23a:Farm plot

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v50.12 · v0.47 · v0.34 · v0.31 · v0.28 · v0.23.130.23a This article is about an older version of DF. More Info · V

A farm plot is a building that allows dwarves to grow plants from seeds. Plants can be used for food or to brew alcohol. Farm plots can only be built inside.

In large fortresses, farming is the most compact way of producing food. Some early forts can subsist with herbalists collecting plants from shrubs outside, but doing so is insufficient to support large populations.

See the article on crops for details on the conditions needed to grow the available plants.

Building the farm plot

Farm plots must be built on a suitable location and require a dwarf with the farming (fields) labor enabled to prepare.

• To build a farm, you must first make the area muddy by irrigation.

To place a farm plot, enter the build menu and select farm plots. Use the u/m and h/k keys to adjust the width and height of the plot. When the plot is the desired size, and in the right position, pressing Enter will place it. A free dwarf with the farming (fields) labor enabled should then start clearing out any rubble or other impediments away from the farm plot. Tower-caps inside the plotted area must be cleared by a wood cutter before you lay it out or that tile will be skipped.

When Winter comes, all farm plots will disappear and the mud will dry up, so every Spring they will need to be re-irrigated and rebuilt.

Growing plants

See farming.

Suggested size

A 5x5 plot should be enough to feed a starting fortress; 5x10 should be enough to feed a full fortress. Make sure to have at least one dedicated grower, as planting skill significantly impacts output. Much smaller plots can serve smaller forts, and if you supplement them with plant gathering, hunting, fishing, or trading they can become smaller to the point of non-existence.

Try to leave a little extra space in underground farm rooms for farmers to stack spare boulders. Stones that get moved under doors in a farm will keep them open, causing flooding problems if you need to irrigate.

See also

• Farming, for a complete guide
• Irrigation

Farming FAQ
How do I build a farm?
How large a farm do I need?
What is the best crop?
How do I manage my seeds and crops?
What does "Reserved Barrels" and "Reserved Bins" mean?
Why are crops sometimes displayed with red writing?
What do I do with these inedible crops?
What does the option "Fallow" mean?
My dwarves will only farm on a small part of the fields, why is this?
How do I make absolutely sure my farm plot is all set to produce crops?
If I don't see any dwarves working my farm plot, does that mean there's something wrong?
Can you grow surface crops on multiple z levels in a tower if the floors are glass even though there's soil on the glass?
What is the "seas fert" option for?
How do you create a custom stockpile that accepts only prepared foods?
How do you successfully breed and utilize animals(grazing, non-grazing and poultry)?
How often do you need to irrigate your farm fields?
Having banned seeds from the kitchen, how to prevent dwarves from eating them raw?
Why do my planters keep complaining they have no seeds?
Why won't my animals breed?
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