Structures serve a variety of purposes on your farm. They fall into two main categories: storage and water.
Storage[edit]
Different types of structures can store various types of equipment and livestock. Equipment and livestock can also be stored outdoors, but this may cause quality to deteriorate over time.
Silos[edit]
Silos are intended to store harvested crops, but can also store seeds. If there is no room in a silo after a field is harvested, the crop will be immediately sold in town.
Sheds[edit]
Sheds can store machinery, seed, and chemicals.
Harvested crops can be moved into a shed with the Move Object tool, but become stuck, even after being sold. Harvesters will not place crops into a shed automatically.
Barns[edit]
Livestock will use barns as shelter. Livestock will not eat or drink as much if they are in a barn.
Barns can also store machinery, seed, and chemicals, but are more expensive than sheds.
Harvested crops can be moved into a shed with the Move Object tool, but become stuck, even after being sold. Harvesters will not place crops into a barn automatically.
Water[edit]
Pumps and windmills provide a water source to keep your fields and livestock supplied with water. Water towers and fields should be connected to a water source with irrigation ditches.
Water pumps[edit]
Water pumps use one tile, and must be placed beside a surface water source, like a river or lake. They can pump water into adjacent irrigation ditches.
Windmills[edit]
Windmills occupy four tiles (2x2), and must be placed over an underground water source. They can pump water into irrigation ditches that run underneath them.
To find a suitable location, watch for subtle color changes in the grass and clusters of trees, or check the water overlay in the Map window.
Water towers[edit]
Water towers occupy one tile, and can release their stored water into adjacent irrigation ditches and livestock troughs. They must be adjacent to a ditch that is connected to a water source to replenish.
Water tower can be used to extend the flow of water through ditches by placing them near the limit of where the pump can reach.