Farming and Stardew Valley go hand-in-hand. It’s so closely tied to making an income for your little farm that the game wouldn’t be itself without it.
When you first imagine farming, you’ll probably be thinking of all the tasty-looking fruits and vegetables you’ll be growing and selling. Shimmering, blood-red strawberries, Fresh and crisp cucumbers…It’s going to be so easy and relaxing.
But it extends a little bit further than that:
- Are the crops you want to grow even in season?
- How does the weather affect my crops?
- What type of crops sells for the most amount of money?
- How do I increase crop yield?
- Can I do more with my crops than sell them how they are?
- How can I make farming a little less time-consuming?
- What about the animals? How do I look after them?
These are only some of the questions I asked myself when I first arrived at my farm. Back when I still didn’t realize how fun and complex farming could be.
To make things easier, I’ll go ahead and split everything into induvial topics:
- Crops, Seeds & FertilisersÂ
- Tools & SkillsÂ
- Animals
Hopefully, this guide makes farming a little easier to understand so that you can get the most out o your farm without all the trial and error I had to go through!
Crops, Seeds & Fertilisers
Time to start with the basics.
It is important to remember that most crops can only be grown during a specific season. For example, if you plant Melon Seeds during the Winter, they won’t produce any crops. The timing on this is exact; even if you planted the Melon Seeds a day before the end of Summer, they’d still die the next day.
Winter is the only season where you cannot grow any crops at all; this gives you the perfect opportunity to build your rapport with the residents of Pelican Town.
To even grow crops, you need to acquire the necessary seeds. You can grab most of your seeds and other farming needs from Pierre’s General Store in Pelican Town. The store usually opens at 9 am every morning and closes at 5 pm.
This gives you three hours to tend to your farm and any other needs before heading to the store to buy what you need; I’d recommend buying everything you need in the morning rather than leaving it too late and risk missing the store entirely.
The stock at Pierre’s store changes on the first day of a new season, but some items are always available for purchase regardless of time:
Spring Stock
- Garlic Seeds:-Â Takes four days to grow fully. Sold for 40g per packet. (Can only be purchased in Year 2)
- Jazz Seeds:-Â Takes seven days to grow fully. Sold for 30g per packet.
- Parsnip Seeds:-Takes 4 days to fully grow. Sold for 20g per packet.
- Bean Starter:-Â Takes ten days to grow fully but keeps producing crops until the following season. Sold for 60g per starter.
- Cauliflower Seeds:-Â Takes 12 days to grow fully. Sold for 80g per packet.
- Potato Seeds:Â It takes six days to grow fully and has a high chance of increasing crop yield when harvested. Sold for 50g per packet.
- Tulip Seeds:-Â Takes six days to grow fully. Sold for 20g per packet.
- Kale Seeds:-Â Takes six days to grow fully. Sold for 70g per packet.
- Rice Shoot:Â It takes eight days to grow fully and matures faster if it’s planted next to a body of water. Sold for 40g per shoot.
Summer Stock
- Tomato Seeds:-Â Takes 11 days to grow fully but keeps producing crops after its initial harvest. Sold for 50g per packet.
- Melon Seeds:-Â Takes 12 days to grow fully. Sold for 80g per packet.
- Corn Seeds:-Â Takes 14 days to grow fully but keeps producing crops after its initial harvest. Sold for 150g per packet.
- Hops Starter:-Â Takes 11 days to grow fully but keeps producing crops after its initial harvest. Sold for 60g per starter.
- Radish Seeds:-Â Takes six days to grow fully. Sold for 40g per packet.
- Poppy Seeds:-Â Takes seven days to grow fully. Sold for 100g per packet.
- Spangle Seeds:-Â Takes eight days to grow fully. Sold for 50g per packet.
- Red Cabbage Seeds:-Â Takes nine days to grow fully. Sold for 100g per packet. (Only available in Year 2)
- Wheat Seeds:-Â Takes four days to grow fully. Sold for 10g per packet.
- Blueberry Seeds:-Â Takes 13 days to grow fully but keeps producing crops after its initial harvest. Sold for 80g per packet.
- Pepper Seeds:-Â Takes five days to mature but keeps producing crops after its initial harvest. Sold for 40g per packet.
- Sunflower Seeds:-Â Takes eight days to grow fully and has a high chance of yielding more seeds upon harvesting. Sold for 200g per packet.
Fall Stock
- Grape Starter:-Â Takes ten days to grow fully but keeps producing crops after its initial harvest. Sold for 60g per starter.
