🌾 Timberborn Food & Population Guide
Food is the lifeblood of your beaver colony. Without a steady supply, beavers starve in 5–7 days and productivity collapses long before that. This guide covers every crop, every recipe, and every population-management trick you need to carry your colony from a handful of starving survivors to a thriving civilization of 100+ beavers.
Both Folktails and Ironteeth have unique food-related mechanics, and knowing the differences is the difference between a colony that thrives and one that starves come drought season.
🌱 Complete Crop Reference
Every crop in Timberborn has distinct growth requirements, yield characteristics, and faction-specific bonuses. Understanding these details is essential for planning your farm layouts and ensuring year-round food production.
Basic Crops (Tier 1)
| Crop | Growth | Yield/Tile | Water Need | Faction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrots | 5 days | 3 | Low | Both | Default starter crop; plant anywhere with irrigation |
| Berries | 7 days | 5 (Ft: +2) | Low | Both | Gathered from wild bushes; Folktails get +2 yield |
| Cattails | 6 days | 4 | Medium | Ironteeth | Grows in shallow water; Ironteeth starter staple |
| Mushrooms | 4 days | 3 | None | Ironteeth | Grows in dark underground areas; no water needed |
| Wheat | 10 days | 2 | Medium | Both | Processed into flour at the Mill; required for bread and pancakes |
| Sunflowers | 12 days | 1 | Low | Ironteeth | Processed into oil; used in advanced cooking |
| Kelp | 8 days | 4 | High | Both | Late-game super-crop; grows in deep water; nutrient-dense |
🥕 Carrots — The Universal Staple
Carrots are available from day one for both factions. They grow in any irrigated soil, require only low water, and mature in just 5 days. A single 3×3 plot of carrots (9 tiles) yields 27 carrots every 5 days — enough to feed 5–6 beavers indefinitely when eaten raw. Once you unlock the Grill, 2 carrots become Grilled Carrots (1.5× nutrition), effectively stretching that same plot to feed 8–9 beavers.
Pro tip: Plant carrots near your water source during the first 3 days. By the time the first drought hits (days 10–15), you'll have surplus.
🫐 Berries — Wild Gathering vs Farming
Berries grow on wild bushes scattered across the map. Your beavers automatically gather from nearby bushes within their district range. Berries require zero maintenance — they regrow on their own — making them a perfect passive food source in early and mid-game.
Folktails bonus: Folktails get +2 yield per berry bush (7 total vs 5), making them significantly stronger at passive food gathering. This lets Folktails focus on wood and water infrastructure while berries passively feed the colony. For Ironteeth, berries are supplementary — you'll rely more on cattails.
Drought warning: During dry seasons, berry bushes stop producing. Always have a farmed backup like carrots or cattails.
🌿 Cattails — The Ironteeth Starter
Cattails are the Ironteeth's equivalent of carrots — available from day one, but with a twist: they grow in shallow water. This means you need a water source (river, pond, or reservoir) with tiles at depth 1 or less for planting. The upside is that cattails are more drought-resistant than carrots since they sit directly in the water and continue producing as long as the water level doesn't drop below their roots.
Water management tip: When building your cattail farm, place it at the edge of your reservoir at depth 1. During drought, the water recedes from depth 1 first, so plant a mix of cattails at various depths (1–2) to extend production into the dry season.
🍄 Mushrooms — Ironteeth Exclusive
Mushrooms are exclusive to the Ironteeth faction and are the most unique crop in Timberborn. They require no water at all — instead, they must be planted in dark areas, typically underground or under platforms. A mushroom farm consists of: - A dark room (enclose it with walls and a roof) - Damp soil (irrigate once, then the moisture stays for the full growth cycle) - Harvesters collect 3 mushrooms every 4 days
Mushrooms are the fastest-growing crop in the game at just 4 days, making them excellent for rapid population growth phases. They pair perfectly with ironteeth's underground mining aesthetic — build mushroom farms in the same tunnels where your excavators work.
