Future of Farm

[paul_delahaye]

Well 2011 looks quite good:

We get a farmer, female farmer and a scarecrow in the community figure set,

We get chickens and goats in this kingdom set to enhance the range of animals

Chickens and Goats

And then there is the farm ship and loading dock which was leaked the other day, all in all, a good year for the farm me thinks, a bad year for my wallet!

Paul

[pacc]

Personally I think this is the future of farm:

I managed to fit it into the smallest tractor in LDD to get 1:1 power for accessories.

I don't think you need much imagination to rebuild some of the smaller technic boxes into farm equipment that use this, but it's a shame TLG didn't standardize it and presented alternative models.

Ideas? Personally I'd order a bunch if I had even one farm set, but there is so much to get...

[lifeinplastic]

There is still plenty Lego can do with farm. If they can regurgitate the same old police and fire sets continually then there is no reason we could not find more things for the farm line. For a start we've never actually had a farmhouse. The goats and chickens are a welcome addition to the theme though, although they are officially castle sets but fit very nicely. Still waiting for sheep, geese and a non-brick-built rooster though!

My sister is having a baby in January so I hope to have a decent sized farmyard for the little one to play with by the time he is old enough for Lego - so keep the farm-based sets coming!

p.s. i'd like to have more brown fence pieces first though if you are reading Lego.

Edited December 27, 2010 by lifeinplastic

[Joebot]

Well 2011 looks quite good:

We get a farmer, female farmer and a scarecrow in the community figure set,

We get chickens and goats in this kingdom set to enhance the range of animals

Chickens and Goats

And then there is the farm ship and loading dock which was leaked the other day, all in all, a good year for the farm me thinks, a bad year for my wallet!

Very good points! I like those new goats. I'm surprised that sheep weren't the next animal for TLC to come out with, but I'm happy with goats. I'm less enthused about the chickens (which are kind of hard to see in that photo because of the camera flash). I was perfectly happy with the brick-built chickens from the Medieval Village set.

As for whether Farm will be an "evergreen" theme for Lego, like police, fire, and construction ... I think it's too early to tell. Farm is really a new concept for TLC. Maybe it was a one-and-done, and maybe it'll crop (groan!) back up in a few years from now, the way police and fire sets always do. We'll have to wait and see.

I got the Pig Farm for Christmas. What a great set! Love the piggies, love the tractor. The hog confinement is a little bland, but everything else is great.

[Rick]

As for whether Farm will be an "evergreen" theme for Lego, like police, fire, and construction ...

I think a lot depends on how well the farm sets have sold so far (no idea on that). For sure it won't have the numbers of sets fire, police, and construction get. But I'd be happy with one or two sets every (two) years.

I got the Pig Farm for Christmas. What a great set! Love the piggies, love the tractor. The hog confinement is a little bland, but everything else is great.

Agreed, the tractor is the best TLG released so far.

[tazosaure]

Personnally I would love to see a "farmer's market" or "fruit stand" set for the farmer to sell his produce. It would kind of tie in the farm sub-theme with the rest of the city theme. It could include a pick up or flatbed truck (ideally with an old school design), some fruit crates and the stand itself with both the farmer and farmer's wife as minifigs.

Otherwise it seems the farm theme will at least survive In spirit as the "UFO invasion" set of the new "alien conquest" theme:

http://m.flickr.com/photos/57393885@N03/5297269826/in/set-72157625558833671/

[bglego15]

Stopped by the LEGO store today to see what they had for their after Christmas sale. All Farm items were 50% off as well as Atlantis, the Fire Helicopter, Crawler Crane, train tracks (straight/curve sets), and Creator Vehicle Carrier. So, it looks like Farm has been plowed under. Could have picked up the combine for $32.99 USD but passed on the one Farm set we don't have. Hate to see this sub-theme go. It has great crossover for boys and girls. Really like the tractors LEGO came up with... Would be great to see a comeback in 2012 with some of the new animal molds.

[Jargo]

was lying in bad last night, unable to sleep. Started thinking about the farm sets and realised Idon't actually like them. I like the idea of farm sets but not the ones Lego produced. If it wasn't for the fact they contain tractors they hardly look like any farm I've ever seen. There wasn't even a farmhouse.

