Agriculture Guide: Irrigation, Crops & Food Processing

Agriculture in Timberborn covers all crop, bush, and tree food production plus irrigation and processing chains that turn ingredients into higher‑value meals. Reliable agriculture keeps hunger down, raises well‑being via Nutrition tiers, and lets you trade or store surplus. This guide explains what to plant, how irrigation and aquatic farming work, how processing increases yield/value, and tips for efficient multi‑crop diets.

Crops, bushes, and trees — what to grow

• Farmhouse crops (dry land):

  • Carrot: matures in 4 days, yields 3 carrots per plot; edible raw.
  • Sunflower: matures in 5 days, yields 2 sunflower seeds; edible raw.
  • Potato: matures in 6 days, yields 1 potato per plot; requires a Grill to convert raw potatoes into Grilled Potatoes (processing increases hunger satisfaction and may change effective food-per-tile).
  • Wheat: matures in 10 days, yields 3 wheat per plot; must be milled into flour (Gristmill) and baked (Bakery) into Bread for best results.

• Aquatic crops (require an Aquatic Farmhouse and water depth < 1 tile):

  • Cattail: matures in 8 days, yields 3 cattail roots; roots are ground into cattail flour (Gristmill) and baked into Cattail Crackers (Bakery).
  • Spadderdock: matures in 12 days, yields 3 spadderdock; processed in a Grill into Grilled Spadderdock.

• Bushes and trees:

  • Berry bushes: natural or planted; first growth cycle takes longer (seedling→mature with berries may be ~24 days for first harvest), then regrow every 12 days and each bush yields 3 berries per harvest. Harvesting does not destroy the bush; planted bushes can spread.
  • Chestnut trees and other food trees (Chestnut, Maple for syrup, etc.) produce harvestable resources (chestnuts, syrup) gathered by appropriate gatherers/tappers; chestnuts are cooked (Grill) into Grilled Chestnuts.
  • Trees also supply logs and secondary harvestables (tapper output) and have long initial grow times but recurring yields.

Irrigation and water management

• Crops and many trees require irrigated soil or proximity to water. Irrigation is generated by blocks of water:
  • A "watered block" (water tile in direct contact with terrain) irrigates soil up to 15 tiles horizontally at the same elevation.
  • Each vertical height difference from the watered block reduces irrigated distance by 7 tiles (being on top of the watered block reduces distance by 6).
  • For maximum irrigation coverage use a 3×3 water reservoir; isolated single water tiles irrigate very little.
• Aquatic crops must be planted in water less than 1 tile deep. Aquatic Farmhouses must be placed above water (workers cannot work inside flooded buildings); beavers use stairs/slopes to descend into shallow water to plant/harvest.
• Contaminated (badwater) spreads through fluid simulation. Mixed contaminated water will taint clean reservoirs and will damage or kill crops, trees, and beavers who drink it. Use levees, dams, and controlled valves/floodgates to isolate or prevent badwater from reaching irrigation sources.

Processing chains and buildings

Processing significantly improves food efficiency and Nutrition tier satisfaction; it also often consumes logs and requires power for some buildings.

• Gristmill: grinds wheat into flour and cattail roots into flour; requires power to run.
• Bakery: bakes flour into Bread or Cattail Crackers; consumes logs when baking and requires a worker.
• Grill: processes potatoes into Grilled Potatoes, spadderdock into Grilled Spadderdock, and chestnuts into Grilled Chestnuts; grills consume logs and need a worker.
• Food Factory and other advanced processors (available via research/faction tech) produce rations (e.g., Corn Rations, Eggplant Rations) and typically require power and additional inputs like Canola Oil.
• Processing overview:
  • Wheat → (Gristmill) Flour → (Bakery + logs) Bread.
  • Cattail Roots → (Gristmill) Cattail Flour → (Bakery + logs) Cattail Crackers.
  • Potato → (Grill + logs) Grilled Potatoes.
  • Spadderdock → (Grill + logs) Grilled Spadderdock.
  • Chestnuts → (Grill + logs) Grilled Chestnuts.

Nutrition, variety, and well‑being

• Nutrition is tiered: Nutrition I (any food), Nutrition II (a different food type), Nutrition III (a third distinct food type). Satisfying higher tiers increases beaver well‑being.
• To maximize well‑being, produce at least 3–4 different food types (e.g., Bread, Grilled Potatoes, Berries). Processed foods generally grant more hunger and better Nutrition satisfaction than raw ingredients.
• Beavers will naturally prefer dietary variety if multiple foods are available in storage; optional needs may grant additional bonuses but are not required.

Practical planning and efficiency tips

• Early game: plant carrots and berries for fast, low‑infrastructure food. Carrots grow fast and produce steady raw food; berries are gatherable and regrow.
• Midgame: transition some farms into potatoes and wheat only after you can support Grills, Gristmills, and Bakeries (and the log/power cost they require). Processed foods reduce the land/workforce needed for the same hunger coverage.
• Aquatic farming is high‑yield per worker but requires water engineering and aquatic farmhouses; cattails can be very efficient once you have Gristmill + Bakery infrastructure.
• Use beehives (Folktails faction) to boost crop growth if available.
• Avoid monoculture: mix crop types across farm plots to maintain Nutrition tiers and increase well‑being and reproduction.
• Protect irrigation sources from badwater and plan reservoirs/levees so irrigation covers fields with minimal pumping or reservoirs.

Summary

Successful agriculture in Timberborn blends reliable irrigation, a mix of fast and processed crops, and the infrastructure to convert raw ingredients into high‑value foods. Start with carrots and berries, develop processing chains (Gristmill, Bakery, Grill) to increase food efficiency, use aquatic farming where terrain permits, and always diversify crops to satisfy Nutrition tiers and keep your colony happy.