Harvest Moon ParadiseFarming is the engine that drives your financial fortunes during the first year of the game. This section details everything from clearing the land in preparation for crops to advanced techniques for making the most money possible in a season. ====== FENCES ====== Your farm starts with a small fence surrounding it. You can move the fence by pulling the pieces from the ground and reorganizing them. New fence pieces are obtained from the wood shed, but you need to first stock the shed with materials by chopping stumps. Chopping stumps produces six pieces of wood, and you can chop the ones on the mountain for additional materials once your farm is depleted. So what's the point of a fence? - Looks nice - Helps develop the ranch What are the downsides? - Fence breaks when it rains/snows and needs to be fixed - Broken fence pieces attract wild dogs and make cows cranky When it rains or snows, there is a chance that some pieces of the fence will break. You should always inspect the next day after a storm. Broken pieces can be removed with the hammer and then replaced. If you have any broken pieces, there is a chance wild dogs will come at night. The dogs are characterized by high pitched barking after you go to bed, and they will eat any chickens you leave outside (you will find chicken feathers the next day). The more broken pieces, the greater the chances that dogs will come. Once you exceed about 15 or so broken pieces, the dogs will come every night until the fence is fixed. The interesting thing to note about a fence is that you do not need to have one at all. If you don't have a fence, the pieces can never break, meaning wild dogs will never show up and cows will never become cranky when left outside. There is no downside at all to not having a fence, despite what some sources claim. If you want to remove the starting fence, either throw the fence pieces in a pond or walk off the screen while carrying them. Similarly, a small corral or inner fence area will not protect chickens if wild dogs show up, even if the chicken is safely enclosed from the rest of the property. The poor bird will still meet its maker if it is anywhere on the farm when the dogs appear. Unlike other Harvest Moon games, stone fences (fences made from small stones) are not practical in this game. While they cannot break, they are a hassle to navigate (you cannot jump over them) and they hurt your development rate score at the end of the game. Stones are not a good alternative, so avoid using them. The decision on whether or not to have a fence is up to you, but the main rationale should be because you like the appearance. Since most players keep their fence, this guide will assume you choose to do the same. However, going fence-less is easier and probably wiser than keeping one, especially if you ever leave animals outside.
==================== CULTIVATING THE LAND ==================== Before you can begin laying crops, you need to clear the ranch of the various debris that litters it. There are four types of debris and each is removed in different ways: Type of Debris Method of Removal -------------- ----------------- Bush/Weeds Pick up and throw or cut with sickle Small Stone Throw in a pond or smash with hammer Large Rock Break with hammer (hit 6 times without moving) Tree Stump Chop with axe (chop 6 times without moving) You do not need to clear the entire ranch on the first day, but you should at least clear a large area south of the shipping bin. You should also do all the clearing at night and leave the day for making money (from either crops or from collecting fruit/fish from the mountain).
======= STAMINA ======= Stamina is a hidden numerical value that measures your ability to use tools. Each time a tool is used, your stamina decreases by a small amount. Your maximum stamina is 100 at the beginning of the game and increases by 10 for each Power Berry you eat. You can see the number of Power Berries eaten over the course of the game by looking at the secret garden behind Jack's house. Each flower represents one Power Berry. As you chop trees and smash boulders, you will notice Jack becoming physically tired and eventually unable to work. Below are the gestures Jack makes based on his stamina: Percent of Action Max Stamina ------ ----------- Pat Brow 50% Panting/Sweating 25% Stumble 12.5% Collapse 0% Once Jack collapses, he cannot use tools any more until his stamina is replenished. Note that this does not include any actions involving the A button, so Jack can still pull weeds and lift small stones at zero stamina. To replenish stamina, you need to either eat something (like wild fruit), jump in the hot springs, or go to sleep. Hot springs are the most efficient method. You regain 24 stamina each time you jump in, so 5-6 dips will restore you to maximum in the early parts of the game. A complete listing of the effect that various items and actions have on stamina can be found in the "Stamina Usage" section of the appendix.
