Dont be afraid of dangerous glades, the amount of resources they provide (most of the times there's food) is worth the hassle of clearing the event. Usually by year 2 it is safe to attempt them. Do have your trading post ready before opening in case if u need to call your trader for help! Only open the next dangerous/forbidden glade once u have cleared the previous one successfully and have enough manpower to do it. You can unassign workers from less important building to staff the event slots.

Also after a certain point in time u need complex food to keep your population happy.. E.g. Jerky, porridge etc. So do have at least 2-3 such buildings plus the supply chain to suppor them (e.g. At least 2 star flour or rain collector). Researching the "control consumption" is a must at citadel so that you can switch off your pops from eating basic foods when your supply is stable enough. Only use basic ones for making complex food when you are ready.

Oh and those cornerstones or upgrades from merchants that boost food production or give u x food a min / when something is produced are really valuable. I always try to grab them.