A LOTRO Farmer's Journal

As part of my development of an efficient way to level farming, I have been experimenting with farming different crops and recording the yields. These are my notes and observations that may be of use to fellow farmers.

Note: this is a work in progress so data may change.

*** Updated October 2015 ***

For information about growing pipe-weed, see "Farming Pipe-weed".
Added information about Tier 10 Farming which became available with Update 17.

*** Updated August 2017 ***

Added information about Tier 11 Farming which became available with Update 21.

Apprentice to Supreme Farming

Formula for estimating the number of fields to plant to reach mastery of a farming tier :

F = (XPp + XPm) / (Y x XP per crop) + XP per field

F = Fields to be planted
XPp = Crafting XP needed to reach proficiency in the tier
XPm = Crafting XP needed to reach mastery in the tier
Y = Yield (average number of crops harvested per field)

Example:
To level the Apprentice tier (200 XP/400 XP) planting spring barley fields with a yield of 3.4 crops per field (with 4 XP per crop and 6 XP per field):
F = (200 + 400) / (3.4 x 4) + 6
F = 600 / 19.6
F = 30.6 (round to 31) fields

Westfold to Westemnet Farming

The same formula as above can be used to estimate the number of fields required to reach mastery.

Hearty fields give more crops than normal fields, but about the same for soil and herbs. Both normal and hearty fields give 8 XP per field. When processing the crops into usable ingredients, the small bundle (4 XP/crop) provides more XP, but the large bundles (6 XP/5 crops, so 1.2 XP per crop) process the crops in bulk so is faster.

Example:
Black Barley (Westfold) yielding 3.4 crops per normal field and 6.2 crops per hearty field:
Normal Field + Small Bundle = (680 + 1360) / (3.4 x 4) + 8 = 95 fields
Normal Field + Large Bundle = (680 + 1360) / (3.4 x 1.2) + 8 = 169 fields
Hearty Field + Small Bundle = (680 + 1360) / (6.2 x 4) + 8 = 63 fields
Hearty Field + Large Bundle = (680 + 1360) / (6.2 x 1.2) + 8 = 133 fields

While trying to reach mastery, it is more efficient to plant hearty fields to get more crops and process small bundles to get more XP per crop.

Anórien and Doomfold Farming

With the introduction of Tier 10, farming has been simplified. No more hearty fields, no more small or large bundles. Just one type of field and one type of crop that can then be processed into different products (e.g. Anórien Taters or Bunches of Anórien Beans) as needed.

To reach mastery (840 XP/1640 XP) by planting fields with a yield of 3.3 crops per field (with 6 XP per crop and 8 XP per field):

F = (840 + 1640) / (3.3 x 6) + 8
F = 2480 / 27.8
F = 89.2 (round to 90) fields

Summary for Levelling Farming

Note that these calculations assume no special soil or peat is used and provide a conservative estimate for the yield; you will probably get a higher yield than shown in this table (see farming experience below for actual observed yields). For Westfold to Westemnet (tiers 7-9) farming, it is assumed small bundles are used while processing crops.

Tier	Craft XP	Yield	Proficiency	Mastery	Total
1	200/400	3 crops/field	12 fields	22 fields	34 fields
2	280/560	3 crops/field	16 fields	31 fields	47 fields
3	360/720	3 crops/field	20 fields	40 fields	60 fields
4	440/880	3 crops/field	25 fields	49 fields	74 fields
5	520/1040	3 crops/field	29 fields	58 fields	87 fields
6	600/1200	3 crops/field	34 fields	66 fields	100 fields
7	680/1360	6 crops/hearty field	22 fields	42 fields	64 fields
8	760/1520	6 crops/hearty field	24 fields	48 fields	72 fields
9	840/1680	6 crops/hearty field	27 fields	53 fields	80 fields
10	840/1680	3 crops/field	32 fields	63 fields	95 fields
11	840/1680	3 crops/field	32 fields	63 fields	95 fields

Farming Experience (U13- U21)

