Quote Originally Posted by IrishArmenian
After that, I build ports on coastal cities, if not, build more farms! Second Level farms on a poor harvest made Tunis crank out 687 fl. Never underestimate farms!
Exactly. Farms are key to picking up your financial status quickly: They produce extra cash for you, and they also increase population growth which leads to more tax income. That growth also means you will be able to upgrade your walls sooner, accessing vastly superior economic options further up the tech tree. As they help tech you up faster (which few things do) I tend to make them number one priority in early game, getting the first farm upgrade first thing, and the second when I've exhausted better economic options.