I was recently calculating whats a better investment for food trickle, a ice house or a farmstead and cows garrisoned.
ICE HOUSE (Limit: 5)
Base building:
Cost: 100 stone, 100 wood
Build time: 60 s
Trickle: 1 food / 2 s (0.5 food/s)
Aqueduct upgrade:
Cost: 300 stone, 300 wood
Research: 40 s
Trickle: 2 food / 2 s (1.0 food/s)
5 ICE HOUSES (max):
5 × (100 stone + 100 wood) = 500 stone, 500 wood
1 × (300 stone + 300 wood) = 300 stone, 300 wood
Total resources: 1600
Total trickle: 5 food/s
Cost per 1 food/s:
1600 / 5 = 320 resources
CORRAL + COWS (Limit: 50 cows)
Corral:
Cost: 100 wood
Build time: 50 s
Capacity: 8 cows
Cows:
Cost: 150 food
Produce: 60 s
Trickle: 3 food / 3 s (1.0 food/s)
7 CORRALS + 50 COWS (max cows):
7 × 100 wood = 700 wood
50 × 150 food = 7500 food
Total resources: 8200
Total trickle: 50 food/s
Cost per 1 food/s:
8200 / 50 = 164 resources
Summary:
Ice House: 320 resources per 1 food/s
Corral + Cows: 164 resources per 1 food/s
Corrals win by far. I think the ice houses should be better considering they are a civ specialty.