I noticed that the farmers are communal and would help each other with all the fields which is great, they sit idle for less time. Maybe I was just lucky up to this point that everything just worked out with the crop rotations and field sizes that I never saw a noticeable issue.
However, it’s only recently that I got a point where I started trying to use larger fields and go beyond 3 fields (sometimes rather spread out too), this is where my troubles started. It seemed implied just based on the UI that when you setup a field and see it has a certain number of farmers applied to it that you can raise and lower that this is their “assigned field”. However, they help work other fields to the neglect of their own alleged “assigned” fields. This is maddening, I have had instances where half of a field is then left unharvested or worst cases not planted on time. I have no idea how they are prioritizing the work if multiple crops require planting or harvesting at the same time. As my town gets bigger and farms spread out to the various fertile land spots surrounding it, they start spending tons of time in transit trying to get to some other field on the other side of town. Increasing the number of farmers seems to help some, but doesn’t overcome these issues and I am frequently left with spoiled crops that don’t get harvested. I have unknowingly introduced a famine during some winters because while I thought I would have had plenty of food planted, it wasn’t getting harvested. Its all become rather frustrating which is unfortunate given how much fun the game has been to this point.
My thoughts on a behavioral fix that preserves the communal nature, but is also more predictable so you aren’t left wondering which fields will get worked if multiple crops start in the same season:
Make farmers have an assigned field and prioritize that first before traveling to help other fields.
Limit how far a farmer will travel to help with fields. This would create informal farming “zones” so they are not trying to crisscross the map and then inadvertently delay getting back to their own field for work.
For apiaries, I usually have anywhere between 2-4 per field depending on layout and size of fields. Also depends on need; if I have too much of surplus of honey or wax, I don’t build more apiaries just for the sake of building them. I do try to minimize overlap so I can keep the bonuses high.
As for temporary shelters, I haven’t been using them thus far just because the farms didn’t seem like they were far enough away to warrant a temp shelter (if there are guidelines to help determine when this is necessary, would love to hear it!). From a recent game, if you can imagine a 9 square grid, think housing would be in square 4, and first 3 farms went in square 2. Was trying to start some additional farms in square 8 when I really started noticing problems. Again, this is not covering what I would consider vast expanses of land area, though its hard to convey what that looks like to me in words.
2-4 apiaries per field, rather than group of 3 fields?
Because having too many apiaries will have your farmers too busy collecting honey or wax to get adequate farm work done, and has been what has gotten people with the same problems as yours who have posted on these forums before.
I’ve found that 3 apiaries per group of 3 6x12 farms (4 maybe if you have wider fields) doesn’t cause these problems
Here are my observations and recommendations for farming:
Farmers help each other, but the number of helpers in a single field cannot exceed the number of workers assigned to that field. For example, if three farmers are assigned to a field, only six farmers can work in that field at a time. They can replace each other, but the maximum number is always double the assigned number.
Each farmer can harvest approximately 250 units of food, so given the previous observation, we conclude that the estimated number of farmers should be equal to the estimated harvest divided by 500 rounded up (250 for assigned farmer + 250 for a helper).
Apiaries introduce some uncertainty into farming, so it’s best not to overuse them. Typically, one apiary per 15x15 field is sufficient, or they should be arranged so that their areas overlap as little as possible. This way, you can assign one additional farmer per each apiary.
Typically, if you follow all the steps above, crop rot will rarely occur, or the amount of rotten food will be close to zero. However, if you still have a late harvest or crop rot simply add one more farmer to that specific field.
There is one more important note:
Try to arrange your crops on neighboring fields the way that their harvest period do not happen at the same time. Usually it is the last month of crop period. This way farmers from the neigboring fields will help each other and will mostly stay at the same location.
For more detailed info there is a very good article on wiki