======= PLOWING ======= Once the field is cleared of debris, you need to plow it before planting seeds. Plow the field using the hoe from the tool shed. As you plow the field, you may dig up various items. You can dig up one of each of these items per day: 1. COIN (worth 10 G) or MONEY BAG (worth 50 G) 2. MOLE: Resident pest. Just ignore it. 3. POWER BERRY: You can find up to two from random digging. Before you waste hours looking to get rich, keep in mind that you can only dig up one money item per day (either the coin or money bag). After you've found one, do not waste any more time looking for more that day. Despite the various rumors about them, the moles you dig up randomly have no purpose. They have no adverse effect on crops or livestock, so just ignore them. You can also find a couple of Power Berries at random, and you should spend time digging until you unearth them both. These cannot both be found in the same day.
=============== CROP FORMATIONS =============== When you're ready to plant crops, it's important to keep different formations in mind. Crop and grass seeds are thrown down in a 3x3 pattern. While you can plant everything in a 3x3 pattern, you will actually end up wasting considerably more time and resources than if you chose one of the other formations. The biggest drawback to the 3x3 pattern at the start of the game is that it becomes impossible to water the center square once the crops start to grow. This will result in crops growing to maturity on the outer eight squares while the inner square stays unchanged. You can water the square again once the other crops have grown and are harvested, but then you are forfeiting the space for growth of a new batch of crops. The solution is to deliberately not plant crops on one or more of those squares, and there are several ways to do this. While it may seem wasteful to plant less than the maximum amount you can from each seed bag, you will see in the next section why this is not the case. Below are five possible types of crop formations. In each image, an "X" represents a square that has been plowed while the others are unplowed. If you accidentally plow a square and wish to undo it, place a piece of fence over that area. It will turn the soil back to the regular, unplowed variety. 3x3 X X X Formation X X X X X X Donut X X X Formation X X X X X "C" X X X X X X X X X X X Formation X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Extreme "C" X X X X X X X X X X X Formation X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Parallel X X X X X Formation X X X X X X X ===== CROPS ===== Once the land is plowed, it's time to plant the crops. Regardless of type, all crops need to be watered each day to grow. After a few days, crops will begin to sprout and will change appearance a few times before being ready for harvest. Crops will not die if you don't water them, but they will never grow beyond their current stage either. When a crop is ripe, approach it and press the A button to pick the vegetable. It may be hard to tell when turnips and potatoes are ripe, but you can see a picture if you watch the game's introduction. If, for some reason, you wish to remove a crop once it's sprouted, you can use the sickle. To get paid for crops, they must be placed in the shipping bin before the shipper arrives. He shows up every day at 5pm, just before it gets completely dark. You are not paid for anything placed in the shipping bin after the shipper has come, so DO NOT PLACE ANYTHING IN THE SHIPPING BIN AT NIGHT. Save the crops for the next day. Different crops grow in different seasons, and there are certain characteristics you should keep in mind. In spring, you can grow turnips and potatoes. These crops can only be picked once, and you will need to replant them after each harvest. In summer, you can grow tomatoes and corn. After a long period before the first harvest, tomatoes and corn will regrow every three days if you continue to water them. This makes he overall profit margin on summer crops a lot higher. Before delving into strategies, let's look more closely at the different crops. o----------------------------------------------------------------------o | Category | Turnip | Potato | Tomato | Corn | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Season | Spring | Spring | Summer | Summer | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Cost per bag | 200 G | 200 G | 300 G | 300 G | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Days to Grow | 4 | 7 | 9 | 12 | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Days to Regrow | N/A | N/A | 3 | 3 | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Revenue per Crop | 60 G | 80 G | 100 G | 120 G | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Revenue per Bag | 480 G | 640 G | 800 G | 960 G | | ("C" Formation) | | | | | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Profit per Bag | 280 G | 440 G | 500 G | 660 G | | ("C" Formation) | | | | | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Revenue per Bag | 360 G | 480 G | 600 G | 720 G | | (Parallel Formation) | | | | | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Profit per Bag | 160 G | 280 G | 300 G | 420 G | | (Parallel Formation) | | | | | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Maximum Harvests | N/A | N/A | 7 | 6 | | per season | | | | | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Maximum Profit per | N/A | N/A | 5600 G | 5760 G | | Season ("C" Form.) | | | | | |--------------------------+----------+----------+----------+----------| | Maximum Profit per | N/A | N/A | 4200 G | 4320 G | | Season (Parallel Form.) | | | | | o----------------------------------------------------------------------o If it's not overwhelmingly obvious, summer crops are much more profitable than spring crops. A single bag of potatoes can only produce a profit of 280 G, but a bag of corn can yield 5760 G. This analysis may make spring crops seem like a waste, but you can still make a great deal of money if you plant enough. Also, the game cushions the margin on the summer crops because hurricanes can occur during that season. As hurricanes can destroy up to 30% of your crops, you need the extra margin to stay afloat.
