My contest entry and April project is up; I finally got photos of something I made posted to the internet
You can see it at Charlie Foxtrot Models' Facebook page. I'm day 6 of the contest entries. I wasn't selected as one of the finalists: I blame the fact I didn't make cabbages from scratch like the other garden did. (Actually, I think he wanted to showcase the buildings instead of the terrain boards.) It was a hard thing to photograph since the board is so big! The minis are Crocodile minis from USA, they are a chariot runner chasing crows from the field. I love this piece, I can use it in all my games.
I glued the MDF pieces together with wood glue and put sand on the top piece. I then mixed up some thick plaster and spooned it into the field spots. I then took the mister and sprayed the wet plaster until it had a nice film of water on top and sprinkled on dry plaster. I made the furrows (ruts) with the back of the disposable spoon I used for the plaster. I then put the thing out in the sun to dry. The next morning I painted it with cheap craft paints. I chose two slightly different shades of brown for the sand and the soil. Fresh soil is darker than dry soil, so choose the darker shade for the dirt. After drying, drybrush some other browns to bring out the sprinkled plaster and sand. I had a lovely time picking through the toolbox of "terrain sprinkles" and chose some Woodland Scenic "dirt" or "earth" fine sprinkles. It was a bit too green for me, so I stippled it with brown after the stuff dried. I used other Woodland Scenics sprinkles for the vegetation on the sand. Just stipple on clear drying wood glue and sprinkle. When it dries, turn it upside down and spank it. The loose stuff will fall off to be recollected for another project.
The plants are made using the tips from Abaroth's World website. I used beading wire for the beets. Warning: making that many tiny beets is a tedious process! I wanted to make the little cabbages, but ran out of time for my entry, so I copped out and used more Woodland Scenics underbrush sprinkles. If you're lazy or poor, empty fields with furrows look great anyway. Yes, you can game on it, I just use the sandy parts only. If you think Farmer Maggot is scary, you haven't seen me when you knock the leaves off those beets!
Unfortunately, the plaster warped the MDF. If I were serious about making another one, I'd use that plastic board they sell in the hardware and use in hockey arenas.
That said, go out and buy some stuff from Charlie Foxtrot Models! Aside from being an anomaly of a skinny wargamer, he's a fantastic guy to buy from. I've ordered twice from him and he's been great both times. I like the MDF terrain boards and tree bases. I also love the oases. Even if Egypt or Harad isn't your thing, they'd make great ponds with a frozen surface.