One of the best things to do in Minecraft is to grow a farm full of crops. Developing a farm allows players to produce their food so that they can dive into the mines for long expeditions. Some crops are superior to others for multiple reasons, including better hunger restoration and use in recipes.
To start a farm in Minecraft, players must craft a hoe and transform dirt blocks into farmland. Each farmland block should be near water for the best long-term farms, so it can stay hydrated and grow crops faster. From there, players can plant seeds or whole plants to develop their crops. The best crops grow quickly and can be crafted into useful recipes.
Bamboo has few uses in Minecraft, but it is a useful tool for panda lovers and architects. Bamboo is an important item for breeding pandas in Minecraft. Meanwhile, bamboo can be crafted in scaffolding. Scaffolding is a great way to reach higher areas in a large build because it's easy to clean up. Players can simply destroy the bottom scaffold to bring the entire temporary structure down when done.
The only recipes featuring beetroot in Minecraft are beetroot soup and red dye. However, beetroots can still be a handy crop around the farm. Players get multiple seeds from each harvest for continual farming, and beetroot soup, which combines six beetroots and a bowl, can restore six hunger points.
When players plant melons in Minecraft, they can harvest each melon for up to 9 melon slices. Melon slices restore two hunger points each. Since melon stems can produce multiple melons, this crop is a great and renewable food source. Each melon slice can be turned into melon seeds to grow more melons. A single melon seed is an excellent investment.​​​​​​​
Pumpkins have a similar growth pattern as melons. Both grow from stems onto an adjacent block. However, players need to turn their pumpkins into pumpkin pies to make this crop edible. Instead, players can carve their pumpkins with shears to craft a stylish helmet or build a golem. Stacking two snow blocks under a carved pumpkin creates a snow golem, while a carved pumpkin with four iron blocks creates an iron golem in Minecraft, a staple of many villages.
Mushrooms are a fun crop to grow due to their unique mechanics. Minecraft players can grow giant mushroom trees for a considerable harvest by feeding mushrooms with bone meal. Mushrooms are used in mushroom stew, rabbit stew, suspicious stew, and fermented spider eyes. These hearty stews can keep players full, while mushroom trees provide a cottage aesthetic to the farm.​​​​​​​
Carrots are a surprisingly filling crop in Minecraft, as they can restore three hunger points each. Since each carrot will always yield at least two carrots when harvested, they act as a simple way to fill the player's stomach quickly. Carrots are one of the ingredients in rabbit stew and can be combined with a fishing pole to craft a carrot on a stick. A carrot on a stick allows players to control saddled pigs, making carrots an important crop for pig farmers.​​​​​​​
Sugar cane may not be edible on its own, but it is the basis for important Minecraft recipes. Players can combine three sugarcane into paper for books, maps, and other written materials. Meanwhile, one sugar cane can be crafted into a dollop of sugar. Sugar allows the player to bake pumpkin pie & cake and brew a Potion of Swiftness.​​​​​​​
At first glance, potatoes seem inferior to other crops in Minecraft, like melons and carrots. They have the same drop rate as carrots but only restore one hunger point. The potato's power emerges when players cook it in a furnace. The potato becomes a baked potato that can restore five hunger points. The baked potato is one of the best foods in Minecraft because players get a high restoration merely by tossing a potato in a furnace.​​​​​​​
Wheat is a staple crop in Minecraft in baking and animal care. Players need wheat to craft bread, cakes, and cookies, which are great ways to fill hunger points. Wheat can also help lure and breed goats, sheep, cows, and Mooshrooms. Feeding wheat to a horse or llama can restore its health and reduce the time it takes for a horse or llama to grow up.
Nether wart is the most important crop in Minecraft because it is the basis of almost every potion in the game. Players need to grow nether wart on soul sand rather than dirt, but once they have it, they can begin brewing potions. Players can craft an Awkward Potion by brewing Nether Wart into a water bottle. Awkward Potions can then be brewed with a variety of other materials to craft almost every potion in Minecraft.