Minecraft wiki entry for Survival_in_an_infinite_desert, associated text: Rarely a husk or a skeleton drops a potato or carrot. This is beneficial if the player is about to starve; however, it is not useful long-term. You still lack a hoe with which to make farmland. The potato or carrot is good for only one meal, probably raw, but it's probably best to save it, in case you obtain a hoe or find farmland. However, hoes require material for the blade, such as wood planks, cobblestone, or iron, all of which are hard to acquire in a desert. Farmland can be found in villages, but these already have ample crops. A carrot might be more useful for enticing rabbits into a pen.