Making money in Stardew Valley is vital. Without it, you won't be able to do most things or expand your operation at all. There are countless ways to go about turning a profit on your work or items, but some are definitely better than others.
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The main source of income, at least in the first year or two, will be your crops. Each crop's seeds cost a different amount, as do the crops when you sell them. To make the most money, you'll need to know which crops earn more than others. Of course, different professions, artisan good-making, and other criteria will change which crop works best for you. Speaking more generally, here are the best and worst crops in Stardew Valley.
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10 Worst - Unmilled Rice
Spring doesn't have any truly terrible crops. Strawberries have insane profit margins, green beans reproduce a few times throughout the season and are reliable, and cauliflower can become the fabled giant crop. This is of course, for regular crops that can be sold as-is.
Rice is another story. When planted from a rice shoot, you'll lose money on this crop. The shoot costs 40 gold while the unmilled rice's base value is only 30 gold. It's meant to be turned into milled rice, but even that sells for only a measly 100 gold.
9 Best - Starfruit
These star-shaped crops are fantastic. They sell at a base rate of 725 gold, which is way higher than most crops. When processed into wine, they're one of the best goods to sell in the game. Once you have access to the desert oasis, these seeds are worth picking up.
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The reason Starfruit is not higher on this list is twofold: they only have a single harvest and then need to be replanted, and you have to have access to the desert to get them. They're great, but not the single best crop.
8 Worst - Single-Season Corn
Corn is an interesting crop. It's one of the only plants that will not die at the turn of the season. If you plant corn in the summer, it will continue growing through fall. Plus, it doesn't disappear after a single harvest and keeps reproducing.
If you're only planting corn in one season, it's not the best choice. You'll get about four harvests of corn through one season, and about 11 harvests through two seasons. Given corn's somewhat-alright profit margin, you're wasting your money if you cut it down after a single season
7 Best - Double-Season Corn
On the other hand, if you leave corn through the change of season, it's actually pretty good. You'll get (hopefully) 11 harvests out of your corn if you plant it on the first day of summer. This takes the abysmal profits of one season and supercharges them, giving you much more value for the money you spent on seeds.
The bonus here is also in terms of work. If you have corn plants when fall rolls around, you don't need to waste the first day planting new crops and can start on other work right away. Corn and the goods it can be made into is also needed for a few different Community Centre bundles.
6 Worst - Artichokes
Artichokes, like Rhubarb, are not the worst crops ever, but they aren't the best in their season, either. Artichoke seeds are available in the fall starting in Year 2. They sell for around 30 gold and a base-quality artichoke sells for 160 gold. Their value works out to about 16.25 gold per day.
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The profit margin on artichokes is low, especially compared to fall's superstar performers like cranberries, grapes or sweet gem berries. In addition to this, artichokes are not used in any bundles and aren't a favorite gift of any villager. Avoid them if you can.
5 Best - Rare Seed/Sweet Gem Berries
Far and away the highest selling price comes in the form of the Sweet Gem Berry, planted from the Rare Seed. These orange fruits sell for an incredible 3,000 gold. Even with a seed price of 1,000 gold, this is a profit of 2,000 gold, which no other crop even comes close to.
The only two thing preventing Rare Seeds and Sweet Gem Berries from topping this list are their availability and growth. The Rare Seed is only available in very limited quantities at random from the traveling cart. You can, of course, use a seed maker, but it's tedious and takes a long time. In terms of growth, each seed only produces one fruit.
4 Worst - Seasonal Seeds
Each season in Stardew has a few different things that can be foraged for around the valley. Spring has daffodils, summer has spice berries, and so on. These are a little boost to your income (and they have a few other uses, too).
With a pack of wild seeds for each of the different seasons, these foraged items can be grown at random on your farm. However, they rarely turn any worthwhile profit, and the seeds have to be created from the crops and can't be bought. Furthermore, the crops grown can be found for free around the valley. The only season worth the wild seeds is winter when nothing else can be grown anyway.
3 Best - Berries
In each season there is an available berry that blows everything else out of the water. In spring you'll find strawberries, summer has blueberries, and fall has cranberries. Each of these sells for a ridiculously-high profit compared to the seed cost, and they all produce repeatedly with one seed.
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The wine, preserves, and other goods that can be created from berries are also some of the best items in the game. With one available in each season, berries should be the absolute go-to for any farmer worth their salt.
2 Worst - Sunflowers
Poor, sad sunflowers have a reputation among players as the worst crop, and for good reason. At their base rate, sunflowers actually lose money from their seed price. They do, of course, drop free seeds when harvested and can be grown in two seasons, but neither of these facts changes their low value.
A sunflower can be turned into regular cooking oil to use in recipes, but this item is not considered an artisan good and does not receive the cash bonus for the Artisan profession. It's best to grow sunflowers for the bundle in the community center or if you're trying to romance Haley. Otherwise, avoid.
