Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

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SimpleFarmer
Posts: 468
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:03 pm
Location: Boise

Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

Post by SimpleFarmer »

I'm back with another series, my first from FS22. It's taken me awhile to finally find a map and story I could enjoy, with all the bells and whistles of the new game and the glamorous maps etc. I've never really enjoyed the Willamena map before, but this edition seems nice as there's a little clearing to start out with and a road. Feel free to skip the first post as it is just a backstory.

Four years ago somewhere in Western Canada:
I'm surrounded by trees. Trees everywhere. They make me feel safe. Noone will find me amidst all these trees. At night I run wildly in any direction I want and never run into a single soul, cleared patch of land, or road. Although sometimes I fall in the bay. The giant bay - the way to get all of these trees out of here and for me to get filthy rich.
The question is: if I cut all of these trees down, will they find me?
Where will I hide then...?
Present Day:
People moved here. There's almost a small town starting up around me, a small mechanic shop and "dealership", a lady who buys and sells various "livestock", a sizable lumber mill, and some kind of "trading company" south of me in the middle of the woods. The quotes are because the mechanic keeps himself in business by selling "gently" used equipment, the livestock dealer is also a vet who I swear keeps herself in business by selling malnourished animals she brings in from Russia somewhere. She doesn't speak English. And the "trading company" probably hasnt paid a dime in taxes, tariffs, or unemployment insurance. The trading company crew buy literally anything, sit around their little encampment smoking cigars, and most of the year are nowhere to be seen. Plus their broken sign reading 'Theres more to Organized Prime - a whole shipload more' makes me think they're not a more organized version of Amazon.

I've been here four years now logging and clearing some land. I've saved up $500,000 and am ready to buy some better equipment. The guys at the trading company were nice enough to loan me enough money to buy a large piece of land with very low interest. They also pay me a lot of money whenever I distribute a shipment of "video game cartridges". I've made almost $400,000 from moving these around.

Life is nice here in Willamena, and this whole "timber poaching" / "permit" thing is just another chapter in the ever eventful life of a SimpleFarmer. The reason for those quotes is that supposedly the land I purchased was from people who didn't even own it so whatever, but what does the mechanic know, I think he's using his petroleum products for medicinal purposes.
SimpleFarmer
Posts: 468
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:03 pm
Location: Boise

Re: Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

Post by SimpleFarmer »

Game settings:
I started this series on hard difficulty, but I only have a few hours a week to play and nothing was getting done each play session so I decided to adjust it to easy. I prefer playing on hard as it's more of a challenge, but it also assumes you have a lot of time and don't mind seeing little progress per game hour. If I was a single bachelor I would totally spend 30 hours a week slowly grinding through the difficulties of farming. But I only have a few hours a week to play and I want to do more than just logging for the next two months of my life. So the game is on Easy, if you'd prefer it on hard just imagine I did everything I did for 3 times as long, that's what I do.
All other settings are as realistic as I like, so weeds, lime and trailer wieght limits are on, fuel and dirt is set to high, auto engine start and stop and go braking off, manual refill on. I leave stones and plowing off as I think they're annoying, sorry. I am debating leaving stones on and accepting the damage to equipment tho, I'll let you know if I do, that seems ok. I still hold that plowing is bad for soil biology and soil health. I play 1 day months at 5x for now. I will be taking out whatever loans I need but very sparingly, as the money loaners are not exactly Chase Bank. I did Start from Scratch mode, but to me $500k isn't exactly starting from scratch but I guess I really didn't want to do the start with nothing but a chainsaw thing anyway. So I start with 500k and then run around and collect all the video game cartridges I can find so I started with about 1M and bought the starting plot for 750k.
Fall, Year 1
Welcome back to Willamena, Ive done pretty well for myself lately. I decided to stop using a chainsaw and buy actual logging equipment. I'll use the logging equipment to make enough money to buy everything else I'll need for farming this growing plot of land I purchased 4 years prior. The logging equipment I'll buy will be the in-game harvesters and forwarders as they are the most realistic. A lot of mods are easier to use but don't have as good of attention to detail. Let's head on down to the dealer and see what we can wrangle up...
SimpleFarmer: Anybody here? Hello? ... what's that smell? ...
Brad: Hey hey hey! Howdy - I'm just here how can I help you today Simple?
SimpleFarmer: you should open a window these paint fumes can make you sick
Brad: no no - no need for all that. Those are my essential oils in the defuser. That's Arctic blue and matte sunset.
SimpleFarmer: uh ok. Hey, I need some logging equipment, can you wrangle me up some? I need a harvester and forwarder capable of handling these large fir and spruce trees.
Brad: Okay yeah I have nothing like that in stock right now but I'll see what I can find! I'll mail you a letter when I find something.
SimpleFarmer: thanks Brad
_several days later_
Letter from Brad: Hello Simple, I've found some gently used Rottne equipment that should do quite nicely for you. I already knew you'd like them so I ordered them in. Please make your $413,000 check payable to myself, thanks. They should be here in a few weeks.

