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[GrizzlyAdamz]

So, I have my fort inside a 5-story plateau, and I figured that, for above-ground farming, I could dig a large space one level below the surface of the top of the plateau, and then dig long channels to allow sun and rain into the area before farming. Well, question is, if I want to do this without threatening my fort, do I have to wall off the top of the plateau? (inspecting it, and they are in fact slopes, not cliffs, dropping from the top down to the valley where my entrance is located) Perhaps I could have two levels of open space above the farming area to deter drop ins? Or is it all just doomed to being plugged up to stop an invasion, or a winged menace?

[Lormax]

A flyer will always be able to get in if you don't build a roof.  You can remove the slopes to make it a cliff, preventing ground monsters from getting up there.

After building a roof, the tiles are still considered outside and you can still farm on them.

[GrizzlyAdamz]

So I should just farm right on the surface and turn the last slope into a cliff? What about invasions and such? Do I need to worry about them waltzing into my fort from the top?

[Lormax]

If the invasion can't path up there, then you don't gotta worry about them invading from the top.  Removing the slopes will prevent them from pathing.  You'll still need to worry about flyers.

[GrizzlyAdamz]

good to know. I'm in a very tame area, so the worst I have to worry about are buzzards. Do invasions contain fliers?

[DDR]

Just dragons... and maybe a few other things, but they mostly come from underground. Mostly.

[captduck]

I've seen goblin invaders arrive riding giant cave swallows and other flying mounts.  You may want to roof it in just to be on the safe side.  If you have access to sand you could always make it a glass roof, like a greenhouse.  That's what I'm planning to do with my fort.

[GrizzlyAdamz]

heh, how does one make glass.....

[kaijyuu]

http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/Glass

[VoidPointer]

Very carefully. Try not to lose your empty bags. 

[GrizzlyAdamz]

hmm, I can't modify anything within 1 block of an edge.......what now? Walls I assume?

[thijser]

When I want to have light inside I usually make grates instead of glass walls.

[GrizzlyAdamz]

does that allow rain in?

[VoidPointer]

Notably, a roof made of anything that isn't a construction (grates, for example, are not a construction) will be vulnerable to flying building destroyers (including, but not limited to, dragons). Not sure if such a creature will actually path to it, but there you go.

[Sphalerite]

Note that you don't need light or glass or rain to have an aboveground farm.  You just need to have tiles that light touched once.  You can freely build a solid stone roof over your farm plot and still grow plants on it.  However, unless I'm mistaken, you can't grow surface crops on muddied stone floors.   You need either surface soil or muddied dirt floors to grow surface crops.  Muddied stone floors can only be used for underground crops.