How to Start Farming in Archeage
Farming in Archeage is the process of planting, growing and harvesting crops from seeds and saplings which can be either found or bought from vendors. It is an integral part of the Archeage economy as many trade runs require materials that can only be gotten from farming or found randomly in the wild. Farming can be a lucrative endeavor if done right and is at least a nice passive income source.
Farming in Archeage can be done on public farms, private farms called scarecrow farms and “illegally”. You can also have a house that allows a small amount of space for farming as well.
Public Farms
At any level, you can start using public farms which are usually located in an area’s community center. The good thing about public farms is that you can plant your seeds/livestock there to grow for free and they are protected for up to 72 hours from the time you plant them. The bad thing is that you can only plant 5 crops at a time total. You cannot plant five at one public farm and then plant another five at the next public farm.
This limits the number of crops you can get from harvesting, but it is still worth pursuing. One useful tip regarding public farms. They are usually contested, so when you go to harvest your crops, bring seeds with you for the next batch and plant them immediately after you harvest your crops. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing your spot.
Scarecrow Farms
Scarecrow farms are private farms which are a great thing to have in Archeage if you intend on doing any crafting requiring anything that can be grown, such as cooking or alchemy. Scarecrow farms are also a useful tool for growing crops just to sell for money. The only way to get a scarecrow farm in Archeage is to complete the relevant Blue Salt Brotherhood quests. Marine farm designs can, however, be bought on Mirage Island.
The first Blue Salt Brotherhood Quest to get a scarecrow farm becomes available when you hit level 30. It starts with Tasha in Halcyona, outside the Blue Salt Headquarters in Solisa. This questline will eventually give you an 8×8 scarecrow farm that you can place in designated zones.
Quests in this questline are the following.
- The Missing Messenger (Solis, Halcyona) – Find Heridon and report to him
- Judar’s Betrayal – Report to Lord Triate
- Infiltrating the Brotherhood
- The Merchant’s Way
- Rice Seed Delivery
- Guarding the Fields
- Wheat for Brewery
- Processing Ingredients
- Beer for Suns’ End
- Tonics and Tinctures
- Fearless Flowers
- Halcyona Pest Control – Kill Locust Grubs at Public Farm
- Earning Your Garden – Final mission that rewards you with a scarecrow design.
When you complete the final quest you get a scarecrow design, a lumber pack and a couple of tax certificates. Everything you need to place your first scarecrow farm.
Placing Your First Scarecrow Farm.
The zones that allow you to place private farms are highly contested and some degree of luck and perseverance are required to manage to place your farm. You can see the location of some of these zones on the map, but there are others that are not shown. You should expect your first private scarecrow farm to be in a location that is far off the main area, but you might always get lucky.
The first thing you need to do is find a spot where your 8×8 farm can be placed. By clicking on the scarecrow farm design in your inventory you can see the space you need to place the farm. The area where the farm can be placed is also shown if you are within a zone where you can place a farm. Now, find a spot that is big enough and place the farm there.
The next step is to use the lumber you got from the quest to build the farm. Walk up to the stick in the ground and chose the construction button. There you can place the lumber in the small window and construct the scarecrow. After that, you will have a finished scarecrow farm.
When you have placed a private farm in a farming zone you need to start paying taxes for the placement of the farm. The tax is paid in the form of a tax certificate that you can make using the construction proficiency at your scarecrow. You might also be able to buy them from the auction house or buy them with diligence coins. Each week requires you to place a certain amount of tax certificates into the farm to keep it running, which depends on the number of properties you have on the server. If you fail to do this your farm will despawn into your mail and leave the spot where the farm was open for anyone to claim it. The first tax is collected via mail and you need to pay your first batch of taxes like that. However, after that, you can prepay up to 5 weeks of taxes at your farm by interacting with it.
Once you have placed your farm you can start planting and growing crops to earn some sweet gold. An 8×8 farm can hold up to 36 small crops or 4 large and 5 small crops.
What are “Illegal Farms”?
There is no rule in Archeage that prevents you from planting crops in any wilderness spot you wish. This has spawned the creation of “illegal” farms that can often be found high in the mountains and on islands where PvP in enables. “Illegal” farms can be harvested by anyone at any time, but it does incur a penalty for stealing crops. Finding and stealing these kinds of farms can be a fun past-time but it is doubtful that they are generally worth the effort hunting them. Stumbling on one by chance can, however, be like winning the lottery. Assuming that you are willing to take the penalty that is, which are crime points that can place you in prison for some minutes or hours.
Does it Matter Where I Place My Scarecrow Farm?
The location of your farm is important in the sense that you get a growth bonus if your crops are growing in their preferred climate. For example, if you intend on growing cedar trees then you should place the farm in a temperate area. If you intend on growing cactus, then an area with an arid climate is your best choice. The preferred zone of each crop can be seen on the seed/sapling information and also on this list of seeds and saplings with their preferred climate. From that list, you can see that most of the crops prefer a temperate climate.
So that’s about all there is to getting your first scarecrow farm. If you found this guide useful then please share it with your friends and allies in Archeage Unchained. I also have a few other guides you might find interesting. In any case, good luck farming.