SnowRunner Phase 8 farming explained

SnowRunner Phase 8 farming lets you enjoy the fat of the land – here is how it all works, based on the “content complete” Public Test Server version.

While Farming Simulator 22 is very much a thing, SnowRunner Phase 8 farming is here to give you a more physics-savvy and graphically impressive interpretation. Never has growing digital potatoes looked so good.

But how does farming work exactly and (more importantly) is it enjoyable? Well, allow me to give you the lowdown so when the SnowRunner Season 8: Grand Harvest DLC arrives you can hit the soil running. Like, subscribe and let those glorious adverts play. Mmm capitalism.

Acquire a tractor

First off, you currently can only use the two new Kirovets tractors, the K-7M and K-700, to attach all the necessary farm equipment I will talk about in a second.

Unless things change, the 1960s K-700 can be rescued from a nearby scrapyard. It is a task called The Beast Rising and takes place in the first of the four maps, known as Crossroads. The mud is particularly brown and sticky so use your finest rescue machine. Or machines.

Here you can see the new Step 39331 “Pike” in action, also new in SnowRunner Phase 8. Solid trucks for the job include the Caterpillar 745C, Azov 73210, Tayga 6436, Voron AE-4380 but many others will work nicely too.

Meanwhile we have the K-7M, which appears to be locked behind a task called The Common Cause. Based on the PTS game files, this seems to involve a repair and rescue job. I will update this article iwith the freshest info should anything change.

Whichever tractor you go for, you may see some slow performance with only stock addons. While the dual tyres of the K-7M can make steering difficult, they do help with traction and those beefier engines ensure a much faster farming experience if one wants a much faster experience.

Which is better, the K-7M or the K-700? Well, things may change but currently the K-700 is more versatile and better stock. It is also able to haul trailers, but then if the K-7M loses some weight and gets trailering things will even out nicely.

Cultivate the land

Now it is time to put down that West Country cider and actually do some work. To do that, we first need to start a farming task. These include Sample Field, Thirty Harvestless Years, Fertilizer Trouble, Working the Field and Experimental Field.

Basically, just look for tasks where you need to cultivate, plant and harvest a field. Because that is what we are about to do. First, locate a cultivator trailer – either by acquiring as part of a task or buy one from the Trailer Store for 4,200. Phase 8 gives you at least one freebie.

Then drive the tractor and attached cultivator to the field that needs cultivating. You can’t miss it, there is a big yellow-lined box. Drive in and the cultivator should automatically deploy, but if not drive out the yellow box and back in.

Or go into options and enable it manually under ‘operate’ like a more hands-on farmer. Just remember that you can only deploy the cultivator and other farm equipment in the field. If you are not getting the option, move closer and cut down on the Thatchers Katy.

At this point just drive round the field with the cultivator cultivating until the job is done, as noted by a per cent total in the top right corner. If that is not there for whatever reason, the job is done when the cultivator automatically reverts to its undeployed form and the field looks different.

Plant the seeds

Now the soil is ready for seeds, it is time to plant them using the second piece of Phase 8 farm equipment. As before, bring out your tractor and then locate or buy the Multi-row Planter from the trailer store for 5,700. This makes it the most expensive piece of farm machinery.

Things are straightforward now. Once the Multi-row Planter is on the back, drive to the same field you cultivated and begin driving around in chaotic circles as I like to do or pretend to be a sane farmer and do straight lines. As if mowing a lawn.

Once again, drive round until SnowRunner decides you have planted enough seeds and the task ends. For ease of use, you can detach all farm equipment nearby for next time or take it back to the Trailer Store to sell.

Harvest the crop

Thankfully, SnowRunner Phase 8 does not grow crops in real-time. Once the Multi-row Planter is done, you will see green leaves and the potato-based bounty in the soil beneath. Now it is time to attach the 2,900 Potato Harvester, which again you can find or purchase from the Trailer Store.

Simply drive round the big yellow-lined box, picking up future chips and wedges, until SnowRunner says otherwise. Now you can get back on the cider and play some Wurzels to celebrate your first harvest.

Deliver the crop

But before you get too tipsy, those potatoes need to get to delivered to the local fish and chip shop or equivalent in the Belozersk Glades of Russia, I mean Azerbaijan. In one task on the Public Test Server I could automatically load the potatoes on to my truck.

In another task, it left them on the floor for me to hoover up. Should probably stop paying those farm hands minimum wage. Anyway given that the Phase 8 region is quite flat but has tippy moguls, pick something stable and somewhat mud-friendly.

Here I am using the Azov 64131, AKA Captain Slow, to deliver one lot of potatoes to a farm in the south and the other to one in the north. Potatoes are easily lifted by a small crane so I would also suggest a truck that can use a cargo bed and crane simultaneously. Or bring a friend.

You should now be perfectly capable of running the various farms throughout the Season 8: Grand Harvest DLC. Unless, of course, you overdid it on the magic apple juice and can no longer see.

And that is it for my Phase 8 farming guide. Much of it is self-explanatory, but I know some of you appreciate a little extra guidance. Thank you for watching. Subscribe, like and take care. Bye.