Stardew Valley: Should I Choose Forester or Gatherer?

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Learn about the differences between Foraging professions in Stardew Valley on all platforms

Co-authored by BlaDe and Rain Kengly

Last Updated: February 3, 2025

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• About the Forester Profession
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• About the Gatherer Profession
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• Which one is better?
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• Expert Interview

|Show more |Show less

Are you on the fence about a Forester or Gatherer profession in Stardew Valley? The best choice is entirely dependent on your playstyle. One is more suited for collectors while the other is better for explorers. Keep in mind you can change your profession for 10,000g once you unlock the sewer. This wikiHow will show you the difference between Forester and Gatherer in Stardew Valley and how to pick the best choice for you.

Things You Should Know

• The Forester Profession is geared towards wood collectors and builders.
• The Gatherer Profession is suitable for those who like to explore and find items.
• At Level 10, you can unlock a sub-category for your profession. You can always change this later, at the Statue of Uncertainty.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

About the Forester Profession

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1. 
   1
   Forester gives you 25% more wood. When you chop down trees, stumps, and logs with an axe, wood will drop. Wood is needed to craft a variety of different buildings, such as the different barns and coops. If you aren't in the habit of replanting seeds for new trees, this profession can help you keep a constant supply of wood ready to be used.
2. 
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   At Level 10, you can choose between Lumberjack and Tapper. With the Lumberjack profession, all trees, stumps, and logs chopped down with an axe have a chance to drop hardwood. Hardwood only spawns in select locations, such as the Secret Woods, and it can be troublesome to collect it in bulk. If you find yourself running out of hardwood often, this profession is especially helpful. Alternatively, the Tapper profession will earn you 25% more on sold syrups, which is made from tapping trees.
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Section 2 of 3:

About the Gatherer Profession

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1. 
   1
   Gatherer gives you a chance for double harvest. When you pick up an item off the ground, such as a mushroom or flower, this is considered foraging. Some items can be used for the Community Center bundles or used for artisanal goods. You can also sell these items if you're having trouble catching fish. If you collect often, this can help you get Gold easily in the early game.
2. 
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   At Level 10, you can choose between Botanist and Tracker. With the Botanist profession, foraged items will always be at their highest quality. This means you'll get a gold star item every time you pick it up. With the Tracker profession, all available resources that can be foraged will appear on your map. This makes it easy to track down all possible foraging items.
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Section 3 of 3:

Which one is better?

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1. 
   Consider your playing style. If you find yourself chopping wood for materials often, you should pick Forester. If you forage items regularly and sell them for profit, you should go with Gatherer. Unlike the Mushroom or Bat Cave, you can always change your profession at the Statue of Uncertainty. This is unlocked once you get into the Krobus' Sewer, and it'll cost you 10,000g to do so.

   • Forester can give you an advantage when collecting wood for materials, as Level 5 gives you 25% more and Level 10 (Lumberjack) allows the chance for hardwood to drop from all trees. Wood is an especially important resource when it comes to constructing new buildings or upgrading your house. If you select Tapper, you can even make passive income by tapping plenty of trees and selling the syrups, which are worth 25% more.
   • Gatherer can help you earn Gold in the early game, as you can sell these foraged items for profit with the increased chance of double harvest at Level 5. At Level 10 (Botanist), foraged items are always of the highest quality, so you'll always be getting the maximum amount of Gold for selling them. On the other hand, if you select Tracker, you can see all foraging items on the map, making it easy to collect what you need.

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