1 Best - Ancient Fruit
The best crop you can hope to grow is the ancient fruit without question. Once you can get your hands on them, these crops never disappear (except in winter), meaning you can plant them on the first day of spring and harvest them repeatedly right through to the end of fall. In the greenhouse, they'll never die.
On top of this, ancient fruit sells for a ton of gold. There's a good chance you'll be finding the first ancient seed somewhere outside of buying it, meaning you'll never spend money for seeds (get a seed maker!) and the lowest value an ancient fruit can be is 550 gold. Turn these fruits into wine and you'll be a millionaire in no time.
NEXT: Stardew Valley: Every Farm Map, Ranked
FAQs
What is the most profitable crop in Stardew Valley fall? ›
Most Valuable Fall Crop: Sweet Gem Berry
The sweet gem berry grows during fall and is technically the most profitable crop in Stardew Valley. It grows from rare seeds purchased from the Traveling Cart, usually costing between 600-1,000g.
Wine is the most valuable artisan good that players can make, as it is worth three times the value of the fruit that's placed in the keg to make it. Once the fruit has been turned into wine, it can be put into a cask, just like pale ale, and aged to increase its quality.
What is the rarest crop in Stardew Valley? ›...
| Rare Seed | |
|---|---|
| Traveling Cart: | 1,000g (Spring and Summer) 600–1,000g (1.26% chance, any season) |
| Crop or Livestock | Global gross production value in billion US$ | Country with highest gross production value in billion USD |
|---|---|---|
| Maize (corn) | $191 | $61.2 (Mainland China) |
| Wheat | $168 | $50.7 (Mainland China) |
| Soybeans | $107 | $40.7 (United States) |
| Eggs, hen, in shell | $93.6 | $26.1 (Mainland China) |
Ancient Fruit Wine that is aged to Iridium-quality in a Cask will sell for 4,620 gold with the Artisan profession. If that's not enough for you, top-quality Starfruit Wine sells for an incredible 6,300 gold with the Artisan profession.
What is the fastest way to get rich in Stardew Valley? ›- 12 Fishing.
- 11 Foraging.
- 10 Farming Mixed Seeds.
- 9 Tree Tapping.
- 8 Crops That Keep Producing.
- 7 Artisanal Goods.
- 6 Raising Chickens.
- 5 Gems And Crystalariums.
In general, making money in Stardew Valley mostly comes from planting and harvesting crops. Focusing on the specific crops that yield the best profits over the course of a season is the best way to invest in improving a player's farming level as well as their wealth.
What is the most fun farm in Stardew Valley? ›It is recommended to either go for the Four Corners Farm, as it provides a little of everything and offers ample space for farming, or the Forest Farm, as its foraging and extra hardwood can be incredibly useful. You could also consider the Beach Farm if you're interested in a challenge.
Are rare seeds worth it? ›Purchasing Rare Seeds from the Traveling Cart (between 600 and 1,000 gold) is the most profitable way to grow the Sweet Gem Berry, which has a base value of 3,000 gold.
What are the 4 cash crops? ›Through the years, several profitable cash crops have become high-yielding farmer favorites: Rice, maize/corn, wheat, and soybeans: On a global scale, rice, maize, and wheat are the most valuable earners.
What plants make the most money? ›
- Bamboo. Landscapers and homeowners are paying as much as $150 each for potted bamboo plants, and many growers are finding it hard to keep up with the demand. ...
- Flowers. ...
- Ginseng. ...
- Ground Covers. ...
- Herbs. ...
- Landscaping Trees and Shrubs. ...
- Mushrooms. ...
- Ornamental Grasses.
Money plant (pothos) is known to bring wealth and good luck to the house and helps in overcoming financial obstacles.
What is the most efficient crop? ›| Energy crops | Sugar | Starch |
|---|---|---|
| Sugarcane | Corn | |
| Tonnes/acre | 35 | 8.2 |
| Yield (gallons) | 560 | 431 |
| Feed credit | 0 | <50%> |
Explanation: A “luxury crop” is a crop that is grown to serve some purpose other than sustaining human life. All of these crops are consumed for reasons other than nutrition and so are called “luxury crops.”
Which crops are grown only for profit? ›A cash crop or profit crop is an agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit.
What is the most loved item in Stardew Valley? ›- 8 Honey. ...
- 7 Maple Syrup. ...
- 6 Fruit Tree Fruit. ...
- 5 Prismatic Shard. ...
- 4 Rabbit's Foot. ...
- 3 Magic Rock Candy. ...
- 2 Golden Pumpkin. The Golden Pumpkin is another favorite thing among Stardew Valley characters, appearing on every villager's Loved list. ...
- 1 Pearl. Like the previous two items, this gift is adored by each and every villager.
