I've been using a design I came up with ever since 1.9:
This design is supposed to let crop grow on player activity on the loaded chunks and when the player is gone it's supposed to freeze (chunks being unload - redstone stops)
However the thing that actually happens is that after I leave the game at some situations, the redstone clock continues to count down, so if I left it for the night, when I get back on the expected behavior is to the crop staying at the same state, but they end up "popped" (as seen at the end of the demonstration video), without any known player around it to keep the chunks loaded, this behavior is not supposed to happen unless I'm missing something.

When testing the farm when I'm near it, it works flawlessly, so tracing the error is rather tough task for me because I don't know where to begin.

Additional crucial information:
This was built on 1.9 on a sethome area I've had and had no errors, after an update to 1.11.2 a minor modification using observer block at the 2nd timer was needed and again - it was working flawlessly. after a map reset on the server I play on, I rebuilt the farm on a crowded (server staff) place and started having this unexpected behavior, a friend has mentioned the possibility of lazy chunks affecting it which then I rebuilt it at my sethome (which is highly unlikely to have any player around it) and yet experienced the same results after arming the timer and disconnecting from the server within 30 seconds. a day later after logging back on I saw all the loot was popped from the farmland and the timer was reset.
if a player was around my chunks (server limits chunk rendering to diameter of 5), he needed to stay within 45 blocks of the redstone timer to keep it running, and since I left after 30 seconds - he had to be there for around an hour which is really highly unlikely to happen.

TL;DR version:
Expected behavior:
https://gfycat.com/FavorableRecentEchidna
Actual behavior: Image

Redstone updates when player is being off the circuitry chunks (logging off), and then dispenses water in somewhat ghost state that makes the unfinished-to-grow crop pop from the farmland (but without clearing it as water is supposed to do). after logging back the items just wait on the farmland, waiting to be despawned/picked

In depth video that explains the used mechanics and expected / actual behavior, sorry for it being chopped, I recorded it 5 times with obs encountering errors on the way
https://youtu.be/BRrAWnVXSP8