Quote Originally Posted by Pode
I'd like to look at the vanilla expected trait levels for farming. A 16 yr-old governor who dies at 66 governs for 100 turns, which I like 'cause it keeps the maths easy for me. During that time he can build no more than 5 farms max, right? 5 points of good farmer total.
He's limited to 5 farms if he stays in the same settlement for his entire life, but how many governors do this? With few exceptions I leave a governor in a city while it's growing or to help deal with unrest, then once the city is established and/or remains loyal with just a garrison I move my governor on to the next settlement or out into the field to lead an army.

Quote Originally Posted by Pode
...I conclude from this that good farmer was intended to be a trait that only those with farming temples acquired, and everyone else washed out even in the long haul. I think 3, 18, and 36, would make good thresholds. Someone who builds farms first has a shot at getting grower for a while, even if he will eventually lose it for failing to honor the farm gods properly (which plays for me since he's not the onee actually DOING the farming). A man who is dilligent about farming and is seen to worship the farm gods, otoh, gets grower within his first 2.5 to 5 years, then after 15 years he gets level two, and after 30 years as a farmer, he spends the remaining 20 years renowned as an agriculuralist.
Nice reasoning and solution for GoodFarmer, providing some reward for the average governor while still keeping the trait a relatively rare and thus precious virtue to possess, which seems to have been CA's intention.