Launch status: Graveyard Keeper 2 is out now worldwide (September 22, 2026) on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch & Switch 2 — full details in the release date & platform schedule.
On this page 6 sections
Core Data & Verification Matrix
| Primary NPC Vendor | Dig the Hermit (East Village Campsite) |
| Key Workstation | Hand Press (Cellar or Outdoor Yard) |
| Alternative Source | Autopsied Corpse Fat processed at Hand Press |
| Essential Crafting Output | Ink for Bookbinding & Lamp Oil for Crypt Lights |
| Quest Requirement | 5 Seed Oil bottles for Donkey Cart Grease |
| Fiber Byproduct | Hemp Rope for Candelabras and Tool Bindings |
Dig the Hermit & Hemp Cultivation Strategies
Locating the eccentric hermit and establishing your personal textile and oil plantation.
Dig lives in an earthen shelter nestled in the bluffs east of the village. He is your sole vendor for starting Hemp Seeds and ready-made Seed Oil during the early game before you construct an Oil Press. Dig accepts wild mushrooms and honey in exchange for his botanical wares.
Once you bring his seeds back to your garden, Hemp proves to be one of the most profitable multi-use crops in the valley. Unlike delicate vegetables, hemp requires no fertilizer to yield a net positive seed return, making it entirely self-sustaining from the first harvest.
| Item / Seed | Dig Vendor Cost | Growth Cycles | Primary Utility in Workshop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hemp Seeds (4x) | 12 Bronze Coins | 1.5 Days | Sown into Garden Bed to yield Stalks & Seeds |
| Seed Oil Flask | 40 Bronze Coins | Instant Purchase | Bypasses press construction for early Donkey quest |
| Hemp Stalk Bundle | N/A (Harvested) | 4 per plot | Spun into Hemp Rope at Church Desk |
| Hemp Rope | 28 Bronze Coins | N/A | Essential for Candelabras and Construction kits |
| Dig's Special Brew | 1 Silver Coin | Consumable | Restores 80 Stamina with a sustained energy buff |
Planting just 4 plots of Hemp delivers enough seeds to run continuous Hand Press cycles while generating all the rope needed for church candelabras.
Every corpse yields 1 Fat when autopsied. Processing corpse fat in your Hand Press produces clean Seed Oil without growing a single hemp plant.
Hand Press Mechanics & Scriptorium Applications
Turning pressed lipids into the ink and lubricants that power your tech progression.
The Hand Press is a compact mechanical press built in your basement or yard. It accepts two primary inputs: botanical seeds (hemp/pumpkin) or rendered animal/cadaver fat. Crushing these inputs yields Seed Oil flasks with zero waste.
This oil is the irreplaceable binder for Scriptorium Ink. At Alchemy Workbench I, mixing 1 Seed Oil with 1 Ash produces a flask of rich black ink capable of penning up to 10 manuscript chapters or sermon flyers.
| Hand Press Recipe | Required Inputs | Oil Yield | Efficiency Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hemp Seed Pressing | 4 Hemp Seeds | 1 Seed Oil Flask | Infinite renewability via garden farming |
| Corpse Fat Pressing | 2 Cadaver Fat | 1 Seed Oil Flask | Direct morgue byproduct; saves crop space |
| Pumpkin Seed Oil | 6 Pumpkin Seeds | 1 Seed Oil Flask | Suboptimal (Pumpkins are better eaten or sold) |
| Scriptorium Ink Formula | 1 Seed Oil + 1 Ash | 1 Ink Vial (10 uses) | Core consumable for books and sermons |
| Donkey Cart Wheel Oil | 5 Seed Oil Flasks | Quest Turn-In | Fixes Donkey's broken cart to resume deliveries |
Extracting fat from 10 morgue corpses generates 5 flasks of Seed Oil—the exact quantity needed to appease the Donkey and unlock automated corpse logistics.
Do not sell your early Seed Oil flasks! The Donkey will eventually stage a strike, demanding 5 bottles of Seed Oil to lubricate his cart before delivering more bodies.
Step-by-Step Strategic Walkthrough
- Visit Dig the Hermit at his campsite east of the village to buy starter Hemp Seeds and pre-bottled Seed Oil.
- Unlock Hemp Cultivation in the Nature and Farming technology tree.
- Construct a Hand Press in your cellar or outdoor workyard using Wooden Planks and Complex Iron Parts.
- Plant Hemp Seeds in garden beds; each harvest yields Hemp Stalks and extra Hemp Seeds.
- Process 4 Hemp Seeds (or 2 Fat harvested from morgue autopsies) in the Hand Press to bottle 1 flask of pure Seed Oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy Seed Oil in Graveyard Keeper 2?
You can buy Seed Oil directly from Dig the Hermit at his camp east of the village for 40 Bronze per flask.
How do you make Seed Oil at home?
Build a Hand Press, then crush 4 Hemp Seeds or 2 Cadaver Fat to produce 1 flask of Seed Oil.
What is Seed Oil used for in GK2?
It is used to craft Ink (with Ash), make church lamp oil, and satisfy Donkey's cart grease quest.
Where do you find Hemp Seeds?
Hemp Seeds can be bought from Dig the Hermit or harvested from your own mature hemp garden plots.