A few weeks later the equipment was in when I drove past the dealership and I was very excited to start destroying the forest at a record pace. The Rottne tree harvester was easily capable of handling the large trees and the forwarder could haul about 30,000 liters of wood at a time. The forwarder goes 18mph so it's a pretty quick trip to the sawmill in it.
After purchasing the equipment, however, I was drained of cash and had a $400,000 loan with Organized Prime. I didn't have enough to purchase the sawmill and start producing wood planks yet, so I had to take quite a few loads and sell for cash first. After about 8 loads I had enough to purchase the sawmill and a few more to get some extra cash to make my loan payment etc.

By about September, trips to the sawmill we're getting monotonous and my mind circled around itself. I began to fear that they were hiding behind trees, watching me, circling high above in GlobalHawk reconnaissance drones, or coming down the winding road in a convoy of armored vehicles to arrest me. It was time to do something different.
I decided to cut and bail the grass in the clearings I had made. I purchased a 4m grass mower, a 4m windrower, and a 120cm bailer. For horsepower I purchased the Buhrer 6105 for $39,000. It's a slow, clumsy tractor, but it got the job done. I took the bales to the biogas plant which I purchased for around $80,000. I'll be supplying a few locals with power so its going to be important to always keep the biogas plant working to avoid power outages.
The November storms were beginning to roll in off of the bay and the temperature began to drop. My rustic cabin was quite cozy, but other than that my farm was very sparce. I had no other buildings, my equipment sat out in the freezing rain, and I had to drive it all the way to the dealer to maintenance it. The biogas plant began to produce diesel just in time for all my equipment to need it. It's strange how one tank of fuel lasts 2-3 months around here... I think it's the oxygen rich environment created by all the trees. All I eat around here is deer meat and wild mushrooms, furnished by some fresh dandelion salad. Maybe I should buy a greenhouse or some chickens, as the dandelions are becoming hard to find, and some of the wild mushrooms are making my head spin.
Winter starts tomorrow, and I'm always out of money.
SimpleFarmer
Posts: 468
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:03 pm
Location: Boise

Re: Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

Post by SimpleFarmer »

Pictures Near End of Winter Year 1
Cabin
Image

Clearing
Image

Lake and Carpentry Shop
Image


Path down to the ship loading area from Organized Prime
Image

New Shop
Image
Ag Hauler
Posts: 81
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 9:59 pm

Re: Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

Post by Ag Hauler »

You have a great talent for writing and a great sense of humor, my friend. I really enjoy reading this.
BeefStew1332
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2022 10:56 am

Re: Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

Post by BeefStew1332 »

If only all forum threads could be this entertaining,
Also, you though about trying furniture production, heard it’s a wealthy business!
SimpleFarmer
Posts: 468
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:03 pm
Location: Boise

Re: Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

Post by SimpleFarmer »

Ag Hauler wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 6:02 am You have a great talent for writing and a great sense of humor, my friend. I really enjoy reading this.
Thanks :) glad you enjoy them!
SimpleFarmer
Posts: 468
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:03 pm
Location: Boise

Re: Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

Post by SimpleFarmer »