Eggs, milk, wool, truffles, and all the rest should always be turned into these artisan goods before you toss them into the shipping bin. The cost to build the right machinery, whether it's a mayonnaise maker or cheese press, is usually pretty low.
Can you sell a Stardrop? ›As of v1.3.27, a stardrop obtained using the item ID glitch can still be sold in the shipping bin in PC or mobile versions of the game. The Stardrop was added to the game Terraria with ConcernedApe's permission in October 2022.
What is the best start in Stardew? ›Standard Farm
A good choice for beginners. This farm has the greatest area of land for planting crops and raising animals. Crops and animals are some of the best ways to make money in Stardew and are also one of the easier activities.
Pigs are easily considered to be one of the best animals in Stardew Valley. This is solely because of their ability to dig up Truffles. These Truffles are worth plenty of gold, and the more pigs players buy, the more truffles there are to sell!
How to be a millionaire in Stardew Valley? ›
- Invest in crops as soon as possible. ...
- Learn which are the most valuable crops per season. ...
- It's hip to be square. ...
- Don't worry about animals too soon. ...
- Prioritise wood. ...
- Unlock the beach bridge first. ...
- Mine the mines for all they've got. ...
- Fish until you flop.
Stardew Valley cheats - with mods. By far the best way to enable all sorts of cheats in your Stardew Valley game is using two specific mods: the CJB Cheats Menu, and the CJB Item Spawner. To install them both, you'll first need to download and install another mod (don't panic) called SMAPI.
Is 75 Profit Margin good Stardew Valley? ›Choose 75%, 50%, or 25%. The lower your Profit Margin, the less you will earn when selling items.
Who is the best wife in Stardew Valley? ›Abigail may be the most popular marriage candidate, and for some pretty obvious reasons. She's every high-school dork's dream girl. Abigail is a quirky, goth, gamer-girl who's strong and adventurous. She wants to explore the mines, fight monsters, and have a real adventure.
What is the best seed for Stardew Valley? ›We recommend planting a lot of Parsnip Seeds because they are cheap, and you can plant a lot of them. In the beginning, you get 500g, so you can buy and plant 25 Parnsnip Seeds, and if you combine it with the 15 Parnsnip Sheeds that the mayor gives you, you'll have plenty to plant.
What is the best fruit in Stardew? ›Starfruit is, in many ways, both the most iconic and most profitable crop in Stardew Valley. It sells for a massive 750g, twice its buying price of 400g from the Oasis Shop, which must be unlocked by completing the Vault Community Center bundle.
What is the sweetest thing Stardew Valley? ›It's by far the sweetest thing you've ever smelled. The Sweet Gem Berry is a crop that grows from a Rare Seed after 24 days.
Should I put Sweet Gem Berry in Seed Maker? ›Rare Seeds can also be produced from a Sweet Gem Berry using the Seed Maker. Despite its high value, the berry is regarded as a neutral gift by everyone in Stardew Valley. However, if you give one to Old Master Cannoli in the Secret Woods, you will get a Stardrop in return, and your Energy will increase permanently.
What is best way to make money in fall Stardew Valley? ›Fall Crops
Aside from the Rare Seed which can cost a fortune from the Traveling Cart in Stardew Valley, Eggplant is the best bet for those looking to make a profit in their first Fall. Eggplant seeds cost just 20 gold at Pierre's, the base fruit sells for 60 gold, and it regrows every 5 days.
Cranberries offer up the best cost/time/sell ratio for the Fall. You can buy the seeds at Pierre's Store of the Joja Mart for 240 gold per unit, and they sell for 75 gold per crop. Each cranberry plant produces two crops to sell, meaning you'll actually be earning 150 gold per seed planted.
How can I get rich fast Stardew? ›
- 12 Fishing.
- 11 Foraging.
- 10 Farming Mixed Seeds.
- 9 Tree Tapping.
- 8 Crops That Keep Producing.
- 7 Artisanal Goods.
- 6 Raising Chickens.
- 5 Gems And Crystalariums.
There are tons of ways to make some extra cash in the game, from quests to selling various items like crops and animal products. Trips to the mines, processing goods into artisan products, and fishing are just some of the other ways as well.
What should I plant first Stardew? ›Potatoes are the Best Choice
Due to the shorter growing time and the chance of extra potatoes, your field can be doubled after the first harvest. This makes the potatoes a better choice than the green beans, at least for the first spring.
It is best to plant parsnips, potatoes, cauliflowers, green beans, kale and strawberries in spring. (Tip: Get the seeds during Egg Festival at Spring 13.)
Should I plant ancient seed Stardew Valley? ›Once players have obtained ancient seeds viable for planting, they can go ahead and plant it during any season but Winter. It will take 28 days to mature and will produce fruit every 7 days from that point on. If planted in Spring, players can get several fruits from it before the plant dies in Winter.