Gatherers get the most food early on. Forget all the rest; make a gatherers hut and an herbalist. You only need one person collecting herbs. You can put them next to each other but both need to be in the wilderness with nothing else around but a road.
This will get you pretty far. Get a woodcutter for firewood next and then build houses as needed. Put laborers and students to work clearing land.
You need to establish a schoolhouse and farm/cattle ranch around the same time. You have to educate the populace as it makes them more productive; soon after you need a blacksmith to make more tools as the starting tools break.
From there you should have some padding and can experiment. Keep cultivating animals as they can provide emergency food the fastest. Dont worry about maxing out each buildings laborer count; only a few really matter doing that, like a farm.