🌾 Wheat — Flour Foundation
Wheat is a mid-game crop available to both factions. It takes 10 days to grow (the longest of any basic crop) and yields only 2 per tile, but it unlocks the entire cooking chain. Wheat is harvested and then processed at the Mill (powered) into flour. Flour is then used for: - Bread (3 flour) — simple 2× nutrition meal - Berry Pancakes (3 berries + 2 flour) — the best mid-game meal at 3× nutrition +1 happiness
Wheat farm planning: Because wheat takes 10 days and yields only 2 per tile, you need roughly twice as many wheat tiles as carrot tiles to feed the same population. Plan for a 6×6 wheat field (36 tiles) to support a colony of 30 beavers eating cooked meals.
🌻 Sunflowers — Ironteeth Industrial Crop
Sunflowers are an Ironteeth-exclusive crop that takes 12 days to grow and yields just 1 per tile — the worst yield-to-time ratio of any crop. However, sunflowers are not eaten raw. They are processed into oil at the Press, and oil is used for: - Advanced cooking recipes - Lubricant for mechanical buildings - Torches and lighting
Sunflowers are a late-game crop. Don't plant them until you have stable food from mushrooms and cattails first.
🌿 Kelp — The Late-Game Powerhouse
Kelp is the ultimate late-game crop for both factions. It grows in deep water (depth 2+) and requires high water volume, but it yields 4 per tile every 8 days with excellent nutritional density. Once processed into Kelp Sushi (2 kelp + 1 berry), it provides 3× nutrition and +1.5 happiness — the best happiness-to-food ratio in the game.
Kelp farming strategy: Build kelp farms at the bottom of your main reservoir. Unlike surface crops, kelp continues producing during droughts as long as the water depth stays above 1. A deep reservoir (depth 3–4) with kelp at the bottom is drought-proof food production.
🍲 Cooking Reference
Raw food keeps beavers alive. Cooked food makes them happy — and happy beavers work faster, breed more, and produce more. Every cooking recipe requires research and a dedicated building (Grill, Cooking Station, or Bakery).
Complete Recipe Table
| Meal | Building | Ingredients | Nutrition | Happiness Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Carrots | Grill | 2 Carrots | 1.5× raw | — |
| Berry Pancakes | Cooking Station | 3 Berries + 2 Flour | 3× raw | +1 |
| Mushroom Soup | Cooking Station | 2 Mushrooms + 1 Water | 2× raw | +0.5 |
| Bread | Bakery | 3 Flour | 2× raw | +0.5 |
| Beer (Folktails) | Brewery | 4 Carrots | — (drink) | +2 |
| Kelp Sushi | Cooking Station | 2 Kelp + 1 Berry | 3× raw | +1.5 |
🥩 Grilled Carrots
The first cooking upgrade you should research. A Grill converts 2 carrots into Grilled Carrots with 1.5× the nutritional value. Since carrots are cheap and plentiful, this effectively increases your total food supply by 50% without expanding your farms. The Grill is unlocked early, costs minimal resources, and should be built as soon as your colony hits 10 beavers.
Math: 10 raw carrots feed 10 beavers for 1 day. 10 carrots grilled = 5 meals × 1.5 = 7.5 nutrition, feeding 7–8 beavers for 1 day. Build two grills to process faster.
🥞 Berry Pancakes — The Mid-Game MVP
Berry Pancakes combine berries (gathered or farmed) with flour (processed wheat) for the best nutrition-to-resource ratio in the mid-game. A single Berry Pancake provides 3× the nutrition of raw food plus a +1 happiness bonus — enough to keep your beavers well-fed and productive through the mid-game expansion phase.
Production chain: Wheat field → Mill (powered by water wheel or windmill) → Flour → Cooking Station + Berries → Berry Pancakes
Tip: The Mill requires power. Build it next to a water wheel or connect it via power shafts to your main grid. A single water wheel running constantly keeps one Mill at full production, which can support 20–30 beavers eating pancakes.
🍄 Mushroom Soup (Ironteeth)
Mushroom Soup is an Ironteeth-only meal that combines mushrooms with water. It provides 2× nutrition and +0.5 happiness. While not as powerful as Berry Pancakes, Mushroom Soup is easier to produce because mushrooms grow fast (4 days) and don't need irrigation — just a dark room. The water cost is minimal (1 water per 2 mushrooms).
