Top 4 Early Crops in Stardew Valley
44sProvides a clear, actionable list of the best crops for beginners, which is highly sought-after content for new players.
▶ Play ClipAI Summary
This video from IGN's 'The Long Game' series provides a beginner's guide to Stardew Valley, focusing on the most profitable crops to plant during the first spring season. It emphasizes the importance of farming as the primary income source and offers specific recommendations for parsnips, potatoes, cauliflower, and strawberries, along with tips for maximizing early-game profits.
Chapters
[00:13]
Farming is the top money-maker
Growing and selling crops is the number one way to make money in Stardew Valley, providing a steady income stream for upgrades and purchasing more seeds.
[00:53]
Time-saving tips
Skip watering on rainy days, use sprinklers to automate watering, and build scarecrows to protect crops from birds.
[01:19]
Seasonal crop mechanics
Almost every crop is seasonal; when seasons change every 28 days, any unharvested crops will wither away. The game starts in spring, so spring crops are the priority.
[01:32]
Parsnips: The starter crop
Parsnips are the backbone of the first few days. They cost 20 gold, grow in 4 days, and sell for 35 gold, yielding a 15 gold profit. They should be planted constantly during the first spring.
[02:10]
Potatoes: Higher profit with a chance for extras
Potato seeds cost 50 gold, take 6 days to grow, and sell for 80 gold. There is a chance to harvest multiple potatoes, each yielding an additional 80 gold at no extra cost.
[02:40]
Cauliflower: Patience pays off
Cauliflower seeds cost 80 gold, take 12 days to grow, and sell for 175 gold. Jodi will request a cauliflower in spring, rewarding 350 gold for one, doubling its value.
[03:21]
Strawberries: The most important investment
Strawberry seeds are available at the Egg Festival on day 13 of spring for 100 gold. They take 8 days to grow, then produce a new strawberry every 4 days. They also have a chance to yield multiple berries per harvest. Saving a few seeds for the next spring allows for five full harvests.
The video concludes that while all four crops are valuable, strawberries are the most important investment for long-term wealth in Stardew Valley, especially when you save seeds for the following spring. The key to success is to prioritize these crops and manage your gold wisely.
Mentioned in this Video
Tutorial Checklist
1
01:32
Plant parsnips immediately as your starter crop. They grow in 4 days and sell for 35 gold each, providing a steady early income.
2
02:10
Purchase and plant potato seeds. They cost 50 gold, take 6 days to grow, and sell for 80 gold, with a chance to harvest multiple potatoes.
3
02:40
Invest in cauliflower seeds. They cost 80 gold, take 12 days to grow, and sell for 175 gold. Deliver one to Jodi for a 350 gold reward.
4
03:21
At the Egg Festival on day 13 of spring, buy strawberry seeds for 100 gold each. Plant them ASAP and save a few seeds for the next spring.
Study Flashcards (7)
What is the most profitable way to make money in Stardew Valley?
easy
Click to reveal answer
What is the most profitable way to make money in Stardew Valley?
easy
Click to reveal answer
Growing and selling crops.
00:29
How often do seasons change in Stardew Valley?
easy
Click to reveal answer
How often do seasons change in Stardew Valley?
easy
Click to reveal answer
Every 28 days.
01:05
What is the base sell price of a parsnip?
easy
Click to reveal answer
What is the base sell price of a parsnip?
easy
Click to reveal answer
35 gold.
01:44
What is the profit margin for a single potato seed?
medium
Click to reveal answer
What is the profit margin for a single potato seed?
medium
Click to reveal answer
30 gold (80 sell price - 50 cost).
02:10
What is the reward for giving Jodi a cauliflower?
medium
Click to reveal answer
What is the reward for giving Jodi a cauliflower?
medium
Click to reveal answer
350 gold.
03:07
When is the first opportunity to buy strawberry seeds?
medium
Click to reveal answer
When is the first opportunity to buy strawberry seeds?
medium
Click to reveal answer
During the Egg Festival on the 13th day of spring.
03:21
How long does it take for a strawberry bush to mature and how often does it produce?
medium
Click to reveal answer
How long does it take for a strawberry bush to mature and how often does it produce?
medium
Click to reveal answer
8 days to mature, then produces a new strawberry every 4 days.
03:35
💡 Key Takeaways
🔧
Parsnips are the starter crop
Establishes the foundation for early income, making it a critical first step for any new player.
