Wetland Farms

xoomorg · 2018-03-07 21:06:37

I just led a life of a new Eve, and managed to stumble across the ruins of a carrot farm, not far from some prime wetlands. I moved the soil to be between four ponds. Seven plots of soil: Three for seed, four for food. I used a sharp stone to cut reeds and make baskets. I filled the baskets with carrots and seed, and kept a water pouch I found close by.

As I neared the end of my life, not having had a girl child of my own (leaving male children to starve) I planned for the future by planting seed but NOT watering it, so that it would be ready for the next person. Luckily, another Eve stumbled across my farm just as I was about to die, and I passed it down to her.

Four ponds. Seven plots of land -- three for seed, four for food. This is sustainable. Plant the farm near water, so you don't have to worry about gathering and transporting it. One water pouch is sufficient. DO NOT GROW THE FARM LARGER. Start another seven-plot farm near four other ponds.

If we all move the food to these locations and set up ready-to-go farms like this, then we will improve the bootstrapping phase tremendously.

Last edited by xoomorg (2018-03-07 22:14:51)

Zodzby · 2018-03-07 21:41:24

+1, death to the one carrot.

xoomorg · 2018-03-07 22:53:07

So actually.. there's probably no good reason to make that farm fully sustainable, indefinitely. It's not intended as the nucleus of a massive city. It's a lifeline for a wandering new Eve and her baby. It should have enough going to sustain that Eve through her life, and allow her to raise several children -- who leave to start their own tiny farms when they're old enough.

I bet we could design a smaller setup that uses just two ponds (or ideally one, though that may be unattainable) and maybe three plots of soil? One for seed, two for food? The seven plot system seems to produce a steady surplus with just an Eve and a child or two, so something smaller might be just enough?

It'd be okay if the water in the pond(s) got lower and lower over time so long as they didn't run dry before the Eve died. Then they can refill as the farm lays idle for a while, until the next wandering Eve needs it.

Phate · 2018-03-08 09:24:16

xoomorg wrote:

It'd be okay if the water in the pond(s) got lower and lower over time so long as they didn't run dry before the Eve died. Then they can refill as the farm lays idle for a while, until the next wandering Eve needs it.

You might already know this, but very useful info here.

If you find an empty pound or accidentally empty it yourself,
put water back into it, and it will start refilling automatically again.

xoomorg · 2018-03-08 16:22:09

Excellent point Phate, and whenever I see an empty pond I make it my top priority to find some water and bring it back to life.

HOWEVER -- it's also important to note that fully draining a pond with a goose will kill the goose. Even if you immediately refill the pond, the goose will not come back.

xoomorg · 2018-03-08 17:15:17

I have been thinking about how to reduce the number of baskets needed, as well. Having the farms next to ponds means you only need one water carrying device, and producing excess carrots is kinda the whole point so clearly you'll need plenty of baskets for that... but seeds?

With a seven-plot farm ("three to seed, four to feed") you can eliminate the need to store excess seeds (even temporarily) by timing your planting right. It takes roughly 3 plant/water/harvest cycles for carrots to seed. So offset the cycle for each of the three seed plots. When you encounter a ready-to-go farm (all plots seeded but not yet watered) you should water all four feed plots but only the first seed plot. When you harvest the first crop of feed carrots, you water the second seed plot. (Here I will assume you do have four extra seeds to re-plant the feed plots.. but that's just for bootstrapping and won't be necessary in future cycles.) The when you harvest the second crop of feed carrots, you water the third seed plot. Now the three seed plots are all offset by one cycle, and so only one of them should start seeding each cycle. You take those five seeds and re-plant the four feed plots, plus the seed plot you just picked. From that point on, you will always have exactly enough seeds flowering as you have plots that need replanting.

TLyon · 2018-03-08 17:49:02

Hello! I happen to be the Eve which inherited your farm. Yesterday was my first day playing and this is my first time in the forums, so it has been quite a surprise to see this post, but this way I can talk to you and thank you. I have to say it works perfectly, allowing me to live until I was 59, and 2 generations of my children.

A little bit off-topic, more or less 20 minutes after diying, I was reborn from an Eve who had just arrived to the farm, so I could reunite with my people. The thing is, we didn't expand and most of my children stayed in the farm, so at a point we had to leave some children to starve. After that, someone ate the seeding carrots and we ran out of food, which broke my heart.

I just wanted to share this story, and most of all, thank you. You allowed me to feed my family, and taught me very important things. Without you I would probably have starved. For the hour that I was alive, I considered you my mother <3

xoomorg · 2018-03-08 17:56:45

Oh TLyon that's great! I am glad I could help make your introduction to the game more enjoyable. What you experienced (thriving for a few generations and then somebody eats all the seed carrots) is pretty common, and is pretty much the issue that we're trying to address. Rather than focusing on building larger communities that require coordinated, complex interaction and cooperation between players to thrive, I'm thinking we would do better to create as many of these tiny farms (and elsewhere: tiny rabbit-trapper-camps, tiny berry orchards, etc.) as possible, so that any wandering new Eve will stumble across one right away and be able to get started.

Even if people end up eating all the seed carrots and the tiny village dies, the plots of land will still be there, the ponds will still be there, the baskets will still be there, the water pouch should still be there, and it should be straightforward either for a more experienced player to get the tiny farm going again with minimal effort, or to restore it to "ready-to-go" status (all plots seeded but not watered) for the next wandering Eve.

Medoria · 2018-03-08 18:44:17

One thing I do is before I set up a thriving community or if I'm born into it I start a small carrot farm for seeds a few screens over. This way I can reseed the farms when someone ends up stealing all the carrots.

xoomorg · 2018-03-08 18:57:39

Medoria wrote:

One thing I do is before I set up a thriving community or if I'm born into it I start a small carrot farm for seeds a few screens over. This way I can reseed the farms when someone ends up stealing all the carrots.

I recommend doing this near the water source, if possible. For some reason, most people build farms on forested land and then shuttle water back and forth from ponds in the wetlands. As a farmer, I feel that I am constantly asking people to bring me water (when I'm not yelling at them to stay away from the seed carrots.) And if I leave the farm to go get the water myself, then guess what happens to all the seed carrots by the time I've gotten back?

If the farm is built on the same screen as the water (and four ponds to seven plots of land seems to be sustainable) then the farmer can keep an eye on the ponds and farm at the same time -- and doesn't have to go anywhere for water.

TLyon · 2018-03-08 19:30:26

What would be cool is if Jason added a sign or something like that to let people know whic carrots are for seeds and which for eating, but for the moment I agree that not having a well organised farm where the carrots used for seeds are safe is the main problem in a lot of communities.

Gauteamus · 2018-03-08 21:00:06

Great idea, xoomorg! I have started building those 3 + 4 plot micro farms close to 3-4 waters myself, especially when I find myself on a male char looking to nothing but a future cold grave.

I try to leave a snare, hatchet, fire drill, waterskin, couple of baskets of carrots, couple of baskets of seeds, home marker.

One Hour One Life Forums

#1 2018-03-07 21:06:37

Wetland Farms

#2 2018-03-07 21:41:24

Re: Wetland Farms

#3 2018-03-07 22:53:07

Re: Wetland Farms

#4 2018-03-08 09:24:16

Re: Wetland Farms

#5 2018-03-08 16:22:09

Re: Wetland Farms

#6 2018-03-08 17:15:17

Re: Wetland Farms

#7 2018-03-08 17:49:02

Re: Wetland Farms

#8 2018-03-08 17:56:45

Re: Wetland Farms

#9 2018-03-08 18:44:17

Re: Wetland Farms

#10 2018-03-08 18:57:39

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