🍞 Bread
Bread is the simplest cooked meal — just 3 flour baked into bread at the Bakery. It provides 2× nutrition and +0.5 happiness. Bread is a good bridging food between Grilled Carrots and Berry Pancakes, especially if your berry supply is inconsistent.
🍺 Beer (Folktails Exclusive)
Beer is a consumable drink produced at the Brewery from 4 carrots. Unlike other cooked meals, beer doesn't provide nutrition — instead, it gives a +2 happiness bonus when consumed. Beer also counts toward your colony's water consumption, meaning it can reduce the total drinking water volume needed.
Brewery strategy: Build a Brewery once your colony reaches 20+ beavers and you have a stable carrot surplus. A steady beer supply keeps happiness high, which speeds up breeding and work rates. Beer is also excellent for population boosts — when you need more beavers fast (e.g., before a big construction project), activate beer production to drive up happiness and birth rates.
🍣 Kelp Sushi — End-Game Excellence
Kelp Sushi is the ultimate food product in Timberborn. Combining kelp (from deep-water farms) with berries, it provides 3× nutrition and +1.5 happiness — the best happiness bonus of any food item. Kelp Sushi is available to both factions in the late game.
Building a kelp economy: 1. Excavate a deep reservoir (depth 3–4) near your main district 2. Plant kelp at the bottom 3. Build a Cooking Station nearby 4. Maintain berry bushes for the berry ingredient 5. Watch your happiness soar
A colony eating exclusively Kelp Sushi (along with water and beer for Folktails) can sustain happiness levels of 10+, which translates to maximum work efficiency and rapid population growth.
🎯 Faction-Specific Food Strategies
🐾 Folktails — Nature's Bounty
Advantage: Berries yield +2 per bush, giving Folktails the strongest passive food economy. Combined with the Brewery (beer for permanent +2 happiness), Folktails can maintain high happiness with minimal infrastructure investment.
Recommended tech path: 1. Days 1–10: Plant carrots. Gather berries from wild bushes. 2. Days 10–25: Build a Grill. Unlock the Mill for flour production. 3. Days 25–40: Build a Cooking Station. Transition to Berry Pancakes. 4. Days 40+: Brewery for beer. Start wheat and kelp expansion.
Key strength: Folktails can maintain a large population with fewer farms thanks to berry gathering. This frees up beavers for wood cutting, water management, and construction.
⚙️ Ironteeth — Industrial Efficiency
Advantage: Cattails (water-adjacent farming) and Mushrooms (no-water farming) give Ironteeth unique placement flexibility. Mushrooms in particular allow Ironteeth to farm in locations where Folktails cannot — underground, under platforms, anywhere dark.
Recommended tech path: 1. Days 1–10: Plant cattails along riverbanks. Start a small mushroom farm in a dark room. 2. Days 10–25: Expand mushroom production. Unlock the Cooking Station. 3. Days 25–40: Transition to Mushroom Soup for the happiness bonus. 4. Days 40+: Add wheat and sunflowers for advanced cooking and oil production.
Key strength: Ironteeth food production is more drought-resilient because mushrooms don't need water and cattails are water-adjacent. Ironteeth colonies can survive longer droughts with less reservoir capacity.
👥 Population Management
Your population size determines everything — workforce, food demand, water demand, housing needs. Managing growth is the single most important skill in Timberborn.
Phase-Based Population Guide
| Phase | Population | Priority | Food Target | Water Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survival (Days 1–10) | 6–10 | Raw food + water reserves | 30+ carrots (raw) | 50+ water |
| Expansion (Days 10–30) | 12–20 | Stable housing + first kitchen | 50+ mixed food | 100+ water |
| Growth (Days 30–60) | 20–40 | Cooking station + dam projects | 100+ cooked meals | 300+ water |
| Industrial (Days 60–100) | 40–80 | Automation + district expansion | 200+ varied meals | 500+ water |
| End Game (Days 100+) | 80–200+ | Full automation + wonders | 500+ meals (cooked) | 1000+ water |
Detailed Phase Strategies
Survival Phase (Days 1–10): Your first priority is a stable food source. Assign 2–3 beavers to farming immediately. Plant at least 12 tiles of carrots (or cattails for Ironteeth). Gather berries from the nearest wild bushes. Do not build a grill yet — every log and plank should go toward water storage (levees, dams) and housing.
