[previewyoutube=xVEXsDiEkVA?rel=0;full][/previewyoutube]
Farmed products are used to create many different kinds of food and potions. Food is essential to keep crafting stations running, and also provide buffs to players when consumed, while potions offer additional options in combat. You can read more about them in our guide to potions and alchemy.
In addition, you can use your farm to raise baby animals to become the mounts that accompany every adventurer on their journeys.
This article provides you with a step-by-step guide for you to get started, before going through the different types of farming. Ready to start growing your own crops, herbs, and animals? Then read on…
Step 1: Purchasing an Island
In order to farm, you need a farming plot. This is most common on a player island, but can also be on a farming territory provided by a guild.
Islands can be purchased at the Island Merchant in any of the Royal Cities, Caerleon, or Brecilien. The Island Merchant is located in the center of these cities, close to the Marketplace. Here’s how it appears on the region map:
Please note that to purchase an island you need at least 7 days of Premium. After this, you can keep the island forever without needing to continuously have Premium status.
Every island is linked to the city in which it was purchased, and you can own up to one island for each city. They share a biome, and importantly you can travel between an island and its host city for free. If you wish to travel from an island to a different city, you need to pay transportation costs.
Now that you have an island, you can travel to it using the Travel Planner.
Step 2: Building a Plot
Depending on the level of your island, you will have access to a number of multipurpose plots that can be used for different types of farming plots or buildings. A level 1 island contains one multipurpose plot. Farming territories have only four plots to build on but will produce four times as much crop yield, and will grow animals four times as quickly.
To start building a farm, go to a multipurpose plot. Then, navigate to the Build UI by clicking your avatar in the top cleft and selecting ‘Build’ (on desktop you can simply press H to open this menu). Navigate to the second tab, “Farming”, where you can choose between building a Farm, Herb Garden, Pasture, or Kennel. Each of these allows you to grow different crops or raise different animals.
To build one of these, you need to make sure you have the necessary resources, which you can buy on the Marketplace or gather yourself.
Step 3: Growing Produce
Let’s say you want to farm carrots. Once you’ve built a farm plot, you need to purchase some Carrot Seeds. Level 2 islands contain a farming merchant from whom you can buy seeds, or you can obtain them from Marketplaces. It might be worth comparing prices to see which option is cheaper.
Go to your farming plot, select the Carrot Seeds from your inventory, and click "Place" to plant them.
If you have Focus Points, you can choose to water your plants which will guarantee that you receive seeds back from your crops (see below). If you water about half your plants, you can maintain enough seeds for the next day without having to purchase new ones, increasing your profits.
Step 4: Harvesting
All plants have a growth cycle of 22 hours, after which you can harvest them. There is also a chance that you’ll receive additional seeds that you can use to farm again, and Earthworms which can be used to craft Fishing Bait.
Go to your farming plot and click “Collect”. Congratulations, you've successfully grown and harvested your first plants!
You can now sell your crops at the Marketplace, or use them for crafting food.
Types of Farms & their Products
Specializing in a particular type of farming can allow you to progress more quickly in that area, leading to greater efficiency and mastery over time. Conversely, diversifying your farming operations lets you produce a broader range of items, offering flexibility and adaptability in the market. Each farming plot has a fixed cost and can be demolished at any point, which returns 90% of its resources. Below is an overview of the costs of each plot type and their products:
Farm | 15 Rough Logs 15 Rough Stone | Carrots, Beans, Wheat, Turnips, Cabbage, Potatoes, Corn, Pumpkins | [/tr]
Herb Garden | 25 Rough Logs 25 Rough Stone 25 Birch Planks 25 Limestone Blocks | Arcane Agaric, Brightleaf Comfrey, Crenellated Burdock, Dragon Teasel, Elusive Foxglove, Firetouched Mullein, Ghoul Yarrow | [/tr]
Pasture | 30 Rough Logs 30 Rough Stone 30 Chestnut Planks 30 Sandstone Blocks | T3 - T8 Horses T3 - T8 Oxes Stag, Moose Chickens, Goats, Geese, Sheeps, Pigs, Cows | [/tr]
Kennel | 50 Bloodoak Logs 50 Slate 10 Runite Steel Bars | T5 & T8 Moabirds, T5 & T8 Winter Bears, T5 & T8 Wild Boars, T5 & T8 Bighorn Rams, T5 & T8 Swamp Salamanders, T5 & T8 Greywolves, T5 & T8 Mystic Owls, Swiftclaws, Direwolves, Direboars, Swamp Dragons, Direbears, Mammoths, Spring & Caerleon Cottontail | [/tr]
Here’s what you need to know about each type of product…
Plants
The basics of planting have been covered in the step-by-step guide above. It’s also worth noting, though, that each Royal City has a local production bonus for certain vegetables or herbs, which increases their yield by 10%.