Tier	Field Recipe	Products	Fields	Crops	Yield
1	Spring Barley Field	Spring Barley Sprig of Allspice	118	399 26	3.3 0.2
1	Yellow Onion Field	Yellow Onion Sprig of Allspice	63	210 12	3.3 0.2
1	Carrot Field	Carrot Sprig of Allspice	35	124 10	3.5 0.2
1	Lily-of-the-Valley Field	Lily-of-the-Valley Lily-of-the-Valley Leaves Sprig of Allspice	40	162 11 12	4.0 0.2 0.3
2	Cabbage Field	Cabbage Sprig of Mugwort	102	348 28	3.4 0.2
2	Oats Field	Oats Sprig of Mugwort	50	151 7	3.0 0.1
2	Blueberry Field	Blueberry Sprig of Mugwort	50	165 9	3.3 0.1
2	Iris Field	Iris Iris Root Sprig of Mugwort	50	171 14 11	3.4 0.2 0.2
2	Iris Field + Pile of Rivendell Soil	Iris Iris Root	20	129 13	6.4 0.6
3	Bluebottle Field	Bluebottle Bluebottle Petal	30	112 7	3.7 0.2
3	Bluebottle Field + Pile of Rivendell Soil	Bluebottle Bluebottle Petal	20	129 10	6.4 0.5
3	Green Onion Field	Green Onion Onion Skin Clump of Chives	60	215 8 11	3.5 0.1 0.1
3	Green Onion Field + Pile of Rivendell Soil	Green Onion Onion Skin Clump of Chives	50	314 26 24	6.2 0.5 0.5
4	Winter Barley Field	Winter Barley Sprig of Parsley	110	405 23	3.6 0.2
4	Strawberry Field	Strawberry Juicy Strawberry Sprig of Parsley	25	110 10 3	4.4 0.4 0.1
4	Strawberry Field + Pile of Lórien Soil	Strawberry Juicy Strawberry Sprig of Parsley	25	181 11 12	7.2 0.4 0.4
4	Amaranth Field	Amaranth Amaranth Petal Sprig of Parsley	65	222 12 18	3.4 0.1 0.2
4	Amaranth Field + Pile of Lórien Soil	Amaranth Amaranth Petal Sprig of Parsley	35	200 12 21	5.7 0.3 0.6
4	Saffron Field + Pile of Lórien Soil	Saffron Saffron Thread Sprig of Parsley	10	52 6 4	5.2 0.6 0.4
5	Blackberry Field	Blackberry Juicy Blackberry Blackberry Honey Sprig of Thyme	102	345 25 10 31	3.3 0.2 0.1 0.3
5	Blackberry Field + Pile of Lórien Soil	Blackberry Juicy Blackberry Blackberry Honey Sprig of Thyme	30	162 15 5 11	5.4 0.5 0.2 0.4
5	Golden Shire Tater Field	Golden Shire Tater Sprig of Thyme	90	326 17	3.6 0.2
6	Royal Tater Field	Royal Tater Sprig of Woolly Mint	40	135 14	3.4 0.3
6	Mint Field	Mint Leaves Sprig of Woolly Mint	120	415 24	3.4 0.2
6	Tea Field	Tea Leaves Fine Tea Leaves Perfect Tea Leaves Young Tea Leaves Sprig of Woolly Mint	100	328 14 10 6 22	3.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2
7	Black Barley Field	Black Barley Pinch of Westfold Herbs Pile of Rich Soil	115	407 21 26	3.5 0.1 0.2
7	Hearty Black Barley Field	Black Barley Pinch of Westfold Herbs Pile of Rich Soil	35	225 5 6	6.4 0.1 0.1
7	Leek Field	Leek Pinch of Westfold Herbs Pile of Rich Soil	40	145 11 7	3.6 0.2 0.1
7	Coffee Field + Clump of Peat	Coffee Peaberry Coffee Beans Pinch of Westfold Herbs Pile of Rich Soil	10	52 5 5 4	5.2 0.5 0.5 0.4
8	Cherry Tree	Cherries Pinch of Eastemnet Herbs Pile of Eastemnet Soil	25	103 4 2	4.1 0.1 0.1
8	Turnip Field	Turnip Pinch of Eastemnet Herbs Pile of Eastemnet Soil	65	242 10 9	3.7 0.2 0.1
8	Hearty Turnip Field	Turnip Pinch of Eastemnet Herbs Pile of Eastemnet Soil	35	230 7 8	6.5 0.2 0.2
8	Rye Field	Rye Berries Pinch of Eastemnet Herbs Pile of Eastemnet Soil	55	202 13 8	3.6 0.2 0.1
8	Hearty Rye Field	Rye Berries Pinch of Eastemnet Herbs Pile of Eastemnet Soil	36	234 5 4	6.5 0.1 0.1
8	Eastemnet Coffee Field	Coffee Riddermark Coffee Beans Pinch of Westfold Herbs Pile of Rich Soil	15	52 1 5 3	3.4 0.1 0.3 0.2
9	Hearty Pear Tree	Pear Pinch of Westemnet Herbs Pile of Westemnet Soil	30	187 6 3	6.2 0.2 0.1
9	Hearty Kingstead Mushroom Field	Kingstead Mushrooms Pinch of Westemnet Herbs Pile of Westemnet Soil	10	67 2 1	6.7 0.2 0.1
9	Hearty Bean Field	Beans Pinch of Westemnet Herbs Pile of Westemnet Soil	50	347 11 8	6.9 0.2 0.1
9	Hearty Bluebell Field	Bluebells Bluebell Bulb Pinch of Westemnet Herbs Pile of Westemnet Soil	25	178 6 4 5	7.1 0.2 0.1 0.2
9	Hearty Bluebell Field + Clump of Westemnet Peat	Bluebells Bluebell Bulb Pinch of Westemnet Herbs Pile of Westemnet Soil	25	229 12 9 6	9.1 0.4 0.3 0.2
10	Anórien Field	Anórien Crops Pinch of Anórien Herbs Pile of Anórien Soil	152	504 31 18	3.3 0.2 0.1
11	Ithilien Field	Ithilien Crops Rare Ithilien Spices Rich Ithilien Soil	50	165 9 6	3.3 0.2 0.1