Winter, Year 1
In February my powerful brain was able to crack the code to Willamena.
A few months prior though, before the breakthrough, my poor brain was having a breakdown. The endless forest of work to do, coupled with crippling debt and diminishing rates of return drove it into a state of uneasiness and worry. One cold, lifeless day in December, I stared aimlessly into the trees, using my frozen fingers to count income as a percentage of time worked. "I'm making like a dollar an hour," I muttered to myself. This was going to be another horrible day. Slowly my gloomy thoughts began to brighten, "there's an old mine or quary up the road past the dealership..." I reasoned, "..with as many free stones as a guy could want... I'll simply load them in my trailer and bring them down to sell to the guys at Organized Prime..." They would buy just about anything. Spirits lifted by this new business opportunity, I hooked the trailer up to the Buhrer and set off. I would stop at the dealership, buy a front-end loader and continue on. Upon arriving at the dealership I was met with breaking news, however, that the Buhrer didn't allow for a front end loader. My spirits began to sink and my mind spun. I began walking away, leaving Brads other words to fade into left field. "...I do however have a used 3670 with 36.2 for 47.5..." Brad continued to mumble.
A used 3670? What could this be? What are these numbers. This has been such a terrible day. "...It's right over there..." Brad continued as if reading my mind. I turned to look where he was pointing and saw a beautiful older looking Massey Ferguson in the back of the equipment yard. "Is that for sale!?" I stammered as the situation came to light. "That's what I've been saying, Simple. It's got 36.2 hours and for 47.5k, you could attach the frontloader to this and trade that buhrer back in for 30k..." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The MF 3670 in the used equipment listing was almost too good to be true. It's normally a used grape harvester or manure spreader, I've never seen the 3670 in the used equipment listing before. And the timing couldn't have been better. "I'll buy it!" I choked, "take these!" as I threw my buhrer keys towards him.
Moments later I was on my way in the newly purchased tractor, outfitted with a front-end loader and bucket. I gleefully filled the trailer with stones, and whistled the entire way down to Organized Prime. "I'm gonna be rich, rich, rich" was the song. Even at the light-speed of 24mph it still took awhile and my whistler grew tired just as I arrived.
"Stones.. Nice!" the gangsters exclaimed as they approached, "We'll build a longer pier to load our ship with these. We'll give you $500 for this load!"
As I drove away my spinning brain did the mental math. Five hundred dollars, maybe 3-4 loads per month... hmmmm... that's like a dollar an hour. As I pulled back into the farm yard I realized I was back where I began. In more ways than one. Rollercoasters and Brad's mumbling numbers echoed about my dreams as I slept. What a day.
In January the TV static cleared just enough for a late night, 2-hour commercial to sell me a greenhouse that grows olives. You just put water, seeds, fertilizer and herbicide in, and out comes olives! Hundreds of them! I had it built and producing within days, and couldn't wait to be rich. The stones may have been a flop, but this would be somehow different! I bought a trailer that came with the map that allowed me to carry both water and herbicide, and used the other trailer to bring seeds and fertilizer. The significance of the greenhouse began to set in immediately. 8000L of seed and fertilizer would only last this thing like 12 hours. I didn't have enough money to keep this thing running for more than a day at a time. The guys down at Organized Prime weren't enthusiastic about loaning me money to buy fertilizer and seed, but their boss lived in Sicily or something and liked olives so they agreed. "Youd better not disappoint us." I really hoped I wouldn't either. They wanted the first shipment ready by June.
In January I also built a carpentry shop and hired a local craftsman and his 2 sons to work there. He specialized in native art and decor, which the guys at Organized Prime said would sell nicely in Europe. This would give me something to do with all the planks that were amassing at the sawmill.
February finally came and I was out of money, as always. Between the carpentry shop, a new workshop to repair my equipment, and the all-consuming greenhouse, I was penniless despite load after load of timber to the mill. I needed a way to make money day to day, and not wait until June to sell my furniture and olives. The biogas plant was only selling about $3500 of energy per day, and it was so much work to get a load of logs to the mill to just sell them wholesale for $18,000 instead of making planks.
The carpentry shop was always full of planks (20,000L) and very slowly produced furniture, whereas the sawmill had accumulated over 150,000 liters of planks. This is when the breakthrough happened. Why don't I just sell the planks that aren't being used by the craftsman? The first load carried my answer, as 1 unit (5,000L) of lumber sold for $8,000
"Bammo"
"Bammo," I said. I spent the rest of February selling planks.
After such a successful month my head began to swell in a similar way as my checkbook, and I drove on down to the dealership to treat myself to a candy bar out of the old vending machine. "Hey hey hey," Brad waved, "things must be looking up huh?"
"You might say that," I affirmed with an important nod as I bit into the Charleston Chew.
Last edited by SimpleFarmer on Tue Aug 23, 2022 8:54 am, edited 2 times in total.
SimpleFarmer
Posts: 468
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:03 pm
Location: Boise

