Planting soybeans, on the other hand, was much easier. The beans from the pods could be directly used as seeds. They say that planting a small handful of soybeans could yield several pounds, and from the original ten seeds, he had already shelled a large bag's worth, with many pods still left to go.
Soybeans have many uses. They could be pressed for oil, made into tofu, or even eaten directly.
This time, Kim Haru planned to plant more soybeans.
Then there were the potatoes. The yield was impressive—each plant produced a cluster of potatoes of varying sizes. The largest was about half the size of a human head, while the smallest was still about as big as a fist.
Potatoes were rich in starch, and since Kim Haru didn't yet have seeds for staple crops like rice or wheat, potatoes could serve as a substitute staple food for now.
Although the farming system currently provided three meals a day, Kim Haru suspected that this benefit wouldn't last forever.
Since it was a farming system, it definitely required Kim Haru to actively cultivate the land. If he was constantly provided with food and shelter without any effort, what would be the point of farming? He could just wait to receive meals on schedule.
It's not hard to guess that this three meals a day benefit would eventually disappear at some point.
According to Kim Haru's thinking, the most likely time for this benefit to end would be when the "novice" period concluded.
Kim Haru had no idea how long the system's novice period would last, so he needed to figure out his future food supply before that happened.
Kim Haru cleared all the half of the garden enclosed by the fence, creating rows for easier watering. With a hoe to help him, he turned the soil in just over half an hour.
He made a total of ten rows, each with fifteen holes, just the right amount.
After digging the last hole, he straightened up and gave his waist a few taps.
Ah, although the automated hoe was very useful, doing over a hundred digs in a row still left his back a little sore.
Farmers have it tough.
Potatoes couldn't just be planted like that. Even Kim Haru, who didn't understand farming, had read in various novels that potatoes needed to be cut into pieces before being buried in the ground.
There was a time when he got so obsessed with reading reborn or reincarnation novels that he genuinely worried about what he would do if he were reincarnated to another world. He had seriously considered scenarios where, after time he was reincarnated, he could gain status and respect by using high-yield crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes.
He even specifically searched online to find out what potato and sweet potato leaves looked like, where to find them, and how to plant them better.
Although he eventually got over that phase and found it laughable, at least he could use that knowledge now, right?