- Wheat Seeds:-Â Takes four days to grow fully. Sold for 10g per packet.
- Amaranth Seeds:-Â Takes seven days to grow fully. Sold for 70g per packet.
- Yam Seeds:-Â Takes ten days to grow fully. Sold for 60g per packet.
- Cranberry Seeds:-Â Takes seven days to grow fully but keeps producing crops after its initial harvest. Sold for 240g per packet.
- Eggplant Seeds:-Â Takes five days to grow fully but keeps producing crops after its initial harvest. Sold for 20g per packet.
- Fairy Seeds:-Â Takes 12 days to grow fully. Sold for 200g per packet.
- Bok Choy Seeds:-Â Takes four days to grow fully. Sold for 50g per packet.
- Corn Seeds:-Â Takes 14 days to grow fully but keeps producing crops after its initial harvest. Sold for 150g per packet.
- Pumpkin Seeds:-Â Takes 13 days to grow fully. Sold for 100g per packet.
- Sunflower Seeds:-Â Takes eight days to grow fully and has a high chance of yielding more seeds upon harvesting. Sold for 200g per packet.
- Artichoke Seeds:-Â Takes eight days to grow fully. Sold for 30g per packet. (Only available during Year 2)
Fertiliser, Saplings and Cooking Ingredients
- Basic Fertiliser:-Â Slightly increases your chance of growing high-quality crops. It only works on tilled soil. Sold for 100g per box.
- Quality Fertiliser:-Â Greatly increases your chance of growing high-quality crops. It only works on tilled soil. Sold for 150g per box. (Only purchasable in Year 2)
- Basic Retaining Soil:-Â Slightly increases the soil’s chance of staying hydrated overnight. Sold for 100g per box.
- Quality Retaining soil:-Â Greatly increase the soil’s chance of staying hydrated overnight. Sold for 150g per box.
- Speed-Gro:-Â Increases growth rate by 10%. Sold for 100g per box.
- Deluxe Speed-Gro:-Â Increases growth rate by 25%. Sold for 150g per box.
- Grass Starter:-Â When on your farm, place on a soiled tile to create a new patch of grass. Sold for 100g per starter.
- Apple Sapling:-Â Takes 28 days to grow fully. Produces fruit every day in Fall. Sold for 4,000g per Sapling.
- Apricot Sapling:-Â Takes 28 days to grow fully. Produces fruit every day in Spring. Sold for 2,000g per Sapling.
- Cherry Sapling:-Â Takes 28 days to grow fully. Produces fruit every day in Spring. Sold for 3,400g per Sapling.
- Orange Sapling:-Â Takes 28 days to grow fully. Produces fruit every day in Summer. Sold for 4,000g per Sapling.
- Pomegranate Sapling:-Â Takes 28 days to grow fully. Produces fruit every day in Fall. Sold for 6,000g per Sapling.
- Peach Sapling:-Â Takes 28 days to grow fully. Produces fruit every day in Summer. Sold for 6,000g per Sapling.
- Oil:-Â A cooking ingredient used in many recipes. Sold for 200g per bottle.
- Rice:-Â A cooking ingredient used in many recipes. Sold for 200g per bag.
- Wheat Flour:-Â A cooking ingredient used in many recipes. Sold for 100g per box.
- Sugar:-Â A cooking ingredient used in many recipes. Sold for 100g per bag.
- Vinegar:-Â A cooking ingredient used in many recipes. Sold for 200g per bottle
Additionally, there are some seeds and crops that can only be purchased from specific merchants or at certain events:
Travelling Cart
The travelling Cart is a unique type of merchant that appears south of your farm, in the depths of Cindersap Forest. Unfortunately, it only appears on Fridays and Sundays and closes at 8 pm. However, the merchandise never stays the same, and neither do the prices, so it would be good to try and buy everything you can whilst it’s still available.
It sells the following seeds:
- Ancient Fruit Seeds:-Â Takes 28 days to grow fully but bears fruit every seven days. Usually sold for 1,000g. (Cannot be raised during Winter)
- Rare Seeds:-Â Takes 24 days to grow fully. Usually sold for 1,000g per packet.
- Coffee Bean: It takes ten days to grow and produce crops after their initial harvest fully. Usually sold for 2,500g.
Sandy
Sandy is the shopkeeper of a store called Oasis, located in The Desert. After you purchase the ‘Bus Repair’ option from the Joja Community Development Form or complete the Vault Bundles at the Community Centre, they’ll be able to travel to this location from 10:10 am to 5 pm.
