v0.31:Grower

v50.14 · v0.47 · v0.34 · v0.31.25 · v0.28 · v0.23 This article is about an older version of DF. More Info · V

Skill: Grower

Association
Profession	Template:L
Job Title	Planter
Labor	Farming (Fields)
Tasks
Plant Seeds Harvest Fertilize Construct farm plot
Workshop
None
Attributes
None

Grower is the Template:L for use with the Template:L Template:L, which allows a dwarf to plant Template:Ls and Template:Ls, both above ground and underground. A high level of growing skill allows a dwarf to plant seeds at a faster rate and also results in larger stacks of Template:L at harvest, increasing Template:L output significantly. A single Template:L grower can easily outproduce several dabbling ones.

A highly skilled grower not only increases raw food output, but also improves overall food production efficiency to a massive extent, since Template:Ls, Template:Ls, and Template:Ls perform tasks with a single Template:L at a time. This has the effect of a huge multiplier on several Template:Ls, and also of making storage more efficient. For example, to get 25 booze, brewing five stacks of Template:L [1] requires five visits to farm plots to store those 5 1-stacks in stockpiles, five trips to haul them to the Template:L, five trips to haul five barrels, five brewing tasks, and will make five separate "stacks" of Template:L [5] requiring five separate Template:Ls stored on five separate tiles - and then 5 tasks to replant seeds in the farm plots, and 5 times the size of the plots needed! And that doesn't include all the tasks involved in making and storing those extra barrels or storing the seeds for planting. On the other hand, a single stack of plump helmet [5] can be brewed all at once into the same amount of dwarven wine [25], using a single barrel, hauled away in one task, and stored on a single tile. High-skilled growers can potentially save over 30* trips/tasks per single plant product, making your fort significantly more efficient. The impact this has on your overall labour force and fortress cannot be over-emphasized.

(* save a difference of 4 to harvest to stockpiles, 4 to haul to the still, 4 for hauling barrels, 4 brewing, 4 hauling booze, 4 hauling seeds, 4 to replant = 28 tasks; and that doesn't include cutting and hauling the wood and then making and storing the 4 extra barrels per stack.)

All Dwarves Harvest

If you leave the "All Dwarves Harvest" option on (in the orders menu), all dwarves, even Template:Ls and Template:L, will harvest when needed and gain experience in Grower. Harvesting is not as important as planting, as the size of the stack harvested is not affected by the harvesters skill level. However, having harvesting does give experience, and if other dwarves are harvesting, then your planters will not gain experience as quickly.

If you turn on "Only Farmers Harvest", a single dedicated Proficient Grower can easily handle all the farming needs of a young to middle-stage fortress, especially if the farm plots, kitchens, farmers workshop, food storage (raw and prepared) and Template:L are all located close to each other - as they should be.

Note: If your setting is "Only Farmers Harvest" and your lone Grower dies, is injured or otherwise occupied, your other dwarves will not harvest the plants, and they will rot in the fields, leaving no seeds. If you see crops piling up in the plots, check your Grower(s), and possibly turn the option back on until you have resolved the problem.

Starting Builds

Many starting builds include grower as farming is the most reliable food source. Having a proficient grower can help produce food early on to keep your dwarves fed and to attract migrants.

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