Farm

Beyond the Border
(This page is fully updated to include the Beyond the Border update)

* Duchies
* Emirates
* Viking
* Japan

"*Grows food/raw materials. Harvest during autumn.*"
In-game Description
**Farm** is an agriculture building first introduced on the 28th of May 2020. Minimal size of farm is 16 tiles.

## Yields

* Calculated with yields of 8x8 Tiles large farm, with 100% fertility and 100% total productivity.

## Workers

1 worker is assigned for each 64 tiles. So with a farm of 16 tiles (minimum size farm) to 64 tile farm, 1 worker can be assigned. From 65 to 128 tile farm 2 workers can be assigned. continuing the pattern til the maximum size of 500 tiles.

The table is a quick reference to show the maximum number of tiles a farm can have before needing another worker. Getting as close to the maximum, without going over, lets you get the most out of the farm without using more people.

Quick reference
 Tiles

**NB!** following the progression of 1 worker for 64 tiles means that 8 should be at 512, however the max farm size is 500, therefore you should not make farms bigger than 448, to achieve optimal farming.

## Farming Mechanics

### Work stages

In early spring, farmers start **Seeding**; planting seeds on the farm. When they are done seeding the whole farm, they will go ahead and accelerate the growth process of the plants by **Nourishing** them. When the plants are fully grown, the farmers will start **Harvesting** them. In winter, the farm plants still standing on the farm will instantly perish. The worker stays employed in the farm and will **Clear Drops** until the harvest is transported off the farm into storage facilities. He will then be unemployed and the farm will remain **Dormant** until spring.

### Farming Tips

Fertility of the ground has a great effect on the efficiency (yield) of the farm. You can furthermore increase the efficiency in the early game with the Forest settle bonus. Changing to a different crop type can also help as some crops are easier to farm. The Granary building that is unlocked also boosts yield of nearby farmer, and it is a convenient storage option.

After researching Agricultural Revolution in the Middle Age, farms will get a small efficiency bonus when placed near another farm. If your faction is able to farm Wheat, you can also build Windmills close to your farms for a boost. There are also various Technology bonuses and Cards that can help increase the farm's output.

For harvesting many large fields, it can be very helpful to use Hauling Services near your farms. These carts can carry a lot more than regular citizens.

A more general way to improve farm's efficiency is to decrease the time the worker spends doing other things, such as looking for the nearest source of Medicine. Building your houses and stockpiles or even Markets close to the farms can help.

### Other Optimizations

Farmers start working on the first plant (lowest plant of the leftmost column). They will work their way up, move one column over, and move down. Any other farmer assigned on the same field will work on the third and fourth column and so forth. They currently do not quit working to fulfill their needs until both columns are done, which means that tall farms can work very well on higher difficulty levels. The Nourishing stage of farming can also be skipped if the first plant (lowest plant of the leftmost column) is already fully grown.

In the latest test version of the game, farmers will switch to Harvesting if there is no more time left to continue Seeding or Nourishing. This allows single farmers to harvest large fields without wasting many crops. Note that the farm can still lose out on crops if the farmer leaves due to their needs (food, heat, medicine, tools).

## Notes

* Cabbage has particularly high fertility sensitivity.
* Wheat can be used for making beer
* Rice can be used to make wine