Guide:Best land use

Comparing apples, pumpkins and cows
A farmer may wonder How best to use my land?

To get the best profit off your land you need to be able to compare crops, animals and trees. First they do not all take up the same area of land. Trees are narrow but tall and (so far) all the trees that earn a profit take up the smallest possible piece of land called a square. Animals vary in size from the smallest, which take up only 1 square, to the current largest of 9 squares (3x3). All crops take up a 4x4 square for 16 total squares which is called a plot. Based on the number of squares we can compare the earnings of each profitable item. For comparison the tables will add up the total number or items so that there is one plot of your farms land.

Second, each item takes a certain number of hours to mature to harvest. They can take as little as 2hours (Rasberries up to 5 days {Peach trees). To compare each item the tables have a column which lists Income per Hour which is based off a plot's worth of each item. That is one plot of crop, 1.8 (elephants} to 16 {ducks) animals and 16 trees.

Thirdly, each item brings in a certain profit per growing cycle. Animals and trees have a listed amount and crops are calculated by taking the sale value and subtracting the planting cost and subtracting the 15 coins it takes to plow the plot. Animals and trees may take days to weeks of income in order to pay off their original cost but after that they are pure profit. Of course those animals and trees that were gifted or found somehow were free and profit right away.

Fourth, we need to remember that Farmville is based on 23 hours in a 24 hours day. This leads to most every profit being some number that isn't a whole number such as 1.23 or 9.87.

Fifth, there is experience earned from crops. Experience not only opens up new crops and items to a farmer which leads to better profits, experience can be bought. Every time a farmer purchase an item from market they get at least %10 of the cost in experience. They can get as much as 20% from purchasing hay bales and possible better when purchasing items with Farm Dollars. There is also a wasteful way of plowing a field and planting soy beans then destroying the plot and starting over. For purposes of calculating a crops total profit we'll assume a farmer is buying items which earn 10% experience.

Sixth, we need to remember that every time we plow in order to plant we get 1 experience point.

Seventh, a crop becomes more valuable after it is mastered because somewhere around 30% of each harvest will earn the farmer and extra experience point per premium plot.

Eighth, some crops can be used in co-op challenges and that extra experience and coins get's spread over the total crops planted to make these crops even more valuable.

So let's compare apple (tree), cows (animal) and pumpkin (crop):
 * Apple trees are 16 per plot and earn 28 coins in 3 days (69 hours). That is (16 trees) times (28 coins) divide by (3 days) divide by (23 hours in a day) which gives us 6.49 coins per hour.  In short hand that is: 16x28/3/23 = 6.49 coins/hour.
 * Cows (who aren't in a dairy farm) take up a 2x2 square which is 4 squares and earn 1.5 coins in 1 day. Every plot of land can hold 4 cows.  That is (4 cows) times (1.5 coins) divide by (1 day) divide by (23 hours in a day) which gives us 0.27 coins per hour.  Short hand: 4x1.5/1/23 = 0.27 coins/hour.  By the way, cows are currently the worst use of land.
 * Pumpkin crops take up 1 plot and earn 68 coins and cost 30 to plant and another 15 to plow the land. It takes 8 hours for them to ripen so in days we get (8 hours) divide by (23 hours) which is 0.35 days till harvest. So their profit is (68 coins) subtract (30 coins) subtract (15 coins) then divide by (0.35 days) divide by (23 hours in a day) which is 2.88 coins per hour. Short hand gives (68-30-15)*23/8/23 = 2.88 coins/hour.  Since the 23's cancel out all you have to do is divide the total profit by the number of hours the crop takes to mature.  In the case of a 3 day crop like cabbages that would be divide by 69 hours (3 days times a 23 hours day).  To get the pumpkins experience points as the other part of the profit we take the pumpkin experience of 1 point plus the plowing experience of 1 point to get 2 experience each 8 hours.  2 experience is like an extra 20 (10x2) coins of profit.  We go through the same calculation as above and we get 20/8 = 2.5 coins/hour.  Our grand total profit for pumpkins is 2.88 plus 2.5 which is 5.38 coins per hour.


