Harley Hand often starts his day by getting in a combine and heading out to one of his fields — but it’s not a real combine, field or farm.
He is one of several people who make a living playing the game Farm Simulator and streaming the game on platforms including Facebook, YouTube and Twitch.
“First, let me jump in a combine. We have a soybean harvest, guys. We have a big harvest, a bunch of fields that are ready to go,” Hand said to start a recent three-hour livestream of Farming Simulator to an audience of more than 200 people.
Even though only 1% of Americans are currently farmers, a lot of people identify with the agricultural lifestyle, and Farming Simulator has become another place where that community has found a home.
Hand, who isn’t a farmer but comes from a rural background, said many of his interactions with his audience are…
