Farm tower

A **farm tower** is a tall building where rows of plants are grown and harvested for food within its floors.

## History

Farm towers were first invented in Kikori during the Eighth Age, originally as laboratories to grow better and more productive strains of plants. They later spread throughout the Ecumene, but outside the Ecumene, people were distrustful of Ecumene technology, so they were limited to buildings with up to four floors or less to grow smaller plants. They eventually were spread across the world as more people began to use modern technology to stop the Tuksharan Empire in the Sixteenth Age.

Since the Minastanian and Terran attacks on farm towers, many Jerdiskar countries treat farm towers with more protection, that intentionally damaging one is considered as an act of war. Yet farm towers did not completely replace farmland across the world, as most countries wanted their farmers to keep their farmland as cultural traditions.

So nowadays, half of all food on Jerde is grown from farm towers, with the rest from land farmers, fisherfolk, hunters, and butchers. The Terrans of the Sixteenth Age had committed many horrors that almost no Jerdiskar would ever forget, including any attack on a farm tower, that anyone who attacks a farm tower is punished as a war criminal.

## Characteristics

Food from farm towers is either grown in gardens, or cloned from meat using water and synthetic chemicals from minerals. Meat from farm towers is more plentiful, but tasted a little dull. The rich taste of food from land farms made traditional farmers treasured by many governments, even the poorest ones, as artisans, so a small fee that increased prices for non-locals is paid back, whereas lower prices for people living near the farms made up most of the sales for the farmers.

Depending on the country, farmers' crops are either cheaper or costlier, the latter due to the richer taste making it more akin to a luxury item as it takes more time and resources to grow natural food.

In most countries, food exported elsewhere is usually a little more expensive, so they are sold at basic prices in their home countries. In areas around the farms where the food is grown, the selling price is discounted for the locals' sake. At other times, especially for humanitarian causes and aid, the food is either sold at low prices or given away without cost.

For example, a loaf of bread from Marnos is sold at 1.90 narinnja elsewhere, but within Marnos it is 1.20 narinnja. In Irvudal, where the bread is made, it is sold at 80 cents, adding more to the farmers' profits due to the ease in growing and selling the bread. The biggest customers of this bread would be people living in Irvudal, especially those who live closer to the farms, forming much of the profits for the farmers.

## Farm towers across the world

### Umbirab

The nation of Umbirab is heavily-reliant on farm towers due to its mountainous terrain, that it banned farms that grow animals, especially cattle. Any livestock that remained were sold to Rabydos in the north.

### Bujan

Half of all meat in Bujan is grown from farm towers, to cater to the massive population in the country in quicker cycles and as a business. This is also allowed in the Rodnover faith of Bujan, although meat for offerings must be from an animal, not from a farm tower.

Notoriously, one politician after the revolution hated Terrans so much, that he called for all farmland to be banned and all food to be produced from farm towers, to punish *all* farmers for the Salvation Party being mostly supported by farmers.

### Joltaraata

South of Bujan, the mountainous nation of Joltaraata constructed farm towers as it welcomed aid from the Denlotia. It led to so much food and exports, that Joltaraata became known as the "breadbasket of the Five Realms".

### Rukania

Being a nation of vast farmland, Rukania does not rely on farm towers as much as other countries, so the small amount of farm towers are more like a backup against famine. This causes food grown in the kingdom to have no extra fee if it is sold further away from the farms that grew it, unlike other countries. This led to exported food from Rukania being popular in other countries due to its rich taste at affordable prices. To avoid displacing local farmers, some countries restrict the sale or import of Rukanian and Umbirabian food to only specific meals and foods not easily grown in their countries; on the other hand, Rukania sometimes offers farmers from all over the world to learn its techniques and sell their products to customers in the region.

### Siangwaan

Likewise, Siangwaan only uses farm towers for growing surplus food, or any crops that are not native to the country. Much of its food is grown from farmland.