7 Days to Farm: The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Farming in 7 Days to Die
Surviving the zombie apocalypse in 7 Days to Die requires more than just scavenging and fighting. As days turn into weeks, relying solely on found food becomes unsustainable. Farming provides a reliable food source, allowing you to focus on base building, exploration, and zombie horde defense. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of establishing and maintaining a successful farm in 7 Days to Die, ensuring you never go hungry again.
## Why Farm in 7 Days to Die?
Farming offers several crucial advantages:
* **Reliable Food Source:** Consistent food supply reduces the need for risky scavenging runs, especially during horde nights.
* **Nutritional Variety:** Grow different crops to obtain various nutritional benefits, boosting stamina, health, and overall well-being.
* **Ingredient Availability:** Farmed crops are essential ingredients for crafting advanced recipes, like healing salves, teas, and attribute-boosting foods.
* **Trading Opportunities:** Excess crops can be traded with traders for valuable items like weapons, ammo, and schematics.
* **Reduced Zombie Aggression:** While farming attracts some attention, a well-defended farm is safer than wandering through zombie-infested areas.
## Preparing for Your Farm
Before you start planting, careful planning and preparation are essential for success.
### 1. Location, Location, Location
Choosing the right location is paramount. Consider these factors:
* **Water Access:** Farms need water to grow crops. Ideally, build near a lake, river, or even a small pond. If natural water sources are scarce, consider building a well (requires the “Advanced Engineering” skill and the “Water Filter” schematic).
* **Sunlight:** Crops need sunlight to grow. Avoid locations completely shaded by mountains or tall buildings.
* **Soil Fertility:** While you can farm on any dirt surface, some areas are naturally more fertile. Look for patches of darker, richer soil. You can also create fertile soil using fertilizer (explained later).
* **Defensibility:** Your farm will attract zombies, especially during horde nights. Choose a location that’s easy to defend or incorporate your farm into your existing base.
* **Proximity to Traders:** A nearby trader allows you to sell excess crops and purchase seeds or other necessary supplies.
### 2. Gathering Resources
You’ll need several resources to build and maintain your farm. Here’s a checklist:
* **Wood:** For crafting frames, fences, and other structures. Chop down trees with an axe.
* **Stone:** For crafting stone tools, reinforcing structures, and creating cobblestone. Mine rocks with a pickaxe.
* **Iron:** For crafting metal tools, reinforcing structures, and creating watering cans. Mine ore veins with a pickaxe and smelt the ore in a forge.
* **Seeds:** Essential for growing crops. Find them in loot containers, purchase them from traders, or harvest them from wild plants.
* **Fertilizer (Optional):** Boosts crop growth speed and yield. Craft it using bone meal, rotten flesh, and other organic materials (explained later).
* **Water Source:** As mentioned earlier, a natural water source or a well.
### 3. Crafting Essential Tools
These tools will significantly improve your farming efficiency:
* **Hoe:** Used to till the ground into farmland. Craft it at a workbench using wood, stone, or iron.
* **Watering Can:** Used to water crops. Craft it at a workbench using iron.
* **Shovel:** Used to gather dirt, sand, and clay. Craft it at a workbench using wood, stone, or iron.
* **Axe:** Used to chop down trees for wood and clear vegetation.
* **Pickaxe:** Used to mine stone, ore, and other resources.
### 4. Base Defense Considerations
Before planting your first seed, ensure your farm is adequately defended. Zombies will relentlessly attack your crops, especially during horde nights.
* **Fences:** Surround your farm with fences to slow down zombies and give you time to react. Upgrade fences to stronger materials like cobblestone or reinforced concrete as you progress.
* **Walls:** Build walls around your farm for maximum protection. Consider using multiple layers of walls with kill corridors or defensive positions.
* **Traps:** Place traps like spikes, barbed wire, and blade traps to inflict damage on approaching zombies. Electric fences are also highly effective but require a generator and fuel.
* **Turrets:** Automatic turrets can provide excellent defense against hordes. They require ammunition and power, so plan accordingly.
* **Lighting:** Adequate lighting can deter zombies and improve visibility at night. Place torches or spotlights around your farm.
## Setting Up Your Farm
Now that you’re prepared, it’s time to start setting up your farm.
### 1. Creating Farmland
* Equip your hoe.
* Select a suitable area within your farm perimeter.
* Right-click on the ground to till the soil into farmland. The appearance of the ground will change to a lighter color with visible rows.
* Create as much farmland as you need, considering the number of seeds you have and your desired crop yield. Remember to leave space between rows for easy harvesting.
### 2. Planting Seeds
* Equip your seeds.
* Right-click on the farmland to plant the seeds. A small plant will appear in the ground.
* Plant different types of crops in separate areas to avoid confusion during harvesting.
* Consider planting in rows or grids for efficient watering and harvesting.
### 3. Watering Your Crops
* Equip your watering can.
* Fill the watering can by right-clicking on a water source (lake, river, or well).
* Right-click on the planted crops to water them. The plants will visibly darken, indicating they’ve been watered.
* Crops need to be watered regularly, especially in dry biomes. Check your crops daily and water them as needed.
