make and the resulting incentives, taxes, and regulations affect the entire community for years to come. And there are factors over which neither group has any control but on which each depends for success: crop prices and the weather.

Although you'll be using a computer, AgLand is not a human-versus-machine game. Nor is it "solvable." AgLand mimics the ever-changing dynamics of the real world. Its main objective is to help participants develop strategies for dealing with complex and ambiguous issues and then think about the consequences of their choices. They might then reconsider assumptions they may have about the driving forces behind their local economy and environment. If the game is played "correctly," the room will soon become noisy, as players move freely about, airing their opinions and making their decisions. Your primary role as facilitator is to keep things moving, not to interfere in the decision-making process or to teach the "right" way to do things. AgLand is interactive learning at its best. Encourage conversation after each round of play, or stop the game periodically to discuss what's going on. These "debriefing" sessions are vital and enjoyable ways for the players to exchange viewpoints and stretch themselves. Use the initial default settings or liven things up by adjusting them to increase tension. We'll show you how in a moment.

Objectives

This manual will give you a brief overview of AgLand: The Game and how to use it to help others learn more about agriculture, economics, and environmental policy issues. AgLand is based on a "system dynamics" model, which helps users determine how future conditions are influenced by current decisions.

Prerequisite Skills

You will have the best luck using AgLand if you understand its basic concepts, feel comfortable moderating open-ended discussions, and can handle basic computer operations. Neither you nor members of your group need to have expert knowledge of agriculture, public finance, wildlife management, or water management to benefit from playing. All the information you need is included in the printed materials. Some of your players might provide additional scientific and technical expertise, and the computer does the necessary calculations for you. For supplemental information, check the AgLand website listed inside the front cover of this manual.

Number of Participants

You can play AgLand with as few as eight participants or as many as 20. (We've done it with as many as 45, but we don't recommend this.) There are five teams: four farms and one Council. It's best that there are at least two people per team so that they can discuss and analyze factors that prompt their decisions. When two or more players must agree on a course of action, they are more likely to discuss their underlying assumptions, which frequently are not in concert. Conversely, if there are too many people on a team, not everyone can participate in the discussions, and some players may become bored.