Farming itself is a Creation Club mod that must be purchased separately through the Creation Club. However, it does come with the Skyrim Anniversary Edition upgrade if you’ve purchased that.
How to Unlock Goldenhills Plantation in Skyrim
Before you begin farming in Skyrim, you’ll have to unlock Goldenhills Plantation by completing The Unquiet Dead quest.
Goldenhills Plantation can be found east of Rorikstead. However, if you’re coming from Whiterun (assuming you’re following the early-game steps normally), then you’ll have to travel further west.
Once you arrive at the Plantation, hostile ghosts will attack you on sight. After killing one of the ghosts, you’ll receive The Unquiet Dead quest.
How to Complete The Unquiet Dead Quest
Before you enter the Goldenhills Plantation, you’ll notice the corpse of a man named Urval. Read the journal and head inside. In the second-floor room, you’ll find Urval’s Journal.
After reading it, go to the basement and look for a button near the stairwell. This will open an Alchemy Laboratory. The ghost of Jonquil, Urval’s wife, will appear and attack you. Defeat her, and read Jonquil’s Journal on the table when you’re done.
Next, check the room on the first floor. This is Rin’s room, the couple’s child. Rin’s Journal can be found on the floor next to the bed.
You’ll now have to look for Rin’s Toy Sword. To get it, simply exit Goldenhills Plantation and go southeast. There’s a small hill with a well between Goldenhills Plantation and Gjukar’s Monument. After killing the rabid wolves here, check near the well to find Rin’s Toy Sword.
Go back to Goldenhills Plantation and place Rin’s Toy Sword on the mantle in his room. The spirits of the family will appear. Talk to Rin, and you’ll receive the Key to Goldenhills Plantation, making you the proud owner of this plot of land. Unlike other houses in Skyrim, you got this one for free.
A Farmer’s Life For Me: How to Farm in Skyrim
When you go back outside, a quest called A Farmer’s Life For Me will pop up. This teaches you how to start farming in Skyrim.
First, check the tilled soil and place 10 seeds, flowers, or plants that can be grown into crops.
After that, you need to hire a steward. Similar to other houses added by the Hearthfire DLC, certain NPCs can be selected as your steward (though that person cannot be replaced later). Alternatively, you can choose your spouse if your character is already married.
The steward can then do a few things:
Hire farmhands to help around the plantation. Redecorate parts of the plantation’s interior by adding new functions or areas like a kitchen, bedroom, Alchemy/Enchanting Lab, and so on.
You may also construct additional features around Goldenhills Plantation:
Animal Pens (3x Firewood and 1x Nails) — Your steward can purchase cows, goats, and chickens. Apiary (2x Firewood, 2x Straw, and 1x Nails) — Apiaries will spawn bees that produce honey. Blacksmithing Workshop (4x Iron Ingot, 2x Firewood, 1x Hinge, 1x Iron Fittings, 2x Quarried Stone) — This adds an anvil, armor workbench, tanning rack, smelter, and grindstone. Exterior Decorations (2x Firewood and 3x Quarried Stone) — This adds a well and various furniture to decorate the plantation’s exterior. Farmhand Bunkhouse (5x Firewood, 2x Nails, 1x Hinge, 1x Lock, 5x Quarried Stone, and 3x Straw) — The farmhands you hire will have a place to sleep, increasing the farm’s productivity. Stables (5x Firewood and 3x Nails) — The stable allows the steward to purchase horses. Windmill (2x Firewood, 2x Iron Fittings, and 2x Quarried Stone) — The silo is turned into a windmill. Wheat can be turned into flour or straw.
If you wait for 24 hours in-game, you should receive profits from your steward. This will complete A Farmer’s Life For Me.
Past this point, all you need to do is to check back on your Skyrim farm from time to time. Goldenhills Plantation should provide a decent passive income after you’ve completed The Unquiet Dead and A Farmer’s Life For Me quests. Farming isn’t quite as in-depth as it is in other games, but it’s a nice way to make money while out adventuring. For more, consider checking out our other Skyrim tips guides and walkthroughs.
