I am making this topic to help solve once and for all this entire pricing issue. I don't usually give out my farming secrets however I honestly believe that most users are mesmerized by a 200x200 pumpkin farm and just simply can't take their eyes off it. While it may look good when it's fully grown, this is in fact and has been a terrible idea for solo and small town farming. The only way a 200x200 could even begin to be reasonable is if you have a large amount of active users and numerous floors to support them. On to the reason we all are here. Farming the way to the future.

The real problem here is not the price of pumpkins, but the user based ideas on farming all together. Everyone seems to look at a 200x200 pumpkin farm as the golden key to riches. This is and has been a terrible idea, and a terrible way to make money. Users need to stop and think about what the best solution is to make money.

Sugarcane:
Sugarcane has increased in price, this will help all lower ranks and new players make money, it requires no replanting, no tool use which means no repairs. And it's instant break. This is basically pumpkin farming for new users. The best size for this farm is 16x32 within 2 chunks.

Wheat:
This has been a huge competitor for pumpkins for some time now, yet many users disregard wheat all together. This is now the best money maker for the mid ranged to top geared players. Yes, it requires more thought than pumpkin farming. If built efficiently you could have been making more than pumpkin farming and you don't need to have any specialties. Just a plot of land you can build a farm on. The best farm size for this farm is 16x16 within one chunk.

Note: With MCMMO replants you gain .50 each extra plant since you can now sell that seed. Selling extra seeds is a key to making lots of money on a wheat farm. (You an also sell seeds to other users for greater than .50)

Pumpkins AND Melons:
The server has been over flooded with pumpkin farms everywhere. Even though the slow breaking pace of new users has been a terrible way to make money for some time now. At lower than Efficiency 5 rate, you are better off doing melons instead of pumpkins if you just can't help but to farm in this same manner. The entire concept behind this farm is to have constant full growth, not a large quantity that takes hours to grow while afking on rails. The best size for this farm is 16x32 within 2 chunks and double stems.

I think everyone is missing the big picture, pumpkins by a "well equipped user" can still make 20k an hour.
Requirements:

• 
  1) Lots of food
  2) Efficiency 5 Unbreaking 3 Diamond Axe
  3) Speed Potion or the better Fly/Speed
  4) Enchanted Repair

Also, you should consider that possibly farming is not the only way to make money. If you plot out a 200x200 and sell all the plots you can make roughly 350-400k. If you rent out access to farms you can also make a lot of money. And for all those resident + you can get a spawn trade shop which can sometimes give you amazing results.

P.S. If anyone wants any help, or to see any farm style then please post a reply. I can do a more detailed description of the farm and how to build it. Thanks for your time.

 

I have already seen some confusion with what a chunk is and what the size of it is. A chunk is a 16x16 area of land, a 2 chunk farm would be two 16x16 areas right next to each other. Are you not sure how to determine where a chunk is? If your co-ordinates are divisible by 16 then you are at the edge of a chunk. If its not then you need to adjust yourself to that point.

Example: my location is [x] -350 [y] whatever [z] -1363, lets see if I'm at the corner of a chunk. 1363/16=85.1875. No I'm not at the corner of a chunk, how do we tell the easiest way to find that corner? 16x85=1360. So I need to move my [z] co-ordinate to -1360. Now for the [x] 350/16=21.875. So 16x22=352. So my chunk is at [x] -352 [y] whatever [z] -1360.

 

Someone asked in regards to using fly speed. There is a problem some users run into, getting stuck in blocks when moving through the fields too fast. The best solution to this is to use speed 2 and run through the feel. At level 2 you will be moving very quickly and get stuck very rarely. Speed 3 can be okay sometimes but is not suggested and use speed 4 if you enjoy being stuck extremely often.

 

Another recent question was regarding the process of wheat farming. The best way to do this is to build it high enough that the bottom floor is fully grown when you are finished planting the top floor. And use light harvesting, which means you need a solid block to build the farm out of and keep it very dark. Then when you turn out the lights the wheat will pop off the ground and be auto harvested for you.

There is more than one way to do this, you can either use redstone lamps and redstone connected to a lever to disable. Or a bridge to cut the light out. However I have seen on occasion bridges leaves some leaky lighting behind. I prefer using redstone and lamps with a lever.

 

Added the note to wheat farming:

Note: With MCMMO replants you gain .50 each extra plant since you can now sell that seed. Selling extra seeds is a key to making lots of money on a wheat farm. (You an also sell seeds to other users for greater than .50)

 

I'm trying to keep up with everyone. Lots of questions in game too. :) I just want everyone to be able to get quick easy answers.

 

This would work. However afk time is time that you aren't making money. That's the reason for my "Best farm size".

And this is exactly why I think new users should not be pumpkin farming. It's for the well equipped to get rich. However now, maybe more so than ever, I strongly encourage wheat farms over pumpkin farms. Of course you need to have it built within a chunk and use light harvesting and lift signs. You can constantly be planting and never stop harvesting. It's also not mindless like pumpkins are.

 

I have designs for all the layouts. And I'm considering building one of each to show people how to do it.

Double stems are this:

Spoiler