Most Profitable Crops in Stardew Valley (1.6.15)

How crop profitability is calculated

The most profitable crops in Stardew Valley are not always the crops with the biggest sell price. Seed cost, growth time, regrow cycles, machine time, and profession bonuses all change the final answer.

Full-season raw formula

Season net/day = (completed harvest revenue - every paid planting) / 28

Every row assumes one tile planted on Day 1, normal-quality raw crops, no fertilizer or profession bonus, and only harvests completed by Day 28. Regrow crops pay for seed once; replanted crops pay for every planting. For processed goods, compare both crop value and machine time with the Keg vs Jar guide.

Spring crops ranked

Crop	Sell price	Seed cost	Growth	Harvests	Season net/day	Best use
Strawberry	120g	100g per planting	8d, regrows 4d	5	17.9g/day	Strong repeat harvests. The chart assumes a Day 1 planting; a Year 1 Egg Festival planting has fewer harvests.
Rhubarb	220g	100g per planting	13d	2	8.6g/day	Oasis crop. Strong Wine target once the Desert is unlocked.
Potato	80g	50g per planting	6d	4	7.1g/day	Includes the 25% chance of an extra potato in expected raw revenue.
Cauliflower	175g	80g per planting	12d	2	6.8g/day	Good Day 1 option and can become a Giant Crop.
Kale	110g	70g per planting	6d	4	5.7g/day	Solid short-cycle crop for early cash and Farming XP.

Spring strategy

Start with Potatoes or Cauliflower if you need Day 1 cash flow. On Spring 13, buy as many Strawberry Seeds as you can at the Egg Festival. If you have the Desert unlocked, Rhubarb becomes a strong Wine path.

Summer crops ranked

Crop	Sell price	Seed cost	Growth	Harvests	Season net/day	Best use
Starfruit	750g	400g per planting	13d	2	25g/day	Best repeatable raw crop and elite Wine crop. Requires Oasis access.
Blueberry	50g x 3	80g per planting	13d, regrows 4d	4	18.6g/day	Best easy Summer pick when the Desert is not unlocked.
Red Cabbage	260g	100g per planting	9d	3	17.1g/day	Year 2+ crop with strong raw profit.
Hops	25g	60g per planting	11d, regrows 1d	17	13g/day	Raw Hops are modest; Pale Ale is lucrative but needs daily harvesting and many Kegs.
Melon	250g	80g per planting	12d	2	12.1g/day	Reliable Summer crop with Giant Crop potential.

Hops warning

Hops can beat many crops when every harvest becomes Pale Ale, but that profit is limited by daily harvesting and Keg capacity. If you do not have enough Kegs, Starfruit or Blueberries are easier choices.

Summer strategy

In Year 1, plant Blueberries on Summer 1 for simple multi-harvest profit. After the Bus is repaired, Starfruit becomes the premium crop. In the Greenhouse, compare Starfruit against Ancient Fruitbefore filling every tile.

Fall crops ranked

Crop	Sell price	Seed cost	Growth	Harvests	Season net/day	Best use
Sweet Gem Berry	3,000g	1,000g per planting	24d	1	71.4g/day	Highest limited raw return, but Rare Seeds are scarce and the crop cannot be processed.
Cranberries	75g x 2	240g per planting	7d, regrows 5d	5	18.2g/day	Reliable repeat harvests for raw selling or Preserves Jars.
Pumpkin	320g	100g per planting	13d	2	15.7g/day	Best scalable Fall raw crop and can become a Giant Crop.
Grape	80g	60g per planting	10d, regrows 3d	6	15g/day	Useful regrow crop and solid gift route.
Artichoke	160g	30g per planting	8d	3	13.9g/day	Year 2+ crop with excellent seed-cost efficiency.
Amaranth	150g	70g per planting	7d	3	8.6g/day	Decent Fall fallback when cash is tight.

Fall strategy

Sweet Gem Berry is the headline raw-profit crop, but Rare Seeds limit scale. For a normal farm, plant Pumpkins in 3x3 blocks for Giant Crop chances, then use Cranberries when you want reliable regrow harvests.

Profession impact: Tiller vs Artisan

Level 10 Farming changes the crop answer. Tiller is simple and helps raw selling. Artisan is usually stronger once your farm runs Kegs or Preserves Jars.

Tiller: +10% raw crop value

Best when you sell most crops directly and have limited machines.

Starfruit750g to 825g

Pumpkin320g to 352g

Cauliflower175g to 192g

Artisan: +40% artisan goods value

Best for Wine, Juice, Jelly, Pickles, and most late-game farms.

Starfruit Wine2,250g to 3,150g

Ancient Fruit Wine1,650g to 2,310g

Pale Ale300g to 420g

Verdict: Artisan wins once machines matter

Tiller is fine for early raw-crop selling. Artisan is the higher ceiling because the +40% bonus multiplies the value of the goods you are already making from Starfruit, Ancient Fruit, Pumpkins, and Cranberries.

What should you plant?

TL;DR recommendations

Year 1

Use easy-access crops first

Potatoes or Cauliflower, then Strawberries, Blueberries, and Cranberries.

Year 2+

Unlock the Desert and build machines

Rhubarb, Red Cabbage, Starfruit, then Kegs and Artisan for bigger margins.

Endgame

Use the Greenhouse for premium fruit

Fill the Greenhouse with Starfruit or Ancient Fruit, then process through Kegs.

Most profitable crops FAQ

What is the most profitable crop in Stardew Valley 1.6.15?

Starfruit is the strongest repeatable money crop once the Desert is unlocked, especially when processed into Wine. Sweet Gem Berry has a higher raw gold/day on paper, but Rare Seeds are limited and the berry cannot be processed.

What is the best crop if I do not have the Desert unlocked?

Use Strawberries in Spring after the Egg Festival, Blueberries in Summer, and Pumpkins or Cranberries in Fall. These are easy to buy, easy to scale, and do not depend on Oasis access.

How do you calculate crop gold per day?

This ranking counts every harvest completed in a 28-day season, subtracts the seed cost for every paid planting, and divides the season net profit by 28. Regrow crops pay for seed once; crops that must be replanted pay again after every harvest.

Should I sell crops raw, put them in Kegs, or use Preserves Jars?

Sell raw crops early when machines are limited. Use Kegs for high-value fruit like Starfruit and Ancient Fruit. Use Preserves Jars when you have many lower-value crops or fewer Kegs available.

Should I use this chart or the crop profit calculator?

Use this chart for fast decisions and seasonal priorities. Use the calculator when you need exact profit for a specific day, profession, fertilizer setup, or processing bottleneck.