Colony stores and trade
Trade Surplus Crops
Selling surplus crops can turn excess harvest into useful trade value when the colony has secured its food and feed needs.
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Trade Surplus Crops
A dedicated bulk-crop stockpile accessible to caravan loading and, where applicable, visiting bulk-goods traders or faction bases.
Before you go
- A harvested crop beyond food, feed, and production reserves.
- A stockpile configured to accept the crop and reachable by haulers.
- A visiting trader or caravan capable of trading the crop.
- Colonists available to haul and complete the transaction.
Farming steps
- Review food stores, upcoming seasonal needs, and livestock feed before labeling anything surplus.
- Create or adjust a stockpile that accepts the selected crop; keep it near storage access or the caravan loading area.
- When a trader arrives, inspect its trade list to confirm it will buy the crop and review the offer.
- For a caravan, select the crop in the caravan formation inventory and check the carried load before leaving.
- Sell only the quantity that remains after colony reserves are protected.
- Use the proceeds for a specific colony need and update stockpile permissions so later harvests do not silently consume reserved goods.
- Raw bulk crops are heavy and can require substantial hauling; compare the load with the value of what you need to buy.
- Store food for the colony first, especially when the local growing season is short or animal feed is scarce.
Repeat, collect and use
This is repeatable whenever a harvest leaves genuine surplus and a suitable buyer or caravan is available. It does not guarantee a sale or a fixed price.
Common mistakes
- Calling all harvest surplus: reserve meals, feed, and seasonal stores before trading.
- Loading without checking the buyer: inspect accepted goods and caravan capacity before moving a large batch.
- Treating market comparisons as universal: trade prices and colony circumstances vary.
When to stop or switch
Stop selling a crop when the remaining stock would compromise food, feed, or production reserves, or when hauling it costs more effort than the current trade is worth.
Sources & fact checks
What you can get here
Open a guide to find other locations and see what the item is used for.