Not-So-Pro-Tip: Use a settler card for farming (Farmers Hate This One Trick)

That's all I have. Use a settler card (settler eminent is particularly nice, that's what i'm running currently)

If you want to grow bulk crops for spices (camomile) , it makes the farming actually viable and work; I have a 4x4 (16) grid of farm beds, and can turn around ~60-70 camomile flowers even more seeds (1 seed in each box, get around 50+ seeds back) every harvest.

The only slow part is watering them when it's not raining - anyone know of a better way to keep stuff watered? (without using a different minor realm card).

It's not the worst annoyance but it takes longer to water that many plots than it does for them to grow almost. BUt if I can catch a rain storm it's beautiful.

i'm up to 160 spices and counting so i'll be eating good - literally - now!

TL;DR: If you want to do farming effectively, use a Settler card- without it I don't think the system works at all effectively. Minor realm cards to boost what you're doing AT A SPECIFIC TIME seems to be how to best optimize your time and resources. Don't just set on one card and never change it.

Make a stack of industry, a stack of settler, and lumberjack, and cycle those bad bois.