Sustainable Lessons You Can Learn From Stardew Valley

I have spent an embarrassing number of hours tending to my farm, fishing, fighting monsters, and trying to befriend the locals in Stardew Valley over the years. It’s probably my favorite video game I’ve ever played, and it continues to surprise me even after starting a new farm for the 25th time. Its sweet story and easy-going world are full of lessons to be learned about all aspects of life, but it tells particularly poignant tales about humanity’s relationship to nature and to each other.

In honor of the recent update, let’s talk about a few lessons you can learn from Stardew Valley about sustainable living and being in harmony with the environment and the people in your community.

(P.S.- If you’d like to see these lessons as an infographic, check them out on Instagram from SustainablyManaged here.)

Locally grown food is a great way to protect the environment and support the local economy.

From farm-raised melons to foraged mushrooms, one of the main goals of Stardew Valley is to feed your community. Your neighbors will make comments about how delicious your crops are, and you can uplift the local economy through Pierre’s general store.

Years ago, I asked ConcernedApe, the creator of Stardew Valley, what he wanted players to learn about the environment. Here’s what he said-

"One thing in Stardew that I would advocate for is to support local food sources if you can. It's always better to get food from the local farmer than having it shipped from across the world. I know that might not always be possible, because the way things are set up, it's often cheaper to buy food that's mass produced in another country. But ideally, things would be set up so that you wouldn't have to do that."

There is immeasurable value in community and individual contributions to a collective good.

Sustainable living is all about uplifting the people around you and depending on the community instead of big, faceless corporations. Stardew Valley gives you the option to support one of those faceless corporations with JojaMart, but taking this path is detrimental to the local general store, the environment, and the opportunity for greater community spaces and resources.

In the game, you can do that by supporting local businesses like Pierre’s, working with local craftsmen like Robin and Clint, and using public resources like Emily’s sewing machine and public transportation. Outside of the game, you can do that by shopping at small businesses, going to farmer’s markets, taking advantage of the library and public parks, and getting involved in your community through events and volunteer projects.

Even renewable resources aren’t in endless supply, and we should only take and use what we need.

From chopping down trees in the forest to fishing in the rivers, Stardew Valley teaches us that only taking what you need, giving resources time to grow back, and sharing the things we’ve collected with our neighbors is the key to supporting the environment around us.

Although most of us aren’t necessarily chopping down trees or foraging for food in our daily life, this lesson still applies in many ways. Reducing your waste, conserving resources like water, and educating the people around you about sustainable practices are all great ways to preserve the balance of nature and the things we collectively share.

Nature will provide you with many of the things you need if you have the patience and knowledge to find them.

It takes time to discover where to find the best foraged flowers, to catch the biggest fish, or to learn the perfect recipe to create fertilizer from seashells. Patience in the learning process, spreading your knowledge with the people around you, and sharing your resources helps to create an educated and compassionate connection to your environment.

This is a great lesson that reaches far past environmental activism, too- having the patience and dedication to learn about something new, whether that’s a news story or a fun hobby, can help you feel confident in your actions and more connected to both the task at hand and the world around you.

One man’s trash is another’s recycled treasure.

There is nothing wasted in Stardew Valley- even the trash you find in the river or driftwood on the beach can be turned into something useful if you have the time and tools. Although the real world isn’t as perfect and efficient, taking the time and care to prevent waste is never a bad thing.

This is a pretty standard eco-friendly practice, but it’s always worth noting- never throw something away before you've discovered its worth. Whether it’s through traditional municipal recycling, upcycling, or donation, there are endless ways to reuse things that you don’t want anymore and prevent them from heading to the landfill.