| Lymhurst | Bridgewatch | Martlock | Thetford | Fort Sterling | [/tr]
Crop | (T8) Pumpkin | (T7) Corn | (T6) Potato | (T5) Cabbage | (T4) Turnip | [/tr]
Herb | (T4) Crenellated Burdock | (T5) Dragon Teasel | (T6) Elusive Foxglove | (T7) Firetouched Mullein | (T8) Ghoul Yarrow | [/tr]
Animal | (T5) Goose | (T4) Goat | (T8) Cow | (T7) Pig | (T6) Sheep | [/tr]
Additional | (T1) Carrot | (T2) Bean | (T3) Wheat | (T2) Arcane Agaric | (T3) Chicken | [/tr]
Livestock Animals
Livestock placed on a pasture need to be fed in order to start growing. Each type has a favorite food which halves the amount of crops necessary to feed them.
Livestock Animals’ growth cycle is 1 day 20 hours, but can be halved if you have Premium Status.
When fully grown, these animals can either be collected to be butchered, or fed again in order to get secondary products like eggs or milk.
By using Focus Points you can increase the chances of them producing offspring which, similar to plants, helps you to restart the process without having to spend additional Silver.
Each Royal City has a local production bonus which increases the yield from butchering certain animals, and of their secondary products (see table above).
Riding Animals
Unlike livestock, Riding Animals don’t have a favorite food and their growth cycle is dependent on the tier of the animal. Here’s how long it takes for each to grow (with and without Premium):
Baby Animal | With Premium | Without Premium | [/tr]
T3 | 22h | 1d 20h | [/tr]
T4 | 1d 22h | 3d 20h | [/tr]
T5 | 2d 22h | 5d 20h | [/tr]
T6 | 3d 22h | 7d 20h | [/tr]
T7 | 4d 22h | 9d 20h | [/tr]
T8 | 5d 22h | 11d 20h | [/tr]
Only Horses and Oxen can be purchased from the Farming Merchant, all other Baby Animals need to be purchased from other players or found in the wild — when killing a Wild Animal, it has a chance of dropping its corresponding Baby Animal as loot.
Horses, Oxen, Stags and Moose can be raised on a Pasture, while all other Riding Animals require a Kennel.
Baby Animals higher than T4 can also be nurtured multiple times, increasing the chances of them producing offspring.
When a Riding Animal is fully grown, it can be saddled at the Saddler (another Farm Building which can be constructed on your island) and either used as your new riding mount or sold to other players.
Conclusion
Whether you choose to produce food or potions from the products of your labor, or sell them directly on the Marketplace, there are many ways you can contribute to Albion's vibrant economy — and turn a healthy profit while you do so!
Sometimes it’s a good idea to sell your products to your guildmates and friends. Many players are happy to buy them at a small discount, while both of you benefit by avoiding Marketplace taxes.
If you’re looking to expand your farming space but can’t upgrade your island any further or purchase a new island in another city, you can also ask your friends or guildmates if you can use their islands. They can allow you access to their islands via the Access Rights UI, and vice versa.
With this information, you should have all you need to work the land and earn your prosperity. Happy farming!