What is the Best Crop to Farm Early in Stardew Valley?
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The best crop to farm early in Stardew Valley is a hotly debated topic among players, but the consensus leans heavily towards potatoes. While they might not boast the highest profit per seed, potatoes are a fantastic early-game accelerant that sets you up for success by providing a large quantity of seeds and rapid financial growth. Their quick harvest time allows you to purchase more seeds, boosting your income, so you can move on to the most profitable crops later in the game. Let’s dive deeper into why potatoes are an excellent starting point, and then discuss some other great contenders.
Why Potatoes are King in Early Stardew
Potatoes are not the most profitable crop, but they provide the perfect balance between cost, harvest time, and yield, making them ideal for the early game. Here’s why they shine:
- Quick Growth: Potatoes mature in just 6 days, allowing for frequent harvests and a steady stream of income. This is crucial in the early game when money is tight.
- Good Seed Yield: Each potato seed produces one potato, but also has a chance to yield more than one potato at harvest. This can significantly increase your earnings.
- Easy to Obtain: Potato seeds are readily available at Pierre’s General Store, making them easy to purchase and replant.
- Boosted Income: A constant supply of potatoes allows you to accumulate funds faster which enables you to invest in more lucrative crops and farm upgrades in the early game. This early cash flow is essential for progressing further in the game.
- Transition Crop: Potatoes are a good transitional crop. With their relatively quick growth, you can harvest them by Day 12, allowing you to have enough money to purchase strawberry seeds at the Spring Egg Festival on day 13.
While parsnips are the first crop you get in Stardew Valley, they aren’t the most efficient when you consider the time-to-profit ratios. They are great for your first day but are surpassed by potatoes soon after.
Other Notable Early-Game Crops
While potatoes are an excellent starting point, it is important to diversify, and you should keep an eye on other crops that could help at different times of your journey:
- Green Beans: These are a great option for trellis crops, meaning once planted you don’t need to break up the soil again to harvest them. They can grow through the whole of the Spring season and produce multiple harvests during the 28 days. This is very useful early on as it will save you both time and energy.
- Strawberries: While you can only get them from the Spring Egg Festival on the 13th of Spring, they are the best spring crop to aim for. They are worth saving for the following Spring, however, to get the maximum yield out of them for profit.
- Eggplant: In the Fall, eggplants stand out as a solid early-game investment. They have a relatively low seed cost and regrow every five days after their initial harvest, giving a good return for little ongoing cost.
- Blueberries: While they require a later start, blueberries offer the highest return of all summer plants, making them extremely valuable to acquire in your first year if possible.
Avoiding Common Mistakes in Early Game Farming
Here are some mistakes that new farmers tend to make:
- Focusing too much on parsnips – While important for the early stages, do not stick to parsnips for too long. You will start to see much greater gains when you switch to growing potatoes, green beans and other seasonal crops as they become available.
- Not investing in the best crops for the season – It can be tempting to grow the first seeds you get but this can be a huge mistake. As soon as it is available, buy the best crop of the season, like strawberries in Spring.
- Ignoring fishing – Fishing is an excellent way to earn money early on. It’s worth spending a few days fishing so that you have enough money to buy those initial potato seeds.
The Role of Fishing
Fishing is one of the best ways to make money in the beginning of the game. Spending the first few days fishing is a great way to obtain money, which you can then invest in your farm by buying those critical seeds needed to boost your earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions that will help you further navigate the early stages of farming in Stardew Valley:
1. What is the single most profitable crop in Stardew Valley?
Cranberries are the most profitable crop available for regular purchase at Pierre’s, excluding rare crops like Sweet Gem Berries and Ancient Fruit. However, you won’t get to plant these until the fall, so you’ll need to focus on other crops until then.
2. What is the best way to make money on day 1 of Stardew Valley?
On day one, focus on clearing space for crops, talking to neighbors, and then head to the beach and meet Willy. Next, spend as much time fishing as possible, as this is the most lucrative way to make money in your first few days.
3. When should I plant my first crops?
Plant a few parsnips on day 1, but otherwise, don’t bother planting until day 6 when you can plant potatoes. You should instead spend that time fishing and making money.
4. What are the best early-game crops for spring?
For spring, you should grow potatoes first, but you will want to aim for strawberries once you can obtain them at the Egg Festival on day 13.
5. Are there any early-game crops to avoid?
You should avoid focusing on parsnips after your initial planting, as you will soon see much more returns from growing crops like potatoes.
6. How important are Scarecrows in Stardew Valley?
Scarecrows are very important, as crows can destroy your crops. It’s usually best to stick to parsnips at the start until you get a scarecrow because crows will destroy fewer of your crops if you have a parsnip-only farm initially.
7. What is the most profitable summer crop?
Blueberries are the most profitable crop during the summer and have a great return for the amount of time they take to grow, at 20g per day.
8. What is the most profitable fall crop?
Cranberries are the most profitable fall crop.
9. When should I start using fertilizer?
You can use fertilizer once you reach farming level 2. It is definitely worth investing in as soon as possible as it boosts your crop growth, giving you better results.
10. What’s the best way to obtain a lot of seeds?
The best place to get seeds is at Pierre’s General Store. You can also obtain them by using the Seed Maker on the crops you already have.
11. Should I prioritize fishing or farming early on?
Both are important, but fishing is the best way to earn money in the beginning, so aim for this first to fund your farming, once you have cleared a small space to plant a few parsnips.
12. What are the most profitable crafted items to sell in the early game?
Turning your items into Mayonnaise is a great way to make a passive income. You will need to acquire chickens to do this but it can be very lucrative.
13. Is it better to sell crops or make them into artisan goods?
Artisan goods always fetch a higher price than raw crops, so it is worth making them into wine, jam, and so on as soon as you get the ability to do so.
14. How do I get access to Ancient Fruit?
Ancient Fruit seeds are obtained through a very specific series of events, including finding ancient seeds whilst foraging and mining. They aren’t usually accessible early in the game.
15. What is the best farm layout for a beginner?
The standard farm is the best for beginners, as it has plenty of space for all of your needs without many environmental difficulties. However, the four corners farm is great for experienced players.
Conclusion
While there is a huge amount to learn about farming in Stardew Valley, the best way to get ahead in the early days is by focusing on your potatoes. Once you start to earn enough money, you can invest in new seasonal crops, fertilizer and other items that will set you up for a successful and profitable farm. Remember, fishing can play a huge role in funding your farm, so do not overlook it in the initial stages. By following this advice, you’ll be on your way to becoming the most successful farmer in Stardew Valley!