- Cactus Seeds:-Â Takes 12 days to grow fully. Sold for 150g per packet. (Can only be grown indoors)
- Starfruit Seeds:-Â Takes 13 days to develop fully. Sold for 400g per packet. (Can only be grown during Summer)
- Rhubarb Seeds:-Â Takes 13 days to develop fully. Sold for 100g per packet. (Can only be produced during Spring)
Island Trader
The Island Trader is a merchant who resides on Ginger Island; unlike other shopkeepers, he doesn’t accept gold but only barters for items with other items:
- Mango Sapling:-Â Takes 28 to grow fully but will keep bearing fruit during the Summer or all year round if you plant it on Ginger Island. Traded for 75 Mussels.
- Banana Sapling:-Â Takes 28 to grow fully but will keep bearing fruit during the Summer or all year round if you plant it on Ginger Island. Traded for 5 Dragon Tooth.
- Pineapple Seeds:-Â Takes 14 days to grow fully but will keep producing crops after its initial harvest. Traded for 1 Magma Cap.
- Taro Tuber:-Â Takes ten days to grow fully. It will grow faster if planted next to a body of water. Traded for 2 Bone Fragments.
Events
- Strawberry Seeds:-Â Takes eight days to grow fully but continues to produce crops after its initial harvest. Sold for 100g per packet at the Egg Festival.
You can also plant Mixed Seeds if you find them while cutting grass with a Scythe. Mixed Seeds will randomly grow any of the available crops at the time, but only during Spring, Summer and Fall.
Crops can only be grown on a single, tilled soil tile back on your farm. To till the soil, you’ll need to get your hands on a Hoe, it can be hard to aim with it, but that comes with practice. Once the soil’s been tilled, you can plant your seeds and then sprinkle them with the Watering Can. To keep your crops healthy and hydrated, make sure to water them every morning.
When your crops have fully grown, harvest and toss them into the large wooden box to sell them, be careful though, you can only take back a single item that you’ve just placed into the box; if you dropped lots of essential things in there, then you’re out of luck, I’m afraid.
Depending on what type of Fertiliser you use and your overall Farming level, crops can gain a different level of quality, represented by a little star. The color of the star will determine the quality of your harvest. With Silver being the lowest and Iridium being the highest. If your crop doesn’t have a star, it is classed as Regular. Naturally, Iridium will net you the most profit, whereas Regular will give you the least.
Some additional side notes about farming:
- Crows:-Â Crows will eat some of your crops when you have 15 or more growing at any given time; the only way to prevent this is by placing a scarecrow near your produce. Additionally, there are eight unique Scarecrows for you to collect; once you have them all, you’ll access the Deluxe Scarecrow, which covers many more tiles and protects much more crops than a regular one.
- Weather:Â Weather can significantly affect your crops and how you spend your time the next day. For example, if you know it will rain all day the next day, you don’t need to water your crops the night before or when you wake up.
- Greenhouse:-Â Once you unlock the Greenhouse by completing the Community Centre’s Pantry Bundles or purchasing the Joja Community Development Form, you can raise any type of crop inside it regardless of its seasonal availability, meaning that you grow Starfruits during Winter if you want to!
- Ginger Island Farm:-Â As the name suggests, this farm can only be accessed on Ginger Island. It is similar to the Greenhouse but with more space to work with because you can grow any crop here regardless of the season. Crows also don’t spawn here, so there’s no need to craft any scarecrows. There is also plenty of ways to obtain Golden Walnuts, which can be used to repair your new tropical farmhouse, mailbox and Farm Obliesk. Certain characters on Ginger Island Farm will reward you with Golden Walnuts for completing their requests. Be sure to check out the Tiger Slime Grove; these slimes are rather remarkable and have a chance of dropping rare (and tiger-related) items.
- The Farm Cave:-Â As the name suggests, this is a cave that can be found on your farm. Once you accumulate 25,000g in total earnings, you will choose to either allow fruit bats to live in it, who will leave fruit for you or have mushrooms grow in it instead.
Tools & Skills
Specific tools can help you farm and harvest your crops faster:
- Watering Can:-Â Allows you to water crops. It can be refilled at a well or any body of water.
- Hoe:-Â Allows you to till the soil, making it suitable to plant seeds.
- Scythe:-Â Allows you to slice through weeds and grass; some crops can only be harvested via a scythe.
- Milk Pail:-Â Allows you to obtain milk from Cows and Goats.
- Shears:-Â Allows you to obtain wool from Sheep once their coats are long enough.