============= CROP STRATEGY ============= Below are some valuable strategies for making the most of crops. The most important tip is to harvest as many crops as quickly as possible, and these tips should allow you to do that. When it comes to crops, Time = Money. Keep this in mind as often as you can. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION During the first year, the single most important strategy is to plant crops as close to the shipping bin as possible. I know the demo shows them just below the tool shed, but do not do this. The best way to maximize profits per day is to minimize the time it takes to pick all your crops. Even if you do not have many crops, you can always use the extra time that day to pick fruit/catch fish from the mountain for additional money. FORMATION, FORMATION, FORMATION Building on the last strategy, it should start to become obvious why a "C" formation works better in the first spring than a 3x3 formation. If you use a 3x3 formation, the outer crops will all ripen before the center one. Once you pick those 8 outer crops, you will have a lone crop that requires another few days to grow. If this crop is near the shipping bin (which it should be), it is now taking the place of other crops. Using the C formation, all crops are picked and replanted in the same day. This saves time and allows you to make more money. In the summer of year 1, you may wish to use the extreme "C" formation once you have the sprinkler. This is less efficient monetarily, but it allows you to water an entire patch of crops at once, saving significant real-world time. In the second and third years, you should be using the parallel formation. See the strategy three down on the horse for more. FUNDING CROPS EARLY ON It's possible to be harvesting 3-4 patches of crops each day by the middle of the first spring. Many gamers are surprised to hear this and wonder how it's possible to earn enough money to fund all those crops so early. The key is to pick fruit and catch fish from the mountain. You can put fruit in the shipping bin for 150 G and fish for 300 G. In a typical day, you can probably pick 2-3 pieces of fruit or catch 1-2 fish, allowing you to earn 300-600 G per day. This is enormous in helping you afford extra crops early. During the first week, you should take care of whatever business you have in town, then spend the remainder of the day on the mountain. Leave all chores until night (clearing the ranch, planting/watering crops, etc.) where they can be done at your leisure. HARVEST CROPS EVERY DAY The best way to build money early on is to make sure that you are harvesting crops every day. To do this, you need to plant crops every day. It's best to lay out your farm in advance and know where you will be planting and picking crops on any given day. This allows you to harvest methodically and accurately predict your future income. USE THE FORCE, ER, THE HORSE In the second and third year, the location of the crops becomes irrelevant as the horse is a moveable shipping bin. If you use the horse right, you can manage a ranch that is 50% or more covered with crops. The key is to keep the horse as close to you as possible so that you minimize the walking distance. You should never have to walk more than 2-3 squares to throw crops into the horse's saddle bags. The horse works most effectively when crops are planted in the parallel formation, and you should use this layout exclusively in years 2 and 3. Your crops should be in long rows or columns as shown below. An "X" denotes a planted crop and # is a piece of fence. The fence acts to keep the horse in place so it doesn't move up or down. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# E D C B A XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX# The letters, A through E, denote places where your horse will be positioned when you harvest. Leave the horse in those lettered spots and pick crops as quickly as you can by throwing them at the horse. The horse sometimes wanders, but if he is stuck between two rows of crops (or the two fence pieces), he won't stray very far. You should alternate the direction you harvest in the spring and summer to make sure the horse is pinned. For example, in the spring, you may wish to position the horse at location B while Jack starts picking crops at