So I am on my third game and I am wondering if I should get all the farming levels first. On my first game, I had the game on 2x and forgot to pause it while I was travelling so everyone died. On the 2nd game, I will admit to time warping and I got carried away. I only get to play about an hour a day so I was buggy for things to happen faster. Anyway, both times food shortage was the issue. This time, I am trying this strategy: got Farming L2 first, then I'll get Eng L2 so they can build the dam, then I'll just save up for Farming L3, so at least there is no algae and they can catch fish.
What order of tech levels do you get?

I get Farming Level 2 first, then Engineering level 2, and then science level 2 (So I can build up quick to get level 3 farming).

I myself play at first on 2x and I try to go for my science points first.If your off for more than 3 or 4 hours I"d pause the game. When I know my villagers can survive easier on what I have as far as food goes. I work on putting my people on the science table to get more points. I put most all of them on the table except maybe 1 farmer.
As much as building is important. I think farming is more important.
The food is the most important part of the game.

I've done it exactly as you described with three of my four villages and they are all fine. The one village where I was trying to go for Tech points ended up having a few die from starvation (even though I left the game on 1/2 speed overnight) so I ended up buying Engineering 2 before Tech 2 so that they could build the dam and have crops (algae had occurred while I slept). So, I would do it your way.

If you new try on easy level and at 2x speed. I get L2 science, L2 farming L2 construction. In that order. I put all but two on science one on farming and one on building. After building the first hut, I'm ready for the villager to build the dam. Then I put him on science. Don't forget you need to get masters in three subject for a totem. But then I sit with the game and get the children to collect mushrooms and colectables. I then do L2 medicine Then L3 farming. I then get L3 medicine and the rest as I need them. Once you have more than 10 villagers, you need a second farmer. There are many ways you can play, but I find I don't loose any villagers. They usually die of old age in my games. Don't forget, events also determine how the game plays as well. For me, survival is the most important.

In VV2, I prefer to start in buying the level 2 of Engineering and to build the dam as soon as I can.
Then I buy the level 2 of Science to get the tech points faster.
After that I purchase the level 2 of Exploration to have the cauldron and the stews, that may help my workers to stay in good health and, as soon as I can, I may put some villagers on cutting away the thorns and so they improve their building skills.
And I buy the level 2 of medicine because I want not to see my villagers becoming elderly too early.