Farming in Minecraft

Farming is an important part of the game if you want to avoid starving to death! Most farming can be done either outdoors, or indoors/underground as long as you provide enough light. If you spend a lot of time underground, it’s worth considering doing your farming near your base of operations.

What to Farm and When?

The first thing you’ll want to farm is Wheat. You’ll also want to be collecting any eggs you find to start a chicken farm.

Once you have wheat, you’ll be able to improve your chicken farming, and also move on to sheep and cows.

Melons and pumpkins are good, but you can’t grow them until after you have found some seeds. The same for potatoes and carrots: plant them when you get them.

Pigs will have to wait until after the carrot farm is started.

minecraft wheat

Farming Wheat

Wheat is good for making bread; you’ll also need wheat before you can farm cows, sheep or pigs, and it helps with chickens.

Basic wheat farming

This guide shows how to build a simple wheat farm.

minecraft chicken

Farming Chickens

Chickens provide feathers for making arrows, meat for food, and eggs, which can be baked into Pumpkin Pie or Cake.

Basic chicken farm

Collect eggs as you explore your world. When you have 20 or so, it’s worth building a basic chicken pen.

Improved chicken farm

An improved chicken farm takes a little more effort to build, but is a convenient way to harvest large quantities of chicken, feathers and experience points.

Livestock in Minecraft

Breeding Sheep, Cows and Pigs

Sheep, cows and pigs can all be bred in captivity, to provide you with wool, meat and leather. You’ll need some wheat before you get started.

How to capture and breed Minecraft livestock.

melon and pumpkin

Farming Melons and Pumpkins

Melons and pumpkins can be grown from seeds that you may find in dungeon chests. Pumpkins can also be found growing wild and turned into seeds.

Melons are a useful food source. Pumpkins can be worn as helmets, and can be crafted into Jack’o’Lanterns.

How to farm melons and pumpkins.

Farming Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a great food, but because they grow slowly and at low density, they’re not easy to farm. The best way to grow mushrooms is to use bonemeal fertiliser to turn them into Huge Mushrooms.

How to grow mushrooms.

Farming Trees

Trees are one of the most important resources in Minecraft. There are several reasons to farm trees instead of just chopping forests down.

Here’s how to do it.

Sugar Cane

Farming Sugar Cane

Sugar cane is an important resource, not just for making cakes, but also for making paper.

How to farm sugarcane in Minecraft.