Note that most of your tools can be upgraded to improve their efficiency. The highest upgrade level is Iridium, and the lowest is Copper. However, once you hand over your device to Clint the Blacksmith for an upgrade, you will not have access to it for two days. Also, Clint will not be able to sell you any ore or break open geodes for you until he’s done with your tool.
Skills play a massive role in Stardew Valley as they allow you to become more proficient at specific tasks and craft new, valuable items. Skills go up to level ten; you can select a bonus skill at Level 5 and Level 10.
You can gain experience points by continually using specific tools or performing certain tasks, like fishing or foraging.
Additionally, new crafting recipes will become available at every new level:
Farming Crafting Recipes
Level 1
- Scarecrow:-Â Prevents crows from attacking your crops within about eight tiles. To create this, you need 50 pieces of wood, one piece of coal and 20 pieces of fibre.
- Basic Fertiliser:-Â Slightly increases your chance of growing high-quality crops. It only works on tilled soil. To create this, you need two drops of Sap.
Level 2
- Sprinkler:-Â A device that waters four adjacent soil tiles every morning, which saves you from doing it every morning. To create this, you need 1 Copper Bar and 1 Iron Bar.
- Stone Fence:-Â A stone fence that can be used to segregate different areas of your farm. To create this, you need two pieces of stone per fence.
- Mayonnaise Machine:Â A machine that turns Chicken and duck eggs into mayonnaise. To create this, you need 15 pieces of wood, 15 pieces of stone, 1 Earth Crystal and 1 Copper Bar.
Level 3
- Speed-Gro:-Â Increases growth rate by 10%. You need one bottle of Pine Tar and 1 Clam to create this.
- Farmer’s Lunch:-Â A hearty meal of eggs and parsnips will keep your energy up. Restores 200 Energy and 90 Health. To create this, you need 1 Omelete and 1 Parsnip.
- Bee House:-Â Provides you with Honey every four days, except during the Winter. To create this, you need 40 pieces of wood, eight pieces of Coal, 1 Iron Bar and one bottle of Maple Syrup.
Level 4
- Iron Fence:-Â An iron fence that can be used to segregate different areas of your farm. You need 1 Iron Bar to make ten fences per craft to create this.
- Basic Retaining Soil:-Â Slightly increases the soil’s chance of staying hydrated overnight. To create this, you need 2 Stones.
- Preserve Jar:-Â A jar that turns fruits and vegetables into pickles and jam. To create this, you need 50 pieces of wood, 40 pieces of stone and eight pieces of coal.
Level 5 (Bonus Skill)
- Tiller:-Â All crops sell for 10% more than usual.
- Rancher:-Â All animal products sell for 20% more than usual.
Level 6
- Hardwood Fence:-Â A fence made out of Hardwood that can be used to segregate sections of your farm. To create this, you need one piece of Hardwood.
- Quality Sprinkler:-Â A device that waters eight adjacent soil tiles every morning, saving you from doing it every morning. To create this, you need 1 Gold Bar, 1 Iron Bar and 1 Refined Quartz.
- Cheese Press:-Â A device that turns cow and goat milk into cheese. To create this, you need 45 pieces of Wood and Stone, ten fragments of Hardwood and 1 Copper Bar.
Level 7
- Quality Retaining soil:-Â Greatly increase the soil’s chance of staying hydrated overnight. To create this, you need three pieces of stone and one piece of Clay.
- Loom:-Â A device that turns unrefined wool into bolts of cloth. To create this, you need 60 pieces of wood, 30 pieces of Fiber and one bottle of Pine Tar.
Level 8
- Oil Maker:-Â A machine that creates Cooking Oil and quality Truffle Oil. To make this, you need 50 pieces of Slime, 20 pieces of Hardwood and 1 Gold Bar.
- Keg:-A device that turns fruits and vegetables into beverages. To create this, you need 30 pieces of wood, 1 Copper Bar, 1 Iron Bar and one bottle of Oak Resin.
- Deluxe Speed-Gro:-Â Increases growth rate by 25%. To create this, you need one bottle of Oak Resin and one piece of Coral.
Level 9
- Iridium Sprinkler:-Â A device that waters 24 adjacent soil tiles every morning, saving you from doing it every morning. You need 1 Battery Pack, 1 Gold Bar, and 1 Iridium Bar to create this.
- Seed Maker:-Â A machine that creates seeds from any crop you put into it, including Mixed Seeds. To make this, you need 25 pieces of wood, ten pieces of Coal and 1 Gold Bar.
