My problem with crops

So I'm at level 119 currently and the biggest hastle for me is the level of my dragons. Most of my newer dragons have been stuck at levels 5 - 8 and all because of the food costs.

Like for example, my Big Bad dragon is at level 6 and it requires 1250 fireapples? For a level 6 that cost is insane and it really drives me away from leveling it up to level 10, which should be the endgoal for this game.

To add salt to the wound, the prices and quantities of the crops is a joke. To get my Tinsel dragon to level 10 it requires 50,000 fireapples. If I planted Diamondates to achieve that then it would take 63 plants (9 plants if none of the farms are occupied) and 4 million gold. For me, that is insane. This tedious process has really kept me from getting my dragons past level 10, as that costs will just get more and more insane...

I really hope they do something to fix this process...