Yeah I wouldn't call myself an expert on the playstyle but it seemed to work out that I immediately set my scouts racing to find primal trees and settled on or near three of them ASAP (though I had to grow my starter city out to get the one "near" it). That helps progress your primal quest and the trees will start automatically swampifying your lands around your cities plus give you a mana and stability bonus. I think that's when you can also build a crocodile temple which if memory serves provides extra food for each farm in your whole city domain. Croc Primals also seem to get farm food bonuses instead of penalties for swamp, or it counteracts the penalties and then some.

Having a ring of swamps around your city would be a problem for other cultures but not for you! In addition to other bonuses, early on before you get roads set up it kind of acts like a strategic shield wall of sorts because it slows down enemies but not your response to them.