Hydroponic Farmer

What does this career do?

Hydroponic Farmer produces food indoors. The business involves supplying water, power and nutrients before harvesting crops. It adds an ongoing care routine alongside ordinary shop trading.

What are its starting resources?

• Hydroponic Farming Manual
• Additional equipment (Hydroponic Systems)
• Start with a stock of Farming Supplies and Seeds
• Increased starting rent

Nutrifruit Seed and Nutrifruit

The seed on the left goes into the system; the fruit on the right is the harvest. Start here to learn watering, cell changes and harvesting.

Nutrients and power

Add the tablet to water for plant minerals. The Energy Cell powers the system; recharge or replace it when depleted. Check both before closing each day.

Bloomberry Seed and BloomBerry

Keep BloomBerries as ingredients for ordinary wine. Learn the first system, then choose seeds for the product you want to make.

Which Joe Wild contacts help?

The Retired Farmer referral has a base cost of 350 credits. Its description promises starter hydroponic equipment immediately, a first visit the next day and weekly seed and equipment supplies. See Joe Wild’s contacts for the menu location.

How do I grow the first crop?

1. Prepare a Hydroponic System, Nutrifruit Seed, water container and Energy Cell. Use a Plant Analyzer on the seed to read its water and nutrient needs.
2. Fit a container filled with Ghostwater or Basewater and add minerals. A Hydroponic Nutrient Tablet goes into the water container.
3. Insert the cell and seed, check the status and close for the night. The quick-start manual describes a first harvest after one or two days.
4. Check water and charge the next day and replenish them while the crop grows. Harvest the ripe Nutrifruit, then keep money for water, power and new seeds.

Nutrifruit is engineered to be easy to grow, making it a useful first crop. The fruit is seedless. Buy separate seeds or seed packets for another planting.

What should I check when growth stops?

Displayed status	What to do
Not enough water and power	Refill the water container and supply a charged cell
Not enough power	Recharge or replace the Energy Cell
Not enough water	Top up the container to meet the current seed’s needs
Awaiting Seed	Insert the seed you want to grow
Starting, Growing	Keep supplying water and power while the crop develops

If water and power are present but yields fall, use the Plant Analyzer to check the seed’s needs and health. Minerals are plant nutrients. Too little or too much reduces the harvest, so read the requirement before adding tablets. Most crops also need water with few contaminants. Treat those contaminants separately from the minerals your plant needs.

How does the harvest support other trades?

Sell Nutrifruit as food. To supply winemaking, grow BloomBerries and reserve fruit for the next bottles. Bloomberry is a perennial bush that survives fruiting, and cleaner water helps its fruit quality. Use a hatchet on the planter when you want to clear it.

Where are the operating guides?

The hydroponics reference covers equipment, water, power, nutrients and crops. Pair water supplies with Water Merchant, or look at berry winemaking for another use of ingredients.

Version and availability

The Hydroponic Farmer start and Retired Farmer referral are locked in Demo 049-Rev5-L. The developer says farming returns in 1.0. See the hydroponics reference for the equipment information and the starting guide for version differences.

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