- Quality Fertiliser:-Â Greatly increases your chance of growing high-quality crops. It only works on tilled soil. To create this, you need two drops of Sap and 1 of any fish.
Level 10 (Final Skill)
- Agriculturist:-Â All crops will grow 10% faster.
- Coopmaster:-Â Allows you to befriend all types of Chickens, Ducks and Rabbits more quickly; it cuts the incubation time of eggs in half.
- Shepherd:-Â Allows you to befriend Cows, Goats, Sheep and Ostriches faster; it also makes Sheep grow back their wool faster.
- Artisan:-Â All Wines, Cheeses and Oils will sell for 40% more.
Animals
They are cute and cuddly, but farm animals are also a boon for your farm. Their produce can be turned into artisanal items, such as cheeses or oil. They can also be used in various cooking recipes.
Note that when an animal is well-cared for, it will be more likely to produce higher-quality produce.
They fall into three categories:
- Coop Animals
- Barn Animals
- Free-Roaming Animals
Coop Animals
As the name suggests, Coop Animals live in coops. Though they will often roam freely about your farm if given a chance. If you upgrade your coop, more coop animals will be able to live in it. The type of animals that live in coops are:
- Chickens:-Â Produces eggs every day. The size and quality will vary based on how many hearts the Chicken has.
- Ducks:-Â Produces Duck eggs every other day. The size and quality will vary based on how many hearts the Duck has.
- Rabbits:-Produces wool every four days. It may also produce a Rabbit’s Foot if it has enough hearts.
Barn Animals
- Cows:-Â Produces milk every day. The size and quality will vary based on how many hearts the Cow has.
- Goats:-Â Will produce milk every other day. The size and quality will vary based on how many hearts the Goat has.
- Pigs:-Â Will occasionally find Truffles when roaming outside the barn.
- Sheep:-Â Will produce wool when sheared. It takes some time for their coats to grow back.
Other Animals
- Horse:-Â A means of transport that allows you to travel faster than just walking or running. Remember where you parked it as it does not follow you when you dismount.
- Cat/Dog:-Â Wanders around your house and the farm. If you often fill up its water bowl, it will complete an objective at Grandpa’s Shrine.
You can purchase both Coop and Barn animals from Marnie’s Ranch, which can be found south of your farm, just shy of Cindersap Forest. Here, you can buy all the essentials items to keep them well-fed and warm:
Marnie’s Ranch
- Hay:-Â Dried grass is the only food source for both Coop and Barn animals. Sold for 50g per bundle.
- Milk Pail:-Â A tool used to gather milk from Cows and Goats. Sold for 1,000g.
- Heater:Â A device used to keep coops and barns warm during cold winter days. Sold for 1,000g.
- Auto-Grabber:-Â A handy device that automatically collects all the produce of your animals. It can only be obtained at farming level 10. Sold for 25,000g.
- Shears:-Â A tool used to harvest wool from Sheep. Sold for 1,000g.
FAQs
Question: Is it Possible to Make Money via Methods, Excluding Farming?
Answer: Yes, it is possible. Of course, you could solely make money through fishing and foraging, but this would take a considerable amount of time and effort for something that can be done relatively quickly. If you want to challenge yourself, I’d go ahead with it, but otherwise, I’d recommend heading down to Pierre’s and buying some seeds.
Question: After Selecting My Initial Option, Can I Change what Type of Items I Get in my Farm Cave?
Answer: Unfortunately, you cannot. After your first decision, you’re locked in. The only way to change it would be to create a new game file, but as you can imagine, that isn’t worth it unless you’ve only just started on your current save file.
Question: Do free-roaming animals trample crops?
Answer: Nope, all of the animals on your farm will not destroy any seeds or crops you plant. The only thing that can ruin your crops is you or season changes.
Stardew Valley Farming Guide: Conclusion
Overall, I think farming in Stardew Valley is a fun and engaging mechanic, and it perfectly fits in with the game’s soothing and relaxing atmosphere. At the same time, it has a lot of detail and strategy in it as well if you’re willing to take the time to understand it. As a result, it has the perfect balance of challenge and casual enjoyment for every player.
Frankly, I’m still surprised at how easy it is to get captured by Stardew Valley’s gameplay loop of planting seeds, raising them, harvesting them and then using the crops to create artisanal items. I didn’t realise that it’s practically second nature for me to check on my animals and tend to my crops every time I wake up on my little farm.
But I thoroughly enjoy it every time.