Agriculture Guide

Your day begins before the sun has even risen. You don your clothes and rain boots to set out into the crisp morning to feed the chickens and the cattle.

It’s a clear morning and you feel good being outside, watching your livestock wander and crops swaying in the wind

In the State of New Haven, small farms are considered the backbone of the agricultural industry, with roughly 96% of all New Haven farms being family-owned. As a farmer or rancher, we define anyone who makes income by working in the primary sector, raising livestock either for food or for raw materials (i.e. cotton).

Farmers are people closely connected with nature, spending most of their time outside in the field, either growing plants or raising animals, but being a farmer is not an easy task and definitely has its ups and downs. Farmers do not have a specific work schedule, they deal with living organisms and this often creates a mess in their personal schedules. Farming and ranching requires total dedication, love, and passion in order to succeed in this field of work.

First of all, you will need to decide what you plan to do - Do you want to farm crops or do you want to raise livestock? With this being said, you will have to make the ultimate decision and accept the responsibility for what your "niche crop" or "niche animal" would be. Keep in mind, although this may sound like an easy procedure, it, in fact, is the most complicated part of the process and is the most crucial decision you are going to make.

Crop Farming

Whether it’s farming fruit trees or growing your own vegetables and fruits right on your property, choosing which crop is best for you and your business is key. When it comes to farming, you must first head to the Farming Supplies shop located in the three major settlements of New Haven. Upon entering the shop, you will want to grab all the essentials; seeds, a water bucket, a rack, and fertilizer. Now you will find that there is a water pump and hose, these items are for the more skilled and experienced farmers and also requires a permit to have such a water pump installed on your property.

Once you have obtained all of the essential tools, you will head back to your land and choose a location where you wish to begin your farming journey and now plant your seed! The next few steps are very important as if done incorrectly, could jeopardize your crop’s health. Once your seed is planted, you are going to use your rake to till the ground and get the soil ready. Next water and fertilize your seed and watch the magic happen!

This is where patience and care comes into play as you are going to want to monitor your crop every few hours to water it, but do not over water it as over watering can cause the crop to lose some health. Lower health means less crop at the end. It can take roughly 48 hours for your crop to become harvestable; first your crop will grow, then bloom, then the harvest will begin. Once you have a pretty good produce turnaround, you may consider heading to the Farming Supply store to sell your goods for the cheapest prices, or seek out the citizens of New Haven who may be willing to pay more for your produce.

Helpful Tips to Farming

  • Purchase Your Tools: Players will need to purchase their tools from the Farm Shop:
    Be sure to purchase a Bucket, Rake, Fertilizer, and Seeds

  • Plant Near Water Source: Players are going to want to make sure they are planting near a water source unless they have purchased a Water Pump Kit from the supply store

  • Planting Process: There is a step by step process in order to grow your crops:
    Plant your seed > Rake > Water > Fertilize > Watch the Magic Happen!

  • Time to Harvest: Once your crop becomes Ready to Harvest, you will want to keep your crops watered to about 50-90%.

  • Great Roleplay Opportunities: It does take a couple of days before your crop will become harvestable, about 48 hours, do not let this deter your decision of becoming a farmer! Your hard-work does and will pay off through roleplay especially if you sell your crops!

Livestock Farming

Livestock farming, or ranching, is a vital part of the economy and rural development in the State of New Haven. Citizens of New Haven have the opportunity to own their very own plot of land for ranching to help drive the economy, as well as work with saloon owners to provide some of the freshest meat and produce around. Ranching is not an easy task - It requires a lot of patience and understanding of the livestock animals you are working with.

Ranchers have the opportunity to purchase chickens, roosters, turkeys, rabbits, goats, pigs, sheep, cows, and bulls. Once the Rancher has purchased their chosen livestock, they will be able to return to their ranch and allow their animal to graze on their property. Keep an eye on your livestock as once the animal is done grazing, it will start to wander and if you do not herd it back or order it to follow you, it will potentially wander off into danger. If all goes well for your livestock and you take good care of it, your livestock will grow healthy enough to bring it to the butchery for good money. Currently, the butchery is only able to provide money at this time for your livestock - More to come soon!