At north spawn there is a small farm area that the public can use. I didn’t find it until after I’d already gotten everything it had available, but it is there.
The cookie dispenser at north spawn also literally saved my life the first few hours on the server.
There is a supply of some random basic materials in the north nether hub, but that would require people to go through the portals, something new players don’t seem to do much. I know I try to keep the “store” stocked with my excess chicken (which keeps disappearing so *someone* is using it).

It would be nice to have a clearly marked (and well LIT) area at the new spawn that could provide some stuff to get people started though. North spawn was so large that I totally missed the little farm there. Not so much a push-button gearing up station, but some basic food supplies to get people started. “Teach a man to fish” and all that.

Quote from Azerik on October 30, 2013, 09:17<br />
“Teach a man to fish” and all that.

I vote fishing rods at new spawn. alot of fishing rods. doublechests. :3

Quote from Geertje123 on November 6, 2013, 15:53<br />
I think food dispensers are a bit over the top. Mainly because this problem only concerns players who are relatively new with Minecraft. Experienced players know where to go and look to get food and wood.<br />
A small 4×4 farm outside every/an exit should do though.<br />

I agree and I’ve mentioned this before in another post about food and other supplies being put at spawn but I’ll mention it again.

People join the server for the vanilla experience so they aren’t expecting full diamond armor given to them when they join. They know how it works. Getting started is slow and you can starve to death trying to find a home or get killed by mobs, but that’s how it is. So I don’t think giving away fishing poles and having huge farms or food dispensers is a good idea.

Small farm and like a 5 tree tree farm is more than enough for anyone to get started before exploring.

Well our supreme slavelord, er, I mean..our magnanimous leader, Jack, has conscripted me for building a new community farm for 1.7 spawn. If I am to build my monstrosity there, I would only ask one thing. Don’t be a dick. Take what you can, but replant the seeds. I’m a builder, not a farmer, so I don’t wanna have to do farm-y things. Like maintaining spawnfood. Yes, spawnfood is a word.

Quote from Jackalmen on November 22, 2013, 13:44<br />
Yea, I think its time to give the “Help yourself” approach to spawn’s food and wood supply. I don’t want to go overboard and make some gigantic farm. If the farm was integrated in the spawn design, it would be cool. I’d say maybe 15 to 21 blocks of tilled ground for wheat with some carrots / potatoes mixed in maybe. Also 3-5 acacia trees. </p>
<p>As someone else said earlier, if somebody doesn’t replant it may be a sign that the person may be prone to cause trouble. Which I don’t 100% agree with as they may not have been able to replant for whatever reason. It would just serve as an indicator to me to watch said person.</p>
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So no recreation of my multi-tiered superfarm? -teardrop-