Farming simulators are typically relaxing games where the player gets to tend to a whole slew of crops and animals while usually getting themselves involved with the lives of the eccentric and lovable locals. After that, they are incredibly varied save for one important factor: many of them have a focus on accruing wealth and building the best farm you physically can.
There is just nothing like watching the money counter go up. It provides players with a sense of accomplishment and the pride of a job well done. In Stardew Valley, there are various methods to getting rich, but the best and most assured way to do so is by far making sure that the player’s farm is as profitable as possible.
10 Use Chosen Farm To Its Advantage
There are seven farms to choose from at character generation: Standard, Riverland, Forest, Hilltop, Wilderness, Four Corners, and Beach. Each one has its own perks and drawbacks, so lean into the gimmick of that farm the most when deciding how to tackle your new land.
The best farm for maximizing income is the default Standard farm layout. It has the most placeable and farmable tiles than any of the others. After that, Four Corners and Beach are favorites for their space, layout, and extreme potential. Riverland, Forest, and Hilltop have limited placeable tiles and tend to be difficult to navigate. Wilderness is basically just a gimmicky Standard farm with some minor edge differences that hinder it more than help.
9 Look For Produce That Reproduces
Produce like Green Beans, Strawberries, Corn, Hot Peppers, Blueberries, Cranberries, and Ancient Fruit will reproduce even after their first harvest, making them massive time-savers. Berries are exceptional options when available due to the fact they not only reproduce, they also produce multiple products.
Some products, such as Corn and Ancient Fruit are not bound by the end of seasons either. Ancient Fruit can grow Spring through Fall and is extremely profitable, and Corn grows Summer through Fall so stocking up on those whenever possible is extremely beneficial. Take all of those without a star and shove them into the Seed Maker for free seeds. It will occasionally also give free seeds in the process, something Pierre, Joja Mart, or the Night Market will not do.
8 Find Other Places To Plant
The starting space is not going to be the only space the player has access to for farming. Unlock the Greenhouse as quickly as possible from either the Community Center or the Joja bundle to gain 10×12 spaces of farmable land that is unaffected by seasonal changes, so any plants can be planted in there at any time. Additionally, Fruit Trees can be planted along the edge, making it so the fancy tree fruit can be harvested every day of the year.
Ginger Island is another area that has farmable space, and even includes a shack that can be unlocked so the player can overnight there. It is essentially a second Greenhouse with the added bonus of having Summer-exclusive plants available on it like Banana Trees on it. Outside of these two spaces, there are a handful of little areas in the map where makers or certain seeds can be planted around, and nobody cares unless they are actively blocking their walk path. In that case, they might get destroyed as the computer forces its way through.
7 Automatize Whenever Possible
Sprinklers will automatically water plants every morning for the player, though they only really start getting useful once Quality Sprinklers become craftable. Iridium is ideal, but they are going to be late-game additions. After the Wizard’s shop is opened, there are also Junimo huts available where the cute little apple friends will even harvest crops, so setting up a cycle of those is ideal for maximizing income. Some extra machines also end up becoming available late-game to collect animal by-products as well, so it’s important to keep those around.
However, some farms have such complicated layouts, such as Hilltop and Riverland that makes automizing difficult. Beach farms only have a small space where sprinklers can be placed, and thus all of these need some creative solutions to get them running on their own.
6 Maximize Building Usage
Barns, Coops, Sheds, and Slime Hutches all are buildings that the player can build, place, and fill up with more than what they were intended. They can be placed down to help organize the farm’s machines or to just keep everything the player needs for those animals tucked in the same place.
Big Sheds and Deluxe Barns are favorites for filling with Kegs and Preserves Jars, as they have so much floor space. The bonus of Sheds is that they can also be decorated to suit the player’s preferences. Stick a Shipping Bin just outside of any of these doors for speedy selling and a chest nearby to keep excess supplies handy. If slimes are going to be raised, build a fence line up to the side of the water. Allow the slimes access to the water from the long side, as any upgraded Watering Can will be able to get all of the troughs. Add in a gate for access into the den, and no longer will the farmer be mauled by their pet monsters the second they come in the door.
5 Consider Where Machines Are Placed
Machines and makers, such as Kegs, Preserves Jars, Casks, Seed Makers, Looms, Furnaces, etc. are typically not limited to where they can be placed in order to use. The exception is Casks, which will not work unless they are in the Farmhouse’s basement.
Many machines work fine in the spare room(s) of the player’s house, streamlining the process. Keeping animal artisan makers in the same building the animal is in prevents the player from needing to run all over the place to get things done. Remember that makers can be reached in all eight tiles around the farmer, so as long as the player has access to a walkable pathway, they can be really crammed in there.
4 Master The Skull Cavern & Ginger Island
The Skull Cavern is an extremely difficult, bottomless dungeon that is chock full of monsters and rare minerals. It is unlocked after the player purchases the Bus Repair from either the Community Center or Joja Mart, and also requires the player to have gotten the Skull Key from the bottom of the Mines. Reaching at least level 50 practically guarantees access to Iridium, which in turn also gives a good chance for Prismatic Shards. Getting good at the Skull Cavern allows the player to rake in even more active income while their automatic farm is giving them more passive income.
Ginger Island is a late-game unlock, requiring the Community Center or Joja Mart to be completed entirely, and then the boat in the back of Willy’s shop to be repaired. It is where the final pieces of the story all come together and has a whole map to explore, tame, and generate wealth on complete with its own products that can be dragged back to Pelican Town.
3 Be Picky With Professions
At level 5 and 10 in each skill, the player is given the option to pick a profession that will give them unique perks. Some are more beneficial than others, and what becomes available at level 10 is entirely dependent on what was chosen at level 5. Be sure to only pick professions that work well with the long-term needs rather than the short-term, as tempting as that may be.
The good news is that these can be changed by using the Statue of Uncertainty in the Sewers after the key has been received from Gunther for donating at least 60 items to the Museum. It’s a hefty 10,000g to change, but at least changing the level 5 skill also will give the player the level 10 choice free.
2 Invest In High-Quality Fertilizer
Higher Farming levels will grant the player the ability to craft their own fertilizers, with the exception of Tree Fertilizer which requires high Foraging. Many can also be bought at Pierre’s at various points during the week. Deluxe Retaining Soil and Hyper Speed-Gro recipes have to be obtained on Ginger Island.
Fertilizers can do a variety of important effects such as increasing the quality of the produced crop, speeding up the growth cycle, or keeping water retained for when sprinklers cannot be used, such as on the Beach Farm. For crops that produce multiples, such as berries, only the first crop harvested a turn will be affected by the effects of quality-improving Fertilizers.
1 Know When To Sell & When To Go Artisan
Typically, shoving crops into a Keg, Cask, Preserves Jar, or other makers will produce an item more valuable than what was used to make it. The same goes for cooked dishes, though there are some glaring exceptions that adjust based on the player’s Profession and/or special events.
Only ever use products without a star on it in making artisan goods. Silver stars can be used on most products as well, with the exception of some foragables after gaining the Bear’s Knowledge perk from the bear in the Secret Woods. The Bear is found after the player obtains a Magnifying Glass and the correct Secret Note. Absolutely anything Gold or Iridium starred should just be sold as-is.
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