Stardew Valley is more than just a wholesome farming simulator. Apart from spending their days raising crops and animals on the farm, players can engage in many other activities and find their sense of purpose in the countryside. From renovating their late Grandpa’s Farm to meeting up with the people of Pelican Town, players can even get married and start their own family.
Once they’ve spent the first year in Stardew Valley clearing up the old, run-down farm and befriending the townsfolk, players can finally move on to do bigger and better things. Keep reading to find a comprehensive list of all the things one absolutely must do in the second year in Stardew Valley.
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Updated April 17, 2025, by Usama Ali: Having established the groundwork in your first year, Year 2 is an ideal time to broaden your horizons and experiment with new approaches to farming. With the launch of Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update, many fresh experiences are waiting for you as you step into your second year on the farm. We’ve updated this guide with a few more activities you should do in your second year so that you’ll get to experience much of what the update has to offer and continue to build an even more amazing farm.
Get Ready For Grandpa’s Evaluation
Impress Grandpa’s Ghost
One of the most important things that players should actively focus on in Year 2 is preparing for Grandpa’s Evaluation. Grandpa’s Evaluation is an interesting way for the character’s deceased grandpa to assess their progress on the farm. Grandpa’s Ghost returns on Spring 1, Year 3 and lights up candles around his Shrine – which is situated in the north-west corner of the farm.
To impress Grandpa’s Ghost and light up all four candles, players need to complete certain milestones and earn at least 12 points. Even though it feels challenging at first, acing Grandpa’s Evaluation is certainly possible with the right strategies.
Level Up Skills and Professions
Get Specialized Perks
Once they’ve learned the ropes of the five core skills – Farming, Fishing, Foraging, Mining, and Combat, players should focus on leveling them up in Year 2. Each skill has ten levels, and at Levels 5 and 10, players get to choose a profession for that specific skill.
Higher skill levels grant access to better tools and equipment, like Iridium Sprinklers at Farming Level 9, which can increase the watering range. Besides this, as the player’s skills level up, they’ll get better quality crops and animal products – which sell for more gold. All Professions have certain perks, such as the Shepherd profession, which allows players to befriend barn animals quicker.
Invest in Kegs and Hops
The Ticket to Insane Profits
One of the best ways to run a successful farm is to invest in Kegs and start a winery. A 
Keg
is a type of Artisan Equipment that can create valuable Artisan Goods, like Wine and Pale Ale. These Artisan Goods are significantly more valuable than the produce they come from.
Pale Ale
has a selling price of 300 gold coins, whereas the price of Wine depends on the price of fruit put into the keg. As such, it’s a wise decision to craft plenty of Kegs and grow Hops in the summer. It takes about 2,250 minutes, which is equivalent to one to two in-game days for a Keg to process 1 Hop into Pale Ale. Higher quality Hops will produce higher quality Pale Ale, which sells for even more. Hence, this is a surefire way to make money and have a reliable income stream in the Valley.
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Upgrade the Farmhouse
Get A New And Improved Home
Upgrading the farmhouse in Stardew Valley is a great way for players to improve their comfort and functionality in the countryside. While they may not have enough resources in the first year, players should definitely upgrade the farmhouse once in their second year as it would open up a whole new world of possibilities.
Robin, the town’s carpenter, can upgrade the farmhouse three times. The first farmhouse upgrade adds a kitchen and a double bed, allowing players to get married to their chosen partners. The second upgrade adds two new rooms and increases the overall size of the house while allowing players to have children. The third and final upgrade adds a cellar under the house where players can store casks to age products like wine and cheese, making them more profitable.
Players can customize the interior of their farmhouse with furniture and wallpapers purchased from Pierre’s General Store or JojaMart.
Get Married
Find The Love Of Your Life & Settle Down
Getting married in Stardew Valley adds a whole new layer of fun and excitement to farm life. There are 12 marriage candidates in Pelican Town, 6 bachelors and 6 bachelorettes. Players can pursue any of the villagers, regardless of their character’s gender.
Before they can get married, players will need to reach ten friendship hearts with their desired partner and upgrade the farmhouse at least once. The day after reaching ten friendship hearts with their partner, players can propose to them using a Mermaid’s Pendant. If their partner accepts, players will get married in 3 days. Once they’re married, their spouse moves into the farmhouse.
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Experiment with New Crops
Maximize Your Farm’s Potential
In your first year, you were probably more focused on establishing the basics, figuring out what grows when, and maybe prioritizing crops with the best immediate profit to get your farm off the ground. With the foundations laid out, Year 2 is a perfect time to try out new crops. Update 1.6 introduced four new crops: carrots, 
Summer Squash
, broccoli, and 
Powdermelon
.
Of course, different crops thrive in different seasons. So, by experimenting, you can figure out the most profitable options for each time of year and make the most of your farmland and time. Make sure to try out all the options and see which crops yield the most profitable wines, honeys, pickles, and jellies. Since you’ll have a wider variety of crops and forageables, Year 2 is also a great time to experiment with more cooking and crafting recipes in Stardew Valley.
Start Finding Mystery Boxes
What’s in Your Box?
Introduced in Stardew Valley 1.6, Mystery Boxes are unlocked once you’ve spent 50 days in the Valley or collected the second 
Prize Ticket
from the billboard. These are special containers that can be found through various activities like fishing, mining, foraging (from artifact spots and trees), monster drops, and even as rewards from the new festivals (Desert Festival, Trout Derby, SquidFest) and Mayor Lewis’ Prize Machine.
Similar to geodes, Mystery Boxes cannot be opened on your farm. Instead, you need to take them to Clint at the Blacksmith in Pelican Town in Stardew Valley, who will open them for a fee of 25g each. There are even “Golden Mystery Boxes” that you can potentially find once you’ve achieved the Foraging Mastery, which contain even better loot. Some of the rarer items found in Mystery Boxes, especially Golden Mystery Boxes, can be incredibly helpful for late-game progression. As such, starting to collect them in Year 2 gives you a head start.
Choose Your Path Wisely
In Stardew Valley, players have a choice between restoring the town’s rundown Community Center or supporting the corporate giant JojaMart. To complete the Community Center, players need to complete Bundles for the Junimos by collecting and offering various items found in the Valley. Completing bundles rewards the player with exciting new items. Once all the bundles have been completed, the Community Center is repaired and the Junimos return to the forest.
On the other hand, if players opt to purchase a JojaMart Membership, the Community Center will turn into a Joja Warehouse instead. From there onward, all the bundles will be completed by the Joja Corporation. Players will need to pay a certain fee to Morris, the manager of JojaMart, through the Joja Community Development Form.
Build More Farm Buildings
Time to Ramp Up Production!
Now that your basic farm infrastructure is likely in place, consider expanding your farm in Year 2 by placing more specialized buildings. You can find the whole collection of farm buildings at the Carpenter’s Shop. Think about adding more Coops and Barns to house farm animals. These animals produce valuable resources like eggs, milk, wool, and even truffles (from pigs), which can be sold directly or, even better, processed into more profitable artisan goods in Stardew Valley.
Even seemingly smaller structures like a Silo for efficient hay storage or a Fish Pond for passive roe production can contribute significantly to your farm’s overall efficiency and profitability as you settle into your second year.
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