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Stardew Valley 1.6 update: The fastest ways to make money

Stardew Valley Mushroom Log, Mead and Iridium Scythe

Although Stardew Valley is about a simple life, players returning for the 1.6 update will still want to make money fast to ensure their idyllic farm experience goes smoothly.

The enormous Stardew Valley 1.6 update saw players return to the game for new content. Events, resources, and items galore welcome the player back to the quaint locale of Pelican  Town. 

Of course, new resources and events mean new ways to farm money. While resources like the ancient fruit wine farm still sell for high prices, there are alternative methods to make money fast in Stardew Valley 1.6. 

The best ways to make money after Stardew Valley 1.6

The best and fastest ways to make money in Stardew Valley after the 1.6 update include mushroom farming and making aged mead. Playing Stardew Valley version 1.6 doesn’t completely overhaul farming and creating artisanal goods. It also doesn’t make it so there’s one uniformly ideal method for making money at every stage of the game, there will be different optimal methods early on, and after a few years. Here are the best options after Stardew Valley‘s 1.6 update:

Mushroom Farm

Mushroom Log Jpg

For the early to mid-game portion of Stardew Valley 1.6, a mushroom farm will make the player significant amounts of fast money. The player simply has to forage until they reach Level 4 to unlock the Mushroom Log. Crafting the Mushroom Log requires 10 Hardwood and 10 Moss. Once crafted, the Mushroom Log will produce mushrooms every four days, regardless of season.

The Mushroom Log will produce more mushrooms if it has at least ten wild trees in a 7×7 square around it. Ensure the trees are all mature to make the mushrooms higher quality. Different trees will produce different kinds of mushrooms. The most expensive are purple mushrooms for 250g to 500g each, which have a higher spawn chance when a Mystic Tree is nearby.

Mead Method

Mead Sandy Jpg

After Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update, a keg of Mead now sells for a hefty 300g, making it a much better fast money option. Every Friday, Sandy from the Calico Desert sells Honey for 200g, the primary ingredient of Mead. Wild Honey can also be found in the wild, or cultivated with the Bee House. Once the player has a keg setup in a Big Shed, and the Artisan perk, players can sell Mead for 220g to 440g per keg every day.

If a player chooses to age Mead, they will boost their profits even further. With an Automate mod for Stardew Valley, it scales even better in labor costs.

All-in-all, this shakes out to being a very strong mid-to-late game money-making method. Though Mead wasn’t a particularly lucrative endeavor in past updates, it received a big buff here.

Use the Iridium Scythe

Iridium Scythe Stardew Jpg

Upon claiming Farming Mastery, players will be rewarded with the Iridium Scythe, the best harvesting tool in the game. The Iridium Scythe doesn’t generate money on its own, but the boost to efficiency makes it crucial for fast money gain in the late game. 

With crop fields so much larger in the late game, the Iridium Scythe’s extended range makes farming a breeze. Paired with the Ginger Island Farm, which should have Starfruit or Ancient Fruit in the late-game, and the Iridium Scythe is a must for optimized moneymaking.

Written by Gab Hernandez X Twitter Logo

Gab Hernandez has a particular love for video games that give players control over the narrative direction, such as Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Disco Elysium. Gab spends just as much time playing games as they do gushing about them online to anyone who will listen. Their work has also been seen on TheGamer, Gfinity, and Wargamer, and you can follow them on Twitter / X at @HardlyWorkinGab.

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