No what really appeals to me about Lego farm is the animals. I fell in love with the cow and pig. Same as I'm falling for the goat and chicken in the castle mill set.

So what I want from Farm is sheep (with clip on horns so you can make a ram), duck, goose, crow, sheep dog, fox and other woodland animals like a woodpecker, badger, new scaled down rabbit, hedgehog and a hawk or kestrel. No buildings or tractors just the animals. Buildings are easy to throw together, we've got enough tractors, what we don't have are the animals. so why not just do a big set of them? really blow people's minds. Big bunch of animals like that would sell well to castle enthusiasts and properly flesh out a city farm.

maybe I'm talking crazy talk because I'm deprived of sleep but it makes more sense to me, shoving out a set that will fly off the shelves than releasing one or two new animals every few years.

[lightningtiger]

I feel that with Lego fusing some farm elements into the upcomming harbour set makes up for no more farm sets, but it's missing a silo though to load the boat in the first place !

Ah, well that's what MOC building is for eh ?

Brick On !

[Sirens-of-Titan]

...

No what really appeals to me about Lego farm is the animals. I fell in love with the cow and pig. Same as I'm falling for the goat and chicken in the castle mill set.

So what I want from Farm is sheep (with clip on horns so you can make a ram), duck, goose, crow, sheep dog, fox and other woodland animals like a woodpecker, badger, new scaled down rabbit, hedgehog and a hawk or kestrel. No buildings or tractors just the animals. Buildings are easy to throw together, we've got enough tractors, what we don't have are the animals. so why not just do a big set of them? really blow people's minds. Big bunch of animals like that would sell well to castle enthusiasts and properly flesh out a city farm.

maybe I'm talking crazy talk because I'm deprived of sleep but it makes more sense to me, shoving out a set that will fly off the shelves than releasing one or two new animals every few years.

I am with you 110% I was hoping we would see 2 new subthemes in the castle theme;

1) the peasant village (And indeed we are! ) and

2) the forest-men faction return.

In both of those cases I wanted either new farm animals or woodland animals. Personally I am ecstatic about the chickens and goats in the mill set, but would love to see some real wildlife like deer. Deer and other wildlife, ducks like you said, and also rabbits predatory birds,etc.

If we keep on wishing it will happen, we just have to wish loud enough for the Lego Group to hear

[meyerc13]

It has great crossover for boys and girls.

I couldn't agree more. My daughter started showing an interest in her older brother's LEGOs, so I bought her the pig farmer impulse. Then she wanted a tractor, so I built her a red version of 4899. Then she wanted another tractor, so it was on to 7634. For Christmas she received the Pig Farm and the 4x4 with Horse Trailer. She loves to play with LEGO farm, and if this line wasn't popular it's only because it was a TRU exclusive along with the TRU price hike. I think this would have sold better with lower price points, even if that meant dividing the farm into multiple smaller sets. Maybe a chicken coop, cow shed with cows, the farmer's market idea from above...

This line could have gone a lot of places, but the expensive farm that didn't even include a proper barn probably didn't help this line. I know I passed by that set many times.

[bglego15]

Amazing to read all the comments about the missing farm house. The kids said, "where's the farm house" after we finished building the Farm kit. However, a Farm House/Ranch Home could easily be a Creator House. Otherwise it's a pretty easy MOC.

This sub-theme had (or has?) many possibilities from impulse sets to large build kits; chicken coop, animal accessory pack, horse corral, cattle round up, rodeo, crop duster airplane... Hopefully it will return. At least its boy and girl crossover is somewhat carried into the newer Transportation and City Essentials sets.

[jth781]

All though I just got some of the farm sets I must say I really like them and hope lego will come out with some new sets for 2012.

[Klaus-Dieter]

When I saw that there's no single Farm set on the list for the regular City sets for 2011, I a long time was sure that Farm is now dead.

But having had several looks at the new Harbor set and the Medieval Village Raid (Kingdoms), I came to following conclusion:

Imo it's very likely that we'll get some farm sets in 2012 - or at least one.Reason:

I don't remember TLG has somewhen produced molds for an animal which then was only used in one set. Exceptions are the licensed themes (e. g. the ostrich in a PoP set, the Wampa in a SW set etc.).

