Farming in ACNH
Image: Screenshot: Nintendo Life

If you've already made yourself a wee pumpkin farm in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you'll likely already know a lot about farming in the game! All the same, you might be asking: Where do I even find all the new crops?

Fear not, budding farmer. You don't have to know much about gardening to follow our tips!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Farming Guide - How To Grow Your Own Vegetables

Head to Harv's Island

Farming in ACNH
Image: Screenshot: Nintendo Life

If you haven't already, chat with him about setting up his co-op shops.

Now, we won't tell you what to do here, because the choice is up to you — but you'll eventually need to spend 100,000 Bells on Leif's shop if you want to grow crops. You can only fund one shop a day, so make Leif a priority if you can't wait to get your mitts on tomatoes.

Leif is the one described as a "botany expert with the greenest thumbs"!

Buy from Leif

Farming in ACNH
Image: Screenshot: Nintendo Life

Leif sells "starts" — small crops that are ready to be planted and grown in your very own garden. He'll have tomatoes, potatoes, sugarcane, wheat, and carrots — though not all at the same time.

Also, you can buy from Leif when he visits your island — but his inventory is much smaller, and his visits less reliable!

Each start costs 280 Bells, and you can buy them in bulk — five will cost you 1,400 Bells.

Or... get lucky on Kapp'n's boat tours

It's possible to find crop starts on the islands that Kapp'n takes you to! Obviously, this is the least reliable method of all, because you can only visit one island a day, but... free crops!

This is how we got a bumper crop of tomatoes.

Grow your crops

Farming in ACNH
Image: Screenshot: Nintendo Life

Thankfully, farming in Animal Crossing is a lot easier than real life. Just plant your starts wherever, and water them once a day. In no time, they'll grow into big, healthy food-things! In fact, they only take three days to fully grow from start to finish, and they'll even regrow after harvesting.

However, if you're super busy, the crops will grow on their own — they'll just have a smaller yield. Okay, that bit is like real life.

Cook your crops

Farming in ACNH
Image: Screenshot: Nintendo Life

Wheat makes flour! Sugarcane makes sugar! Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and pumpkins make lots of things! Experiment and see where cooking takes you.


This article is part of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons walkthrough, which includes a Complete Fish List, Complete Bug List and Complete Sea Creatures List. If you're looking for specific fish or bugs, we can tell you how to catch the elusive Coelacanth, Mahi-Mahi, Giant Trevally, Stringfish, Golden Trout and all the Sharks and Beetles, along with a full list of critters leaving at the end of the month (unless you visit Kapp'n's Boat Tour islands, of course!).

We can also help with How to Spot Redd's Fake Paintings and Statues, How to Make Bells Fast, How to Breed Flowers, How to Get more DIY Recipes, How to Upgrade Nook's Cranny, where and when to find special characters like Gulliver, Sable, Label, Wisp, Celeste, Pirate Gulliver and Jack, plus tips on using the Star Wand, Tool Ring, Rock Trick, Cutting Down and Moving Trees, using amiibo on Harv's Island, How to Back Up Your Island Data, How to Time Travel, How to Get a 5-Star Island Rating and a whole lot more.

If it's new content you're looking for help with, we can help you find gyroids, unlock Brewster's café, use the new Pro Camera App for selfies, enact new ordinances, get the beloved Froggy Chair, and even learn How to Cook.

And finally, Where to Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch, if for some reason you haven't yet picked up the game, and How To Buy The Happy Home Paradise DLC, too!