VV2's technology and food path are different from that in VV1, so you can't go solely on VV1 experience to help you attain food in VV2. Since you have no children in the game and can't pick mushrooms, I would suggest that you solve the scarecrow puzzle, set some villagers to farming, set the speed to 1/2 speed, and then leave the game off for awhile. You have the farm, since you have completed the dam puzzle (the bird message was that the birds are eating the crops - which only grow on the farm).

When the game is off, the peeps don't worry about food or carry out other non-productive activities. You should have food in the bin after the next crop cycle (click on the farm to see how long that will be).