Stardew Valley Quarry Guide

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Callum Marshall

Callum is the gaming managing editor and a certified Stardew Valley aficionado, pouring hundreds if not thousands of hours into this relaxing indie title. While overseeing the day-to-day running of the site, you'll commonly see Callum carve out some time to produce some content on one of his favorite games of all time, and lead from the front. Callum has been around the block within the gaming industry, working as an Editor-in-chief for a number of well-respected gaming outlets, he has worked as a games tester, he has gaming podcast experience, has worked in gaming PR. Basically, you name it, and Callum was probably there or somewhere on the periphery.

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If you were to take a poll of the most beloved aspects of Stardew Valley, we reckon that mining would be right at the top of the pile. This dungeon-crawling aspect of the game is one of the main things that sets it apart from similar games like Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon, offering players a chance to engage in light combat, loot the mines of all their natural resources, and find the buried treasures within.

It’s a pastime within the game that often becomes the main focus of the player, especially in the late game when the farming process is much more automated, and a lot of the story content has already been uncovered. However, an aspect of mining in Stardew Valley that rarely shines under the spotlight but plays a key role in granting players additional resources that can be vital in the early to mid-game, is the Quarry.

The Quarry is a vital resource for players that may need to get their hands on a certain type of ore, or perhaps a precious gem to sell, but don’t want to go delving into the mines and fight the beasts to do this.

It’s an area that often goes unnoticed by many and one that is all but forgotten when players can access the Skull Cavern out in the Calcico Desert or the boat to Ginger Island. However, these players are missing out, as the Quarry is a great resource to have, especially when you know how to use it.

However, you may be wondering what the Quarry is in Stardew Valley, what its purpose is, and how to access it. Well, we know all these things, and we will be passing this knowledge on to you. So without further delay, here is our comprehensive Stardew Valley Quarry guide. Enjoy!

What Is the Quarry in Stardew Valley?

The Quarry in Stardew Valley is an unlockable area of the map where players can visit to acquire natural resources which spawn in this area.

The Quarry is located in the northeast of the map, near the Adventurer’s Guild, and can only be accessed by completing certain bundles in the Community Center or completing the associated Community project for Joja Mart, which repairs the broken bridge.

This area plays host to a designated area where rocks, ore, trees, and precious gems can spawn. Players can go to this area and take these resources by chopping trees and smashing rocks, then over time, the resources will replenish over time.

The player can access this area via the minecart shortcut when the player has completed both associated bundles/projects, and this area also grants the player access to the Quarry Mine. 

How Do you Access The Quarry in Stardew Valley?

As mentioned above, the player can only access this area by completing certain bundles in the Community center or by purchasing the associated community project if you opt to be a Joja Mart Member, but if the latter is the case, know that you are judged. Here is a rundown of what you will need for each option.

Community Centre Route

To access the Bridge Repair incentive, you will need to complete the following bundles: 

Spring Foraging Bundle:

• Daffodil
• Leek
• Dandelion
• Wild Horseradish

Reward: Spring Seeds

Summer Forage Bundle:

• Sweet Pea
• Grape
• Spice Berry

Reward: Summer Seeds

Fall Foraging Bundle:

• Hazelnut
• Blackberry
• Common Mushroom
• Wild Plum

Reward: Fall Seeds

Winter Forage Bundle:

• Crocus
• Snow Yam
• Crystal Fruit
• Winter Root

Reward: Winter Seeds

Construction Bundle:

• 99 Wood
• 99 Wood
• 99 Stone 
• 10 Hardwood

Reward: Charcoal kiln

When you complete all of these bundles, you will receive the associated rewards with each, and at the end of the day, when you complete the final bundle in the set, the Junimos will fix the bridge, and you will then be able to access the Quarry. 

Joja Mart Membership Community Project Route

Then if you opt for the more nefarious route to success, you won’t need to collect any items or finish up any bundles. All you have to do is invest the initial 5,000G in becoming a Joja Member, and then a further 25,000G to buy this project. When you purchase this option, you will then have access to the newly repaired bridge the following day. 

Can you have Two Quarries in Stardew Valley?

Yes, the player can gain access to a second Quarry, and they can do so right from the beginning of their farming adventure. The player can do this by selecting a Mountain Farm when they begin the game. This is a farm layout that provides less land where players can grow crops and an overall setup that has more levels and verticality.

However, the trade-off for this is that in the southwest of the farm, the player will get their own personal Quarry. This is a much smaller space than the Quarry near the Adventurer’s Guild, and this space also doesn’t naturally grow Oak and Maple Trees like the other area. However, this space can be a real benefit to Mountain farmers. 

If the player chooses this option, they will immediately gain access to ore nodes which allows them to make Furnaces, and this allows them to make Copper Bars, Iron Bars, Gold Bars, and more. This easy access gives these players a headstart on other farmers who chose different layouts and allows them to create artisan equipment and helpful machines much earlier.

Plus, the player will gain access to more geodes and gems throughout their run, which will help them fill the museum collection faster, and when that’s done, you can always sell these gems and minerals for a nice profit. 

What are The Benefits of the Quarry in Stardew Valley?

So now that you know what the Quarry is, what its function is, and that you can gain access to two Quarries if you are savvy and choose the right farm layout. We think it’s about time that we talked about the benefits of accessing this area and using the Quarry. Check them out below: 

Access to Resources

Let’s cover the most obvious aspect of this new area. If the player gains access to the Quarry, they will then have access to a good supply of rocks, nodes, and gems, which replenish over time. This means that every so often, the player can take a few bombs with them, head up to the Quarry and clear out the space.

