Winter Burrow Farming Guide: Berries & Herbs
Farming Guide for Winter Burrow — how to gather, grow and use berries & herbs effectively in your burrow.
Last updated: 2025‑11‑17
In Winter Burrow, farming isn’t about huge fields or mechanised crops—but gathering and growing the right berries and herbs is a key layer of your survival and crafting loops. This guide will walk you through where to collect wild berries and herbs, how to grow your own in planters, and how to use them to craft recipes, unlock quests, and upgrade your burrow.
🍂 Why Berries & Herbs Matter
Berries and herbs serve multiple important functions:
- They are raw materials for cooking — many recipes call for berries or herb infusions. For example, in a quest you need Rowanberries and Wild Jam for making a pie. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
- They unlock quest progression and NPC interactions. For instance, one Reddit post:
“The Rowan Berrys can be found … going to the bottom left of your burrow … down past the granite.” :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
- Herbs (common vs rare) are used in crafting or quest items and can be grown once you unlock planters. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
- Farming berries and herbs gives a more stable supply so you’re not always wandering for raw pickups.
🌿 Wild Gathering: Where & How to Find Them
Berries
- Blackberries / Elderberries: Found in zones near your burrow or around Bufo’s area. On the quest walkthrough:
“You need five Elderberries and Blackberries. … For Rowan Berry pies, you need Wild Jam …” :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- Rowanberries: One community tip:
“The Rowan Berrys can be found by … going to the bottom left of your burrow and going down past the granite.” :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
So check areas just outside your starting base and look for rocks/plants that break to boxes of berries.
Herbs
- Common Herbs: Appear as stashes in specific spots or dig‑spots given by NPCs like Gnawtusk. The guide for her quests says:
“You will need to find 5 stashes of common herbs and 1 stash of rare herbs.” :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
- Rare Herbs: Often in deeper zones or hidden dig‑spots, sometimes linked to quests after you unlock better tools.
Tips for Wild Gathering
- Visit new zones only when you have decent tools and some warm/cold resistance so you’re not forced to retreat.
- Carry some storage space: berries can fill inventory fast.
- Prioritise berries/herbs near your base first, before exploring far.
- Mark where you found rare herbs or dig‑spots so you can revisit later with upgraded tools.
🧪 Growing Your Own: Planters & Farming at Home
Once you progress in the game you’ll unlock the ability to grow herbs right in your burrow. Here’s how:
- After certain quests, the game will give you blueprints for planters. From one walkthrough:
“The round planters will grow the common herb stashes, while the large square ones will grow our rare herb stashes.” :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
- You’ll likely need to craft the planter (materials: planks, stone, fibre) and place it in your burrow area.
- Once placed, you can plant collected herb‑items or seeds (if the game uses seeds) and harvest them over time.
- Growing your own means you don’t always have to wander for herb‑stashes, giving a more stable supply line.
Best practices for planter farming
- Place planters near your crafting/cooking station so you can harvest and use herbs quickly.
- Use normal planters for “common” herbs and keep the large planter(s) reserved for “rare” herb types.
- While waiting for growth, still explore: you’ll need more raw herbs for quests and recipes than just your planter supply early on.
- Check your planter status periodically (when you rest or craft) so you don’t forget harvestable herbs sitting unused.
🧾 Using Berries & Herbs: Recipes, Quests & Progression
- Berries like Rowanberries, Blackberries, Elderberries feed into cooking (pies, jams) and also quest requirements. Example:
“For Rowan Berry pies, you need Wild Jam … which can be made using five Blueberries and Rowanberries.” :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
- Herbs: Some quests ask specifically for “stash of rare herbs” or “common herbs”. You’ll need to collect enough to progress NPC storylines. (See Gnawtusk guide above).
- Since you may need herbs and berries for crafting recipes (tools, clothing, food), keep a buffer of each. Don’t just collect exactly the quest amount — gather a few extra.
- As you progress into mid/late game, better recipes may ask for “rare herb infusion” or “herb‑based component” so having herbs grown at home can save time.
✅ Smart Strategy & Common Pitfalls
Smart Strategy
- Early game: Focus on berries near your base to ensure you can support cooking and tool crafting without risking long trips.
- Mid game: Unlock planters ASAP so you can grow herbs and reduce dependency on exploration.
- Late game: Use herb/berry farming as part of your supply chain so you can cook advanced recipes, unlock furniture/quests and not waste time hunting for each ingredient.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Ignoring planter unlock: If you don’t build planters, you’ll find yourself constantly gathering herbs instead of crafting/cooking or exploring.
- Wasting time in tough zones for simple berries: Some berries/herbs require upgraded tools or better gear—don’t go out unprepared.
- Collecting only the bare requirement: You might finish the quest but then realize you need more herbs for crafting; better to collect extras.
- Neglecting inventory/storage: Berries/herbs stack? They fill inventory; make sure you have storage or drop lesser items before gathering more.
🧭 Summary
Farming in Winter Burrow means gathering wild berries and herbs and then growing your own with planters. These materials unlock cooking recipes, fulfill quests, and support crafting and tool loops. Start by collecting nearby resources, then build planters for a steady supply, and keep using your herb/berry stocks for cooking, quests and crafting. With this strategy you’ll have both survival and progression in hand.
Last updated: 2025‑11‑17