Touched by the plight of Facebook farmers grappling with avatar locusts, mad pink cow disease and poor 3G cell phone coverage, singer Willie Nelson has organized FarmVille Aid 2010.

"Our nation was built by small FarmVille farmers," Nelson said. "Unfortunately, big corporations have begun playing FarmVille and squeezing out the little guy."

Corporate takeovers are just one of several calamities threatening FarmVille. In recent weeks, Internet ranchers have also faced:

• Animated droughts
• A burgeoning sex scandal involving traveling salesmen and FarmVille farmers' daughters
• An insidious mad pink cow virus that has wiped out FarmVille's strawberry milk market.

Adding to the misery, two days ago, cyber police arrested scores of FarmVille players for planting marijuana crops. Bail was set at 50 FV dollars.

In related news, FishVille was temporarily closed today after a virtual orca killed its owner.