Farming Simulator 22 will feature three new crops: grapes, olives, and sorghum. If you watched this year’s FarmCon, you learned more about them in our presentation. If you missed it, you can watch it right now. QA Lead Ken Burgess gives you an introduction.
Why grapes, olives, and sorghum?
There are several reasons why we decided to go with grapes, olives, and sorghum for Farming Simulator 22. The most obvious one: they bring new and exciting machine types into the game and diversify the gameplay experience when it comes to agriculture.
Grapes and olives are also a great addition because they tie into various other gameplay mechanics. Our new production chains, for example. And, for our brand-new map set in a Mediterranean climate, they’re more than fitting. On top of that, since you place the vines manually, they are also part of our new and improved build mode.
You see, grapes and olives are not just two new crop types added to the list, but come with new gameplay mechanics that affect various parts of the game. And Sorghum? It’s very popular in the United States, perfect for our Midwest-inspired map Elmcreek. Since it’s a highly nutritious crop, it steadily gains more importance around the world in warmer regions – making it a fitting addition to the list of grains in Farming Simulator.
What’s special about the machines for grapes and olives?
Grapes and olives are special if you look at the machinery used: The vines have collisions, so you need to maneuver the machines carefully along the vines. Otherwise, you risk damaging your new crops. Be careful!
Because of that, the machines are very small and specialized compared to the usual field work. The new machinery have a working width about 1-1.5 meters. You won’t be able to drive between the vines with a big tractor.
This also means, you will spend some time working carefully between the vines. Don’t worry, it will be worth it. Not just because it’s a rewarding task to make your tummy feel good after work is done. Your virtual bank account will make you happy, too.
How does the process of planting and harvesting work?
First, you plant the vines. With our new build mode (stay tuned for more info on that!), you place rows of vines on your fields. Basically, you create a nicely striped vineyard. You then have to mulch the growing grass between the vines and cultivate to help the plants grow up to their full potential.
With special fertilizer machines, you spray the plants to improve the yield. As you do with other crops. After harvesting with special harvesters, you need to cut back the leaves, so the grapes can grow anew. This is required for grapes only, and is not needed for olives.
Remember, if you have seasonal growth activated, you need to mind the crop calendar. Grapes and olives have to be planted between March and the end of June. As for the harvest, grapes will be ready in September until the end of October. Olives need to be harvested in October. Sorghum, on the other hand, needs to be sown from April to May and harvested between August and the end of September.
What can you do with the harvested crops?
As you know by now, you don’t have to stop with harvesting and selling crops. Grapes, olives, and sorghum can be processed at a production plant. And, you have several options, too.
Grapes can be processed into grape juice, or even raisins. You can then deliver them to other production plants like the cereal factory or to a selling point like the supermarket. Olives can be taken to the oil mill to be processed into olive oil. Sorghum, as a type of grain, can be processed into flour at the grain mill.
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