Growth triggers: Add a new beaver (via new housing) only when your food stockpile exceeds 10 days of consumption. For a colony of 10 beavers eating raw food, that means 50+ food stored before building the next lodge.
Expansion Phase (Days 10–30): Build a Grill and transition to Grilled Carrots. This effectively doubles your food supply without expanding farms. Research the Cooking Station. Plant a wheat field (4×4 minimum) and build a Mill powered by a nearby water wheel. Your goal is to reach Berry Pancakes before Day 30.
Population pacing: Add 2–4 new beavers every 10 days. Don't rush. Each new beaver consumes ~0.7 food per day (raw) or ~0.5 food per day (cooked). Track your surplus before expanding housing.
Growth Phase (Days 30–60): Berry Pancakes should now be your primary food. Build a second Cooking Station if throughput is low. Start researching advanced crops (Kelp for both factions, Sunflowers for Ironteeth). Build your first dam if you haven't already — water is now more important than food because your reservoirs need to support farming through longer droughts.
Population pacing: Add 4–6 beavers every 10 days. Your farming workforce should be 15–20% of your total population at this stage.
Industrial Phase (Days 60–100): Transition to Kelp Sushi (or Mushroom Soup for Ironteeth) for the happiness bonus. Build a second district for resource extraction if your main district is crowded. Automate food delivery with hauling posts and district crossings. Your food production should now be fully self-sustaining.
Population pacing: Add 5–10 beavers every 10 days. Population growth accelerates as you unlock larger housing (apartment blocks, lodges).
End Game (Days 100+): At this point, your food production should be fully automated and diverse. Maintain at least three different food types for happiness variety. Beer (Folktails) or luxury goods should be in constant production. Your population can grow freely — the only limit is housing and map space.
💧 Water & Food Interdependence
Food and water are deeply connected in Timberborn. Here's how:
- Irrigation: Most crops require irrigated soil. A single water source block can irrigate up to 15 tiles in a radius. Plan your farms within irrigation range of your reservoir.
- Drought resilience: Cattails and Kelp grow in water and survive longer into droughts. Mushrooms need no water at all. Prioritize these crops if droughts in your biome are longer than 10 days.
- Cooked meals vs water consumption: Cooked meals don't increase water needs, but the Cooking Station itself requires water as an ingredient for some recipes (Mushroom Soup). Factor this into your water budget.
- Beer as water substitute: Beer counts toward hydration for Folktails, reducing their pure-water consumption. This is a significant advantage during extended droughts.
❄️ Drought Survival Checklist
When a drought is coming, run through this checklist:
- [ ] Food stockpile: 10+ days of current consumption rate
- [ ] Water stockpile: 15+ days of current consumption rate
- [ ] Farms: All crops harvested (prioritize wheat and berries — they wilt first)
- [ ] Cooking stations: Stockpiled with ingredients to keep producing during drought
- [ ] Wild berry bushes: Gathered before they go dormant
- [ ] Reservoir: Floodgates closed, water conserved
- [ ] Population: No new housing being built (pause construction)
🚨 Common Food Problems & Solutions
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Beavers starving despite full farms | Food is stored far from housing | Build small warehouses near residential areas |
| Grill/Cooking Station idle | No ingredients delivered | Add hauling post or place storage closer to kitchen |
| Wheat not growing | Soil not irrigated | Check water source proximity; build irrigation channels |
| Berry bushes not producing | Drought has dried them | Rely on farmed food; bushes recover when wet season returns |
| Population not growing | Happiness too low | Cooked meals + decorations + varied diet |
| Running out of water for cooking | Reservoir too small | Expand reservoir; build floodgates to conserve during wet season |
| Mushrooms not growing | Area too bright | Build walls and a roof; mushrooms need complete darkness |
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Guide data verified against Timberborn 1.0 (March 2026 release). Faction-specific mechanics noted where applicable.