 * So apple trees are the best use of a farmer's land if Co-Op Farming is not used. If the Pumpkin Pie O'Plenty pumpkin planting is undertaken pumpkins become more valuable.  1400 pumpkin plots have to be harvest in 16 hours to earn 462 coins plus 527 experience which is 5,270 coins for a total of 5,732 coins.  If a farmer planted the whole 1400 pumpkins that adds 5270 divide by 1400 plots divide by 16 hours for an extra 0.26 coins per hour or 5270/1400/16 = 0.26 coins/hour.  This makes pumpkins 5.64 coins per hour which is still worse than apple trees.  Mastered pumpkins get better by about 30% so eventually pumpkins come out the winner at about 7.33 coins/hour.  Of course co-ops are to be shared amongst several farmers and each gets the bonus experience and coins so the more farmers the more valuable the pumpkins become.  3 farmers planting 33% of the 1400 pumpkins (or 467 pumpkins) gets 6.16 coins per hour and 10 farmers get 8.03 coins per hour again making pumpkins the winner.

You may ask what are the best animal, tree and crop available? Clicking the sort button on the column of the Total Income per Hour in each or tree, animal and crop will list them in order. As of June 2010 the Acai Tree wins the trees with 54.96 coins/hour, calves are the single best animal with 55.65 coins/hour and the best crop was super berries (which could not be mastered) at 52.5 coins/hour. The current leader in regular crops are Black Berries at 11.75 coins/hour. Mastered black berries are about 15 coins/hour. Of course the humane farmer wouldn't pack little calves in like sardines so if you spread them out a bit they would get about 25 coins/hour making the expensive Acai tree a clear winner.

Animal buildings bring in better money than the animals sitting outside (except for putting calves in the nursery which cuts their income to 1/3) and the best income for a building is the one allowed, fully upgraded to 60 chickens, golden chicken (or better), chicken coop at 178 coins/hour followed by the one allowed, fully upgraded to 40 horses, single specialty horse (like Haflingers), stable at 88.8 coins/hour. Remember that is per plot of land, not squares.

The current co-op challenge is Tossin' Tomatoes getting a single farmer an extra 0.27 coins per hour at the gold medal level. Say a typical co-op is 5 farmers that is about 1.35 plus the base tomato at 9.75 for about 11.1 coins/hour. Not quite as good as the black berry but you only have to harvest at an easier 8 hours.

Some Profitable Farms
All farmers should try to get a fully upgraded chicken coop full of at least Golden Chickens and a fine breed horse stable.

Players willing to spend Farmville Cash

 * Acai berry forest - this farmer will be owning a villa in no time.
 * Maple syrup farm - during the fall events buying up a large number of Maple Trees will make a farmer healthy, wealthy, and wise.
 * Coconut plantation - this tropical farmer will be sipping pina coloda's in their hammocks by the ocean.
 * Rare rabbit breeder - this farmer will be able to retire early.
 * Zoo - a farmer who packs their exhibits tight with rare and exotic creatures will be famous.
 * Tuscan dairy - this farmer will have a sweet life.

Players that get many gifts

 * Feather pillow seller - farmers who are given many geese will stuff their way to a soft living.
 * Olive grower - farmers collecting these trees for fine oils do well.

Players who gather lost or bred animals

 * Veal ranch - the corporate veal farmer will be able to acquire an entire town.
 * Hat badasher - those farmers gathering feathers from swans, turkey, peacocks, road runner, quail and the odd duck will live in style.
 * Cat breeder - farmers who breed both large and house cats will lead a purrrfect life.
 * Herders - llama, lamb, special goats and special sheep wool makes a farmer a model of fashion.

Players spending lots of coins

 * Christmas tree grower - this forester is only second best to the Acai juicer. Merry Christmas!
 * Bead tosser - a farmer that 'grows' beads for Carnival can really party.

These farms do fairly well

 * Berry picker - people love jams and fresh berries so they love this master berry farmer.
 * Winery - this master farmer will always have white or red wine with their suppers.

These are decent farms

 * Pig farmer - truffles are a yummy treat and this farmer has a yummy life.
 * Herb grower - farmers who sell basil, ghost chilies, tomatillos and sugar and who always have their eyes open for special seasonal crops will have a spicy time.
 * Lime grower - limes are always refreshing and this farmer will have sweet and tart living.