You first need to designate an activity zone from the [i] menu. Click the first corner with enter, then the second. Then, still in the [i] menu, hover the cursor over the rectangle and press [g] to designate it as a garbage dump. Then the dwarves will automatically bring stuff designated as dump in there.

It's actually pretty useful to put an one-tile garbage dump next to the mason. As soon as the dumped stone is brought there you can reclaim it and the mason will have an infinite rock stack next to the workshop because the garbage dump can hold an infinite amount of stone in the one tile.

Does the military have less fluff on the new version? I've stuck with 40d mainly because of that.

Ben, I found that this tutorial got me through the bad days.

Yeah, I followed that one too.

I've been linked to that more times than I can count. I hate following guides like that, and prefer to figure things out on my own. But DF doesn't seem to want me to do that.

Well did you get the garbage dump to work?

Yeah, and I skimmed through enough of that tutorial to figure out farming. I'm using it now, but still not following exactly.

You don't have to, just read through the damn thing so you aren't flying completely blind.

Watch some of cap'n duck's videos. They were pretty helpful in the beginning.

D > This menu is for mostly terrain stuffs.
B > Building stuff
I > Activity areas
P > Stockpiles

Q > Target buildings
V > Target creatures

To start: Delete your caravan.
Dig into the nearest cliff, or the floor if you are so inclined.
Assign a food stockpile, so your food does not decay.

Food: Growing crops in the new version is significantly harder, due to the fact you need to wet the floor before you can harvest...
Bring cats and dogs. You should be able to use them for most of your fooding needs.

Trap your entryway.
Steal from merchants. Those filthy merchants.

I play Adventurer Mode much more than Fortress Mode.

what is this

i don't even

Or was it the name you found funny?
Because dwarves sure do love seeds.

Both. Especially the name.

Well, a bag with spikes of leather should be pretty useful.

...guess how it drowned...
And guess how I got the leather...