But apart from licensed themes, animals appeared always minimum in two sets. E. g. the cow appeared in the Farm set and in the Medieval Market Village (even if in different color - but the same mold) or the pig appeared in the Piglets Enclosure With Tractor set, in the Farm Impulse, in last year's Kingdoms Advent Calendar and now even in the Medieval Village Raid.

The new chicken mold in the Medieval Village Raid appears in the Blacksmith Attack, too. This means that we have no guarantee that it will appear in any other future set, too.

But the new goat mold appears only in the Mdeival Village Raid. So it's very likely that there'll be another set in the future in which goats will appear.

To summarize:

I bet - and really hope - that in 2012 we'll see two new Farm sets: one set in a size similar to the Piglets Enclosure With Tractor which will include a grazing land with goats and two farmhands (and supposably even a new agricultural vehicle or at least a new tractor) and one small set or Impulse set with two or three chickens, a small cage and a farmhand.

What do you think?

Klaus-Dieter

[Lordofdragonss]

Of course we will get a new farm sets. We are getting goats and chikens remember?

[bglego15]

Sounds very optimistic! More Farm sets, with more animals, would be very welcome. A horse corral or rodeo would be fantastic!

[Stank]

I hope Lego wont discontinue farm. It's a great theme. Just add the pitchfork, goats, sheep, a lorry, a farmhouse, chickens, roosters, bigger pigs, not only piglets... and it will be sold like crazy!

[andythenorth]

I wasn't convinced by farm, but my kid got really excited by the pig pen + the lime green tractor in the toy shop. It's a nice set.

The combine looked good but expensive. I tried to buy it on sale, but out of stock everywhere. I'd like to see a big (but not too big) articulated wheeled tractor, something like a case steiger...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_STX_Steiger

I had the classic town riding stable as a kid and remember it was a good set that was built and rebuilt over and again.

[Mr. Elijah Timms]

Of course we will get a new farm sets. We are getting goats and chikens remember?

I had the weirdest dream last week that I got a set where the Series 1 zombies were attacking a city house, and who was included to defend them: .... 2 GOATS!

Looking back, that's flippin' genius-- the epic GOAT ZOMBIE DEFENSE set, haha!!

[lightningtiger]

It all depends on how popular the farm theme was last time with kids and parents if farm makes a return or not.

But a fair proportion of city sets don't appear to be designed for a city layout but a town one......i.e. train station and forthcoming harbour sets seem to designed for a town. Even the bank even though it's two storey, well in most larger country town banks are two storey anyway.

So what could Lego add to the farm range, where to start......

Well, my favorite......farm supply store.....a little like my Landmark one.

Then what about a stockyard with cattle or......sheep....now who would not wan't sheep eh ?

Some extra machinery and grain storage/equipment.....a dam grain truck would be an idea Lego....you have a harvester and now a grain ship....but a big transport truck between the two ?

Finally lets not forget.....a farm house - the farmer needs somewhere to live ?

Keep on farming !

[Jargo]

I'd lay money on a horse stables being the next farm style set. Of all the ideas mentioned it seems the most likely.

[lightningtiger]

I'd lay money on a horse stables being the next farm style set. Of all the ideas mentioned it seems the most likely.

I kind of agree with you there, an updated version of this......

It would be the perfect follow up to 7635 4WD with horse float.

Keep on riding !

[lostdriveway]

I kind of agree with you there, an updated version of this......

It would be the perfect follow up to 7635 4WD with horse float.

Keep on riding !

I have this in my town with the bigger stables and 4wd + float from the same series.

I would be keen on something like a cattle ranch type scene and a supply store in town.

Then you can cross it over to trains with some cattle and also grain wagons / hoppers....

[bglego15]

I have this in my town with the bigger stables and 4wd + float from the same series.

I would be keen on something like a cattle ranch type scene and a supply store in town.

Then you can cross it over to trains with some cattle and also grain wagons / hoppers....

Exactly!

[Jargo]

I was thinking more in the 6418: Country Club size.

Though obviously better built and with stronger colours.