We've come across a bug in minetest_game/farming that crashes the server on rare occasions. Each time this particular nil value bug occurs, it is when a player places grass. Below is a section from the most recent crashes log report.
11:37:11: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_2 at (538,14,491)
11:37:12: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_2 at (538,14,491)
11:37:13: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_2 at (538,14,491)
11:37:13: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_2 at (538,14,491)
11:37:14: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_2 at (538,14,491)
11:37:15: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_2 at (538,14,491)
11:37:15: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_1 at (538,14,491)
11:37:16: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_1 at (538,14,491)
11:37:19: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_3 at (532,14,494)
11:37:21: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_3 at (531,14,488)
11:37:22: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_5 at (533,14,488)
11:37:23: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_5 at (533,14,488)
11:37:24: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_3 at (533,14,487)
11:37:25: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_3 at (533,14,487)
11:37:26: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_2 at (533,14,485)
11:37:27: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_2 at (533,14,485)
11:37:29: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_1 at (532,14,486)
11:37:32: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_3 at (531,14,481)
11:37:36: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_5 at (533,14,489)
11:37:37: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_5 at (533,14,489)
11:37:38: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_2 at (533,14,491)
11:37:39: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_2 at (533,14,491)
11:37:39: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_3 at (533,14,493)
11:37:40: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_3 at (533,14,493)
11:37:41: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 punches object 357: LuaEntitySAO at (532.61,13.6212,494.036)
11:37:43: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_2 at (535,14,485)
11:37:44: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_2 at (535,14,485)
11:38:00: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_5 at (533,14,486)
11:38:01: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_5 at (533,14,486)
11:38:07: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_3 at (526,14,480)
11:38:07: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_3 at (525,14,479)
11:38:08: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 digs default:grass_3 at (524,14,478)
11:38:08: ACTION[ServerThread]: WSDguy2014 places node default:grass_3 at (525,14,479)
11:38:08: ACTION[ServerThread]: Server: stefan supplied wrong password
11:38:11: ERROR[ConnectionSend]: con(5/1)RunTimeouts(): Peer 172 has timed out. (source=peer->timeout_counter)
11:38:11: ERROR[main]: ERROR: An unhandled exception occurred: ...t-0.4.9/bin/../games/minetest_game/mods/farming/init.lua:212: attempt to index local 'ret' (a nil value)
11:38:11: ERROR[main]: stack traceback:
11:38:11: ERROR[main]: ...t-0.4.9/bin/../games/minetest_game/mods/farming/init.lua:212: in function <...t-0.4.9/bin/../games/minetest_game/mods/farming/init.lua:208>
In thread 7f395f088780:
/home/minetest/new_minetest-0.4.9/src/main.cpp:1870: int main(int, char**): Assertion '0' failed.
Debug stacks:
DEBUG STACK FOR THREAD 7f3953218700:
#0 virtual void* CurlFetchThread::Thread()
DEBUG STACK FOR THREAD 7f395f088780:
#0 int main(int, char**)
(Leftover data: #1 Dedicated server branch)
(Leftover data: #2 virtual void ServerMap::save(ModifiedState))
(Leftover data: #3 virtual void Database_SQLite3::saveBlock(MapBlock*))
(Leftover data: #4 void ItemStack::serialize(std::ostream&) const)