Re: Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

Post by SimpleFarmer »

BeefStew1332 wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 7:14 pm If only all forum threads could be this entertaining,
Also, you though about trying furniture production, heard it’s a wealthy business!
Thank u thank u - And yes carpentry is going to be a big deal here in Willamena, I'm thinking of putting in 2 of them, we'll see.
SimpleFarmer
Posts: 468
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:03 pm
Location: Boise

Re: Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

Post by SimpleFarmer »

Spring, Year 1
March
The only thing worse than Brad lingering around past 9pm after a 3pm social, is the snow sitting around on the ground in March. You've had your time, now go on now, git. It would take until late March to eventually all melt away.
I had a lot of work to do this Spring. I had to clear all the stumps and debris, plow in a field, and sell some planks. How could I do any of this if the snow was still laying on the ground. I'd have to wait until April.
In the meantime I would spend the time hauling planks, munching on homemade Cheetos, and doing various mental exercises. The homemade Cheetos are fresh woodchips marinated in aged diesel exhaust fluid for 48 hours, and deepfried in organic hydraulic oil. I'm hoping to implement dairy somehow soon to add the authentic cheese flavor they're lacking at the moment. But all in due time.
Letter from Brad:
Hello Simple, I have a used 8R with 39.8 for 145. Come on down, let's talk.
I was able to decode the cryptic message, informing me that there was a used John Deer 8R available for $145,000. That was a great price for all that horsepower, but I had no implements that would use it, or $145,000. Tempting, but I decided to go a different route. I would sell enough planks to buy an easier way to transport my goods. There is a lot of transportation coming up in June and I don't want to miss the Organized Prime shipment.
As I was transporting now, I used a small bale trailer that I could convert to a regular trailer. The primary issues occurred when I went to load it. The lumber was heavy; I had to attach a heavy wieght to the back to keep from tipping forward. This caused issues because the trailer would move all catty-wampus whenever I would bump it, causing it to tip over; I would have to unhook the weight, and reattach to the trailer to pull it back straight. Plus, it could only fit 2 units at a time, and even that was pressing the envelope. Then the drive down took quite awhile at 24mph. In order to fully capitalize on this proverbial cash cow, I would need a means to transport a few more units at a time.
Let's put on some fancy clothes and head on down to chat with Brad about what a guy could get.
Brad: Hey hey hey, welcome in Simple, glad you got the letter. The 9R is just there.
Simple: I've been making a lot of money.
Brad: Uh... glad to hear, Simple... you know I could tell. The other day I saw you spending pretty big at the Vending Machine. Inheritance? *leaning forward, in eager anticipation*
Simple: Planks.
Brad: Planks... u don't say...
Brad: you've changed, Simple. You seem... more important now...
Simple: Yeah, you might say that.
Brad: My goodness - excuse me then! I simply wasn't aware. How may I assist yourself today, sir?
Simple: Thank you, and yes, I'd like to discuss options for hauling my planks. Money is no object here, something shiny.
Brad: of course! I have nothing in stock right now, but what about a flatbed Mann for 133k?
Simple: not modular enough, need something multipurpose.
Brad: Okay, how about a tractor pulled low loader trailer?
Simple: Can't reverse it. Don't have 2 tractors either.
Brad: Okay, uh.. I have just the solution for you. A classic Mack truck with black painted wheels, white striping and flatbed hauler to match. All the important people are buying these.
Simple: *pulling out cash-filled briefcase* name your price.
With this semi I could now easily haul 5 units at a time. Now the problem was going to be manufacturing enough planks.

