Full Meadowlands Farm Stardew Valley guide

Meadowlands Farm is the new farm type that was added to Stardew Valley with update 1.6, and that makes the update very exciting for fans.

In both the changelog for the patch and ConcernedApe’s teaser post on Twitter, it’s described as having “chewy blue grass which animals love.” Here’s some nuance on this farm type because Meadowlands farm is, pretty obviously, set up for animals to love and that means it might not be so suitable for other purposes.

It’s undoubtedly beautiful and the blue grass really is a nice and incredibly helpful touch, but there is a distinct lack of arable ground for crops so you’re going to struggle if you want to hit the ground running and build huge fields. If that’s how you want to play Stardew Valley, I wouldn’t recommend Meadowlands Farm as a farm choice. 

Is Meadowlands farm good for crops?

There are roughly 2,050 tillable tiles on the Meadowlands Farm map, but they’re not conducive to huge sprawling fields of crop. Instead, they’re separated by a huge swathe of grass that splits the map in two. There’s plenty of space for buildings, such as your Greenhouse or Barns, if you’re smart with your placement. 

The largest part of tillable soil on the Meadowlands Farm map is located in the bottom left corner, and even this has a lot of spots of land that can’t be used for crops, as well as a lot of ponds and water sources. This might be good for refilling your watering can at the beginning of the game, but not so good if you’re hoping to get rich selling Blueberries in the Summer.

It is possible to grow a lot of crops, but for those who enjoy something aesthetically pleasing, there will be many issues when trying to plan out crops on a Meadowlands Farm map. 

Is Meadowlands Farm good for animals?

Undoubtedly, yes. Meadowlands Farm seems set up specifically for animal pastures and grazing. As I said, there’s a massive swathe of untillable soil that basically splits the map in two, but it’s the perfect spot for Barns and Coops, while still allowing plenty of space around them for grazing on that sweet blue grass. 

One of the biggest benefits of starting a playthrough with Meadowlands Farm selected as your farm type is the fact that it comes with a Coop and two Chickens, so you don’t have to wait before you can begin producing Eggs. You don’t get to name these Chickens (mine are called Potatoes and Gravy), but this is definitely the biggest draw of this farm type. You can also fish in the rivers and larger Ponds, which is another way of making some extra money early in a playthrough. 

What does Meadowlands blue grass do?

Meadowlands Farm blue grass, when eaten by animals on your farm, will increase their hearts twice as fast. This is good because, well, you need your animals to like you if you’re hoping to be a good and morally just farmer. Plus, more hearts mean more high-quality produce in half the time it would usually take. 

High quality produce results in higher profits, so if you’re hoping to make all of your money on animal produce and the things you can make using them, then Meadowlands Farm is absolutely perfect. 

That said, you can also buy Blue Grass Starters from Pierre, so if you want to get the same benefits without having to give up your arable land, then you can do that. Blue grass is not limited to Meadowlands Farm, but it is the only farm that comes with it readily available. When mowed down with a Scythe, blue grass produces regular Hay.

Is Meadowlands Farm good for beginners?

Honestly, no. If you’re just getting into Stardew Valley, the easiest method to figure out for making money is through crops, so I would definitely class Meadowlands Farm as more of a ‘challenge farm’. It’s not quite on the same level as the Beach Farm, but it’s definitely not the farm I’d recommend if you’ve never played the game before. 

That said, if you love a challenge, Meadowlands Farm might have its frustrations but once you’ve figured out how to utilize the space, you’ll have a lot of fun. To help you figure out if you’ll be able to make your home on this farm type, here’s a blank image of Meadowlands Farm obtained through Stardew Valley Planner.