For the next few months, Riverton seemed content to hum along in a calm existence on the river banks.  Progress stands still for nobody, though, and here is no exception.  The combination of cheap land, good soil, plentiful clean water, and easy access to a functional yet under-capacity seaport meant it was only a matter of time before farmers moved in to settle the area away from the coast.  And that's exactly what happened.

The first citizen to set up homestead in the countryside was Jez Knight.  In late August 2001, he rented the equipment to cut a small road from the service drive into the woods, built a home, and plowed a field for his crops.  The electric company quickly realized the potential benefits of a power presence in this area and ran another line to the farm.

Jez Knight's farm, August 2001

It only took one look at the new farm in the rural part of town to convince some of the other residents that Riverton had a future in agribusiness.  There was certainly enough room for expansion, and work had been slow at the docks lately.  Setting up farms seemed like a natural way to get into more permanent employment and raise a family.  Besides, the countryside provided privacy and silence unmatched by the growing village near the seaport.

Farmland expansion

Of course farms need workers, especially during harvest time.  In order to stay close to work several families set up hovels right across the street from Jez Knight - who had by this time attained some kind of local celebrity status.  Meanwhile, enterprising newcomers set up some shops right at the intersection of the service and farming roads... but their success varied greatly with the season.

Seasonal workers' living area