Sheep are the best starting animal, all they need is water and grass/hay. Fertilizer comes in solid and liquid form, they count as the same. Seed and fertilizer from pallets is cheaper than from automatic dispensers. Harvesters, all headers fit on all harvesters, though low end harvesters might have issues moving with the biggest headers. It is much faster than picking bales up with a spike and placing them manually onto a flatbed. Buy a flatbed to transport pallets with, but buy an autoloader to pick up and transport bales. Things have HP requirements, on flat maps, you can get away with a little underpowered tractor, if your field has a hill on it, you can't. Or loading wagon to pick up straw and hay and dump it somewhere in your yard for animal use. Plough to plow fields, cultivator to cultivate them, sower to seed them, harvester to harvest them, baler to bale straw, mower to mow grass, baler to bale hay, wrapper to wrap hay and make it into silage. Sure, you can learn the basics there, but its farming. Unless you don't mind the complete absence of any realism. I'd say sod Goldcrest Valley and start on a mod map.