April

When an important local farm magnate steps out on his porch on a beautiful spring morning, the surrounding wildlife pauses their chittering and chattering and notices. Unless you have the all-new 'Critters' mod enabled, in which case nothing happens, the birds continue to whistle away. As if nothing happened.
Such was my surprise on the sunny spring day at hand as I stepped out on my cabin porch. Sick of the infernal, constant, wind sound, perpetually in my ears, I built a bird feeder to attract a better soundscape. The infernal wind sound remains, but at least it's accompanied by beautiful animal noises. This sunny month was going to be busy.
I took a few minutes to admire my shiny, new Mack, taking up half of my farmyard. What a beautiful machine. It was almost too beautiful... like a sinking stone, buyer's remorse began to set in: down, down, down - into the deep, dark bay. Should I really have spent nearly $150,000 on a semi when times were this tough? Nervousness knawed at my soul, and I at my fingernails.
I wrestled of all these thoughts as I hacked and ground at stumps and debris with my stump grinder. When had I cut down so many trees! How was I ever going to get this all done by May!? When I had defeated the last stump, I attempted to drive around with the trailer and pick up all the debris, but it was too hard to see in the grass, so I decided to pick it all up after I had plowed in the field. I hooked up the plow in an attempt to force a field upon the rugged landscape. By this time, sweat was running in rivulets down my forehead and into my eyes. The tractor labored and spun, the engine trying desperately not to overheat. Night fell, but I simply consumed another handful of my Cheetos and continued to work. By now, my fancy clothes were a shredded and grimy mess. I didn't feel very important anymore.

May

May arrived just as I finished etching in the field, leaving me just enough time to get it limed and planted. I purchased a 6m planter and planted corn. The plan is to eventually rent a forage harvester or buy a used one by the fall, and make silage.
After getting the corn in, I cut and baled the grass in my meadow. This would keep my existing customers in power for the next 12 months, but with the sileage from the corn I might be able to expand my distribution a little and make a little more money. 100L of grass make only 125KwH, where 500L of sileage make 816KwH.
As the sun set on the last day May I admitted my dependence on logging. I was nearly out of planks at the sawmill, and out of wood. Without the stream of money from the planks I would be altogether broke. Hopefully the sileage was a good idea for income off of this field; I debated sugar beets but the equipment was pretty expensive and required a sugar beet cutter bucket to load them into the biogas plant. I think sileage will be a little easier to deal with, and it's not so heavy. I have the trailer wieght limit and I'm hoping I can fill trailers with sileage as opposed to sugar beets. I see there's a new sugar beet bucket that can be attached to a wheel loader finally, so next year I might do sugar beets after all and we can compare. By then hopefully I'll have another field as well. Spring is gone and with it the spring in my step. I stumbled back to cabin, stooping to pick some fresh dandelions for a salad, wishing I could catch one of the deer prancing around nearby. I think the Cheetos are an unhealthy snack for me, because I'm really not feeling good anymore; my stomach feels like a chemical deposit. Also my brain seems to be cracking, so to speak. So time to cut back a little on junk food and perhaps try some of the olives growing in my greenhouse. Who knows, maybe this summer I'll find a way to afford a little something out of the vending machine.
That night, out of a dead sleep, I sat straight up in bed with a jolt of pure terror: "Why is the wind blowing from the East!?" I gasped in horror, my wide eyes staring directly ahead, "I hope it's not too late!!"
SimpleFarmer
Posts: 468
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:03 pm
Location: Boise

Re: Starting from Scratch in a Forest - A SimpleFarmer Series

Post by SimpleFarmer »

Map issue leads to series pause
Willamena was updated, and the new map was almost something I could play on, but there were just a few issues that I decided I wouldn't continue the series right now.
The map is nicer now with the added roads and people, it was going to fit right into the loner farmer angry about the encroaching city slickers. Unfortunately though, the map was just not detailed enough. There were huge cutbanks on roads and fields painted one color, and other similar details were just missing. For my type of immersion, that kind of stuff is just enough for me to prefer to do something else. I think I'll take a break from FS for awhile and perhaps continue this series in another forest in awhile, or perhaps the map will get a realism update in the future! Thank you for reading so far!
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