### 4. Using Fertilizer (Optional)
Fertilizer can significantly boost crop growth speed and yield. Here’s how to craft and use it:
* **Crafting Fertilizer:** The recipe for fertilizer requires bone meal, rotten flesh, and other organic materials. You can obtain bone meal by grinding bones in a cement mixer. Rotten flesh can be obtained from zombies. Other organic materials like plant fiber and mushrooms can also be used.
* **Applying Fertilizer:** Equip the fertilizer.
* Right-click on the farmland before planting seeds to fertilize the soil. The ground will appear slightly darker, indicating it’s been fertilized.
* Fertilizer only needs to be applied once per planting cycle.
## Managing Your Farm
Once your crops are planted, you need to manage them to ensure a successful harvest.
### 1. Crop Growth Stages
Crops go through several growth stages:
* **Seedling:** The initial stage after planting. The plant is small and delicate.
* **Sprout:** The plant grows larger and develops more leaves.
* **Mature:** The plant reaches its full size and is ready for harvest. The appearance of the plant will vary depending on the type of crop.
* **Harvestable:** The crop is ready to be harvested. You can harvest it by pressing the ‘E’ key when prompted.
### 2. Watering Schedule
Crops need to be watered regularly, especially in dry biomes. The frequency of watering depends on the type of crop and the weather conditions.
* **Daily Watering:** Most crops need to be watered daily, especially during hot and sunny weather.
* **Less Frequent Watering:** Some crops, like yucca plants, are more drought-tolerant and can be watered less frequently.
* **Rainfall:** Rainfall can naturally water your crops, reducing the need for manual watering. However, rely solely on rainfall can be risky, especially in arid biomes.
### 3. Pest Control
While there are no explicit pests in 7 Days to Die that directly attack crops, zombies can damage or destroy your plants. Maintain your farm defenses to prevent zombie attacks.
### 4. Harvesting Crops
* When crops reach the harvestable stage, they will display a prompt when you approach them.
* Press the ‘E’ key to harvest the crop.
* The harvested crop will be added to your inventory.
* After harvesting, the plant will disappear, and you can replant new seeds in the same farmland.
## Crop-Specific Information
Each crop in 7 Days to Die has unique properties and benefits. Here’s a breakdown of some common crops:
* **Corn:** A versatile crop that can be eaten raw, cooked into corn on the cob, or used to craft cornmeal for baking. It’s also a good source of fiber.
* **Potato:** Can be eaten raw or cooked. Boiled potatoes provide a good source of carbohydrates and energy.
* **Blueberries:** A nutritious fruit that can be eaten raw or used to craft blueberry pie, which provides a stamina boost.
* **Mushrooms:** Found in dark and damp areas. Can be eaten raw or cooked. Provides a small amount of nutrition and can be used to craft certain medications.
* **Yucca Fruit:** A drought-tolerant crop that can be eaten raw or used to craft yucca juice, which provides hydration and a small amount of nutrition.
* **Wheat:** Used to craft bread, which provides a good source of carbohydrates and energy.
* **Hops:** Used to craft beer, which provides a temporary buff to various stats. Be careful, excessive beer consumption can lead to negative effects.
* **Aloe:** Used to craft first aid bandages and aloe cream, which provide healing and reduce bleeding.
* **Chrysanthemum:** Used to craft herbal antibiotics, which cure infections.
## Advanced Farming Techniques
As you progress in the game, you can implement advanced farming techniques to further improve your crop yield and efficiency.
### 1. Greenhouses
Greenhouses provide a controlled environment for growing crops, protecting them from the elements and allowing you to grow crops year-round. To build a greenhouse, you’ll need glass windows and a sturdy frame. Place the windows around your farmland to create a closed structure.
### 2. Irrigation Systems
Automate the watering process by building an irrigation system. This requires pumps, pipes, and sprinklers. Connect the pump to a water source and run the pipes to your farmland. Place the sprinklers strategically to water the crops evenly.
### 3. Crop Rotation
While not explicitly implemented in the game, simulating crop rotation by planting different crops in the same area each season can help maintain soil fertility and prevent nutrient depletion. For example, alternate between nitrogen-fixing crops like potatoes and other crops like corn.
### 4. Utilizing Biome Bonuses
Different biomes offer different advantages for farming. For example, the forest biome provides abundant wood for crafting, while the desert biome offers a longer growing season due to consistent sunlight. Choose your farm location based on the specific benefits you seek.
## Troubleshooting Common Farming Problems
Even with careful planning and execution, you may encounter problems while farming. Here are some common issues and their solutions:
* **Crops Not Growing:** Ensure your crops are getting enough water and sunlight. Check for any obstructions blocking sunlight, such as trees or buildings. Consider using fertilizer to boost growth.
* **Crops Being Destroyed by Zombies:** Strengthen your farm defenses by building walls, fences, and traps. Increase lighting to deter zombies.
* **Water Source Drying Up:** If you’re relying on a natural water source, it may dry up during extended periods of drought. Consider building a well or relocating your farm to a more reliable water source.
* **Seed Shortage:** Conserve seeds by harvesting wild plants and purchasing seeds from traders. You can also increase seed production by planting crops with a higher seed yield.
## Conclusion
Farming is an essential skill for long-term survival in 7 Days to Die. By following this comprehensive guide, you can establish a sustainable farm that provides a reliable food source, valuable resources, and trading opportunities. Remember to plan carefully, build strong defenses, and adapt to the challenges of the zombie apocalypse. Happy farming!