Then in return, the player will most likely get an assortment of Copper Ore, Iron Ore, Gold, and maybe even some Iridium Ore. Not to mention the Wood, Stone, Geodes, and Gems on offer. Plus, if the player doesn’t want to chop down the trees, they could always bring a few Tappers with them and use these Trees for another purpose. 

No Need for Combat

One of the best aspects of mining in the Quarry vs. mining in the Pelican Town mines or the Skull Cavern in the Calico Desert, is that players don’t need to worry about enemies spawning and ruining your day.

So if you are running low on Copper Ore, for example, but are also running low on health, then a trip to the Quarry can be a much safer option than hitting the mines. The last thing you want is to wake up in Harvey‘s surgery with a handful of items lost forever. So instead of toughing it out in the mines, battling away with enemies for vital resources, just pop over to the Quarry.

Provides Late Game Resources

If you are anything like me when playing Stardew Valley, you really buzz off getting late game items really early in the game. Something like fishing up a Dinosaur Egg in the first week of Spring or somehow getting your hands on a Prismatic Shard in the first few seasons.

These are the things that I live for. Well, sadly, these things don’t happen all that often, and you need to find reliable methods to get your hands on these late-game items. One of the most desirable items in the game is a Prismatic Shard, and unless you are super lucky, you won’t come across one for quite some time within the game.

However, if you clear your Quarry of its initial contents and as the season progress, you will notice that the Quarry will begin to replenish with higher quality items like an Iridium Node or a Mystic Stone. Mystic Stones are the things you want as these offer very rare items, such as a Prismatic Shard. So it makes sense to visit your Quarry regularly to get your hands on these quality items. 

Additional Space

Then lastly, you may not be all that interested in the mechanics of the Quarry. Especially in the late game when you have more than enough of every resource in the game. At this point, the game is all about expanding your production in any way that you can, and the Quarry can be a very useful way to do this.

You see if you place floor tiles over the tillable soil in the Quarry, stone, and Trees no longer replenish in this area, and this provides an open space where no NPCs travel to where you can place machines and scale your production even more than you already have.

If you are clever with your placement strategy, you can get up to 374 Kegs in this area, which means a lot of Ancient Fruit wine, and in turn, a whole lot of money coming your way. 

Tips For Using the Quarry in Stardew Valley

As seen in the segment above, the benefits of having access to this unlockable area of the map are plentiful. However, the player will not get the most out of the Quarry unless they understand all the finer details of this area. That’s why we have put together some helpful tips so that you can use the Quarry as it was meant to be used. Check out our helpful tips below:

Clear Your Quarry Regularly

Be sure to make your way over to the Quarry every so often and clear out the area. This is important for two reasons. The first is that if you don’t clear the space, the rocks in the Quarry will regenerate at a slower rate. While the exact regeneration rate is unknown if the player lets the area fill up to over 50% capacity, the rate of regeneration will fall significantly.

However, if the player regularly clears out the space, the Quarry will fill with approximately three rocks per day. So as long as the player checks in at least once or twice a season, this should be fine. 

The player should also do this early and make it a habit as, when the player clears out the initial content in the Quarry, which is usually Copper, Iron, and Gold Ore, along with a handful of unremarkable gems, the Quarry will replenish with better items.

The Quarry essentially scales with you and offers better content as you progress through the game, which means that in time, you’ll be able to mine Iridium, Diamonds, and Prismatic Shards from this area regularly. If that doesn’t motivate you to maintain the Quarry, I don’t know what will. 

Organize Your Quarry

We would also urge players to organize their Quarry, especially in the early game when you first gain access to the area. We would suggest that players mark out the Trees that they want to keep, if any, and place Tappers on them.

We would advise players to lay down a floor tile path, stopping rocks from generating in these spaces and ensuring there is always a path in and out of the Quarry without the need to break rocks. Plus, we would also urge players to place machines on this land early.

This might not be Kegs as suggested above in the early to mid-game as the farm will provide ample space. However, things like Geode Crushers are machines that make sense to place in the Quarry early on. 

What is the Quarry Mine in Stardew Valley?

Then lastly, we better discuss the additional area that the player can access when the bridge is repaired, the Quarry Mine. This is a cave much like the Pelican Town Mines, where players will be able to mine rocks and nodes and will also encounter hostiles.

The enemies in this area include Haunted Skulls, Copper Slimes, and Iron Slimes. This area is accessed on the western area of the Quarry. Player’s will notice an opening on the mountain ridge just as the player gets across the bridge to the Quarry area.

When the player initially visits this cave, they may think that it is rather unremarkable, but if they delve deeper into this cave, they will discover that there is a very interesting reward waiting at the end of the cave. 

If the player manages to brave this cave and lay waste to all of its inhabitants, they will see a Grim Reaper statue at the end of the cave. If the player interacts with this cave, they will be rewarded with the Golden Scythe. This is a variation of the standard Scythe that has some properties that make it a much better tool than the standard Scythe.

If the player uses the standard Scythe to cut long grass, only 50% of this grass will be converted to Hay, used to feed animals. However, when the player uses the Golden Scythe for the same purpose, the player will be able to convert 75% of long grass into Hay. So it goes without saying that the Golden Scythe is well worth seeking out.

FAQs

Stardew Valley Quarry Guide: No Need To Worry When You have A Quarry!

As you can see from the info provided, the Quarry in Stardew Valley is a very underrated resource and one that can be a surefire way to get your hands on late-game resources earlier than you might do otherwise. Plus, this unlockable area has more secrets in store than just the resources that generate in the Quarry.

In short, it’s well worth completing the necessary bundle and getting your butt over there. We hope that this guide helps you get the most out of your Quarry, and we hope you get your hands on Prismatic Shards aplenty. As always, thank you for reading SdewHQ!