Keep seeds and Farmhand payment supplied
To keep crops moving in the Melvor Idle 2 Demo, unlock Farming through Bird Nests and Potato Seeds, then buy Farmhand upgrades as your Farming level and budget allow. Farmhands provide automated plot management and require Wine as payment, so plan your seed supply alongside their upkeep.
This route covers Demo build 26316041. The Demo caps skills at level 60, and Farmhand IV is locked. Keep your purchase goals within those Demo limits.
Unlock Farming and hire your first Farmhand
- Cut trees in Woodcutting to collect Bird Nest drops. Nests appear occasionally, so continue chopping if you have not received one yet.
- Open Bird Nests in the Bank to obtain seeds. Their contents can include Potato Seed, making them the starting supply for Farming.
- Continue opening nests until you have discovered 3 Potato Seeds in the Bank. Together with obtaining 1 Bird Nest from Woodcutting, this meets Farming's unlock conditions.
- Plant Potato at Farming level 1 using 3 Potato Seed to begin a crop growth cycle.
- Train Farming to level 5 to meet Farmhand I's level requirement. Use this early period to decide which crops you want to keep supplied.
- Purchase Farmhand I for 150,000 GP to add automated plot management. Treat this purchase as a separate expense from ongoing supplies.
- Buy Wine from the shop for 100 GP to supply Farmhand payment. Include Wine in your shopping plan when budgeting for automation.
Find seeds for your next planting
Choose a seed source around the crop you actually want to grow. Keep planting requirements in mind before spending time gathering a different seed variety. A useful supply plan gives each harvest a purpose.
| Option | What to do and obtain |
|---|---|
| Bird Nests | Collect nests through Woodcutting and open them in the Bank. They can yield Potato Seed and Onion Seed. |
| Boarish Bonfire | Complete this quest after Fishin' for Trouble. Its rewards include 15 Bird Nest and 5 Oak Tree Seed. |
| Bird Hunting | Hunt Greentail Bird at Hunting level 10 for Penril Herb Seed and Sourweed Herb Seed. Bluetail Bird at Hunting level 25 supplies Mantalyme Herb Seed. |
| Yellowtail Bird | Hunt Yellowtail Bird at Hunting level 40 for Nomel Herb Seed. Planting Nomel Herb requires Farming level 35 and 2 Nomel Herb Seed. |
| Harvest Farm | Defeat 20 Jack O Lantern to unlock Harvest Farm. Its Harvest Farm Chest can yield Lettuce Seed and Wheat Seed. |
| Orchard seeds in the shop | Buy Banana Tree Seed for 100,000 GP at Farming level 35. Apple Tree Seed costs 100,000 GP and requires Farming level 50. |
Farmhand costs and purchase requirements
Farmhands provide automated plot management and take Wine as payment. Compare the upgrade price with the supplies you want to maintain before committing your GP. Choose your next purchase around the crops you intend to keep growing.
| Upgrade | Requirements and cost |
|---|---|
| Farmhand I | Requires Farming level 5 and costs 150,000 GP. |
| Farmhand II | Requires Farming level 30 and Farmhand I; costs 750,000 GP. |
| Farmhand III | Requires Farming level 50 and Farmhand II; costs 5,000,000 GP. |
| Farmhand IV | Locked in the Demo and unavailable for this progression route. |
Follow crop growth and orchard regrowth
Planting pays the crop's item and currency costs unless Input Preservation Chance preserves them. The plant then grows for its growth interval. Check the planted crop and its timer before deciding that production has stopped.
Allotments supply vegetables and Cooking staples, while timber tree plots supply logs. Orchard fruit also supports Ranching: Apple serves as a Sheep treat at Ranching level 1, and Apple Pancake uses 2 Apple at Cooking level 51. Keep those uses in mind when deciding what to grow or sell.
Apple Tree requires Farming level 50 and has a base growth interval of 172,800 seconds, a regrowth interval of 28,800 seconds and 15 regrowths. Its initial growth and later regrowth therefore have separate timers. Check which stage you are waiting on before changing your planting plan.
Plan crop protection and other Farming purchases
Scarecrows provide crop protection, while Farmhands provide automated management. Check which job you need before choosing your next purchase. Keep enough resources aside for the planting plan you already have.
| Purchase | Requirements and cost |
|---|---|
| Scarecrow I | Farming level 5; 10,000 GP and 2,000 Normal Log. |
| Scarecrow II | Farming level 30; 300,000 GP and 3,000 Willow Log. |
| Scarecrow III | Farming level 50; 600,000 GP and 4,000 Maple Log. |
| Sprinklers I | Farming level 15; 2,500 Iron Bar. |
| Sprinklers II | Farming level 30; 3,250 Steel Bar. |
| Sprinklers III | Farming level 55; 5,000 Adamantite Bar. |
Check why your Farming route has stalled
- Farming still locked: check both unlock conditions—obtain 1 Bird Nest from Woodcutting and discover 3 Potato Seeds in the Bank.
- Unable to plant: inspect the selected crop's item and currency costs, then compare them with the supplies you have available.
- Farmhand purchase blocked: check the Farming level requirement, your GP and whether the preceding Farmhand tier is required.
- Automated management needs attention: check your Wine supply, because farmhands require Wine as payment. Review that supply alongside your seeds.
- Apple production seems slow: distinguish the initial growth timer from the regrowth timer before expecting another harvest.
- Progress fell short while away: read the Welcome Back summary. Offline actions consume materials and respect stopping conditions, so time away does not replace missing inputs.