01:32
📊
Potatoes offer a chance for extra harvests
The random chance for multiple potatoes makes them a high-value investment for the early game.
02:10
💡
Strawberries are the most important crop
Their continuous production and seed-saving potential make them the best long-term investment for wealth.
03:21Full Transcript
[00:01] helping you prep, plan, and make strategic choices to set you up for late >> [music] >> Today, we're diving into Stardew Valley. It's always a good time to start Stardew Valley, but if you are jumping into this
[00:13] need to know the most profitable crops you start off on the right foot, bringing in plenty of gold for the long bringing in plenty of gold for the long game ahead.
[00:29] at schwab.com. There are many ways of making money in Stardew Valley, like fishing or mining, but growing and selling crops is number one. As long as you plant seeds and remember to water them each day, you'll
[00:41] have a steady stream of income you can use to upgrade your home and equipment, plus purchase more seeds to keep the gold coming. A few quick tips before we give you our recommendations for specific seeds. First, if it's a rainy
[00:53] day, you can skip watering your crops and thank the weather for handling that for you. You can also save time once you're able to craft sprinklers, as they automatically water the surrounding spots. Build a scarecrow or two when you
[01:05] can as well. You don't want birds eating any of your hard-earned harvest. Lastly, almost every crop in Stardew Valley is seasonal. So, when the seasons change every 28 days, anything still planted will wither away. Since [music] the game
[01:19] starts in spring, those are the seasonal crops you need to start growing ASAP. The first one to rely on is parsnips. They're the starter crop for a reason. They're the backbone of your first few days of farming. You'll get your first
[01:32] few for free. Then after that, you can purchase them for 20 gold a piece at Pierre's store. Don't bother with JojaMart. That soulless corporation is the whole reason you moved to the valley in the first place. Parsnips grow after
[01:44] 4 days, and they can be sold back to Pierre at a base price of 35 gold each. That's a profit of 15 gold, which adds up in the long run. It's a good idea to constantly have a handful of parsnips planted during your first spring. But,
[01:57] don't [music] spend all your gold on one seed from Pierre. There are two more of his that we recommend. Potatoes are the next thing you should purchase. Samwise you should keep in rotation. Potato
[02:10] seeds cost 50 [music] gold, and they can be sold back at an 80 gold base price. That's double the profit of parsnips. The trade-off is that they cost more to buy, of course, and they also take 6 days to sprout.
[02:26] harvest a potato, you have a chance of pulling up more than one. Anytime that happens, that's another 80 gold per potato at no extra labor or money cost to you. That's worth celebrating. Pierre has plenty of other seeds for sale, but
[02:40] the second one of his that we recommend is cauliflower. Each cauliflower seed costs 80 gold. Notice [music] that's equal to the sell price of a potato. That means if you invest the time and money, a single potato seed purchase
[02:54] leads to selling back a giant cauliflower for a nice 175 gold. This takes patience, as cauliflower alone takes 12 days to grow, but you can't argue with those profits. Additionally, you'll receive a letter from Jodi
[03:07] requesting a fresh cauliflower during the spring. Take that to her to get yourself a 350 gold reward. That's double the value. This last recommendation is the most important, and it has the trickiest timing, so pay
[03:21] Your first opportunity to buy strawberry seeds will be during the egg festival on the 13th day of spring. Pierre sells them at his stand for 100 gold, [music] and while that is expensive, it's a worthy investment. Make sure you have
[03:35] enough money to buy at least a small handful. When you do, plant most of them ASAP. [music] Strawberry bushes take 8 days to grow, but once they're mature, they produce an additional strawberry every 4 days. Even better, you have a
[03:48] when you harvest them, just like potatoes. Strawberries sell for a nice >> and since they continually grow, that 100 gold investment is going to pay for
[04:00] save a few seeds for the following spring, planting them on day one means five full harvests before summer time. If you only take our recommendations for one crop, make it this one. Just like
[04:13] the long game helps build gaming skills, Schwab offers tools, education, and support to help you invest your way. No matter where you are in life or how much money you have, Schwab has financial solutions to help you. With 24/7
[04:25] customer support from real people and world-class investor education, Schwab offers a broad range of investing sources in one place. Head to schwab.com more farming tips and tricks, we've got
[04:38] things Stardew Valley, you're already in the right place. IGN.
