Best way to grind professions

Besides having higher success rates for Alchemy, Smithing, and Jewel Making, does recommended levels for smelting and oil production have any use for Mining and Herbalism? Considering that all the success rates are 100% and all the mastery increases are still 20?

The quest says level 5 gets a special reward?

It isn't even remotely difficult lol.
Lv 1 to 2:
5 Defense/Deadshot/Swift Ring I [25 Fatigue]
Lv 2 to 3:
12 Defense/Deadshot/Swift Ring II [60 Fatigue]
Lv 3 to 4:
21 Nimble Ring I [105 Fatigue]
Lv 4 to 5:
31 Nimble Ring II [155 Fatigue]
Lv5 to 6:
48 Nimble Ring II [240 Fatigue]
Lv6 to 7:
60 Swift Ring IV [300 Fatigue]
Lv 7 to 8:
82 Swift Ring IV [410 Fatigue]
Lv 8 to 9:
107 Swift Ring IV [535 Fatigue]
Lv9 to 10:
136 Swift Ring IV [680 Fatigue]

Total Fatigue Needed:
2500.

Total Materials Needed:
17 Silver/Opal Plates
79 Adamantium Plates
21 Steel Plates
385 Gold Plates
38 Basic Abrasives
464 Intermediate Abrasives

I just did the math manually too.

It depends on the world, really. Because in some worlds, you are not going to find 385 cheap Gold Plates for sale in the FM. DEX Crystals would be great if your world has a botter store that sells them for like 250k a pop. Though you're spamming level 5 items and you require Intermediate Item Crystals, you can always extract the rings (no fatigue used) on your alchemy mule and make back the Item Crystals. Requires slightly more fatigue because it's 1 level lower, but sometimes you have no choice. Btw, the person on the first page who said you could buy level 110+ ring recipes (like level 110 and 120 rings that require only 1 gem/plate and an abrasive) in Tespia, that gets cut off at level 100 for GMS.

Is leveling mining and herbalism worth the time? The rate of picking the level 9 recommended crap with level 1 herbalism didn't seem too bad. What benefits are there of leveling gathering other than a higher success rate of gathering higher leveled stuff?

My dual blade is alchemist my shadower is a herbalist. I don't even buy pots anymore. The master alchemist quest gives you a +2k hp potion for 120 minutes and a -30 fatigue potion. You need a herbalist to make the oils needed for potions that alchemist can make.