location A. You would then mount the horse and get off at location C. In the summer, it would be more effective to position to horse at location A and start collecting crops moving away from that spot. When you reach location B, whistle by using the R button to call the horse, then repeat. The reason for this switch is because the crops disappear when picked in the spring but stay in the summer, so you can use them to keep the horse from straying in the summer. In both seasons, the key is to remain as close to the horse as possible. Finally, some sources say that you must throw crops onto the side of the horse or it will "eat" them instead of store them. This is untrue. You can throw crops right at the horse's face or rear and you will receive credit. The important thing to note is the saddle bags. They should flare up when you throw a crop at the horse. Sometimes the horse will "freeze" in position for a few seconds and the saddle bags will not inflate. Although this is pretty normal, you are not paid for crops when this happens. If you notice it happening more than once at a time, whistle for the horse or do something to get him moving again. This should fix the problem. HARVEST INTO NEXT SEASON Although it may seem odd, spring crops will grow and can be harvested in the summer. The one rub is that they must be planted during the spring. One strategy is to plant as many crops as you can on day 30 of the spring. Since summer crops take 9-12 days for a first harvest, the spring crops will still allow you to generate crop revenue until the summer ones are ready. If you take this approach in year 1, make sure to reserve the space closest to the shipping bin for summer crops. Use the areas a bit further or to the north for the spring ones. Also, do not stock up on spring crops at the expense of summer ones. Make sure you have enough money saved to buy 12-15 bags of corn or tomato seeds within the first 3 days of summer (this costs 3600-4500 G). Only use anything above this for additional spring crops. LEAVE CROPS OVERNIGHT If you can't pick all the crops before the shipper arrives, just leave them overnight. Crops will last indefinitely until picked. Once ripe, they do not need to be watered either. Also, if the shipper comes when you still have a crop in your hand, do not throw it away or waste it by putting it in the shipping bin. Give the crop to your wife as a gift or take it to Eve at the bar for some added affection points. WATER WHEN IT RAINS Odd as it may seem, if you plant seeds while it's raining, you still need to water them. This is a bug in the game, but it's a bug you still need to factor in as you play. In the summer, you also need to water tomato and corn plants on the days you pick the vegetables if it's raining. ===== GRASS ===== Grass is the main source of feed for your livestock. Once grass grows long enough, you can cut it with your sickle and store it in the feeding silo as fodder. The exact grass requirements for the animals are discussed in the next section. Grass is planted the same way crops are, and should always be placed in a 3x3 formation. From the initial planting, grass takes 9 days to grow to its maximum height and will change colors a few times as it matures. When fully grown, grass is usually a deep, rich green (in the spring and summer) or dark gold (in the fall). It will take a while to identify, but you should get the feel for the right color after a few cycles. After being cut the first time, grass will regrow every 9 days and can be cut repeatedly. Grass can only be planted in the spring and summer, but it will still grow in the fall. In the winter, the grass is covered by snow and does not grow. Grass will survive the winter and does not need to be replanted in the following spring. One of the biggest flaws in this game is that GRASS CANNOT BE REMOVED ONCE PLANTED. Because of this, it is vitally important to determine where you want grass planted in advance. In general, you should avoid having any grass in the southern half of the farm, as this is where crops should be planted. It's best to either use the area east of the tool shed or north of your home, around the secret garden. Grass can be destroyed by summer hurricanes, and a few patches will also be killed by the winter. These will remain eyesores until replanted.
