Stardew Valley Big Tree Quest Guide

In the latest content patch for Stardew Valley, you’re able to get your Donut County on by befriending a local family of raccoons. This sounds like a terrible idea, but your new trash panda pals can be a big help as you explore all the new stuff in patch 1.6. Here’s what you need to know.

Raccoon City: What to Do with the Giant Stump in Stardew Valley

There’s a big tree on the north end of the Cindersap Forest, just south of your farm and west from Marnie’s ranch. Up until now, it’s been background scenery, but a new series of events can unfold there as of patch 1.6. If you’re looking for more information about the Giant Stump, the big tree, or the Raccoon family’s quests, you’re in the right place.

Once you’ve rebuilt the Greenhouse on your farm, there’s a slim chance every night that the old tree might get knocked over after you go to bed. If you see a message that “there was a strong wind storm during the night,” the tree is history.

You can now go to where that tree used to be to start a new quest, “The Giant Stump.” This requires you to return to what’s left of the tree with 100 Hardwood.

This can be a big ask at any stage of the game, but keep in mind that once you have a Steel Axe or better, you can always get 12 Hardwood per day from the Secret Woods west of the Stump. Patch 1.5 also introduced Mahogany Seeds, which are a relatively common drop from any source that yields Hardwood, so you might want to preemptively start a copse of Mahogany Trees somewhere on your farm.

A week later, return to the Stump to meet its new resident, a raccoon. He will begin a series of 8 requests. Many of them will take some doing, but he never asks for anything that you can’t reasonably expect to be able to get in the current season. For example, the Raccoon only asks for Rainbow Trout if it’s currently Summer. He also never asks for anything that’s exclusive to Ginger Island.

None of the Raccoon’s requests have time limits, and once you fulfill one, he waits a week before making another. Fulfilling 8 of his requests unlocks the Good Neighbors achievement.

As of patch 1.6.4, released on April 19, you'll also receive a special reward cutscene once the Raccoons' family has grown to its maximum size.

What You’ll Need to Complete the Raccoon Quests

The Raccoon’s requests frequently involve the use of various production machines, a couple of which were only introduced in patch 1.6. However, this quest series also starts late enough in the game that by the time you can start it, you’ve probably got enough loose change that you can simply buy or build most of what you need to complete it. Here’s your “shopping list” for the Raccoon’s requests.

• Dehydrator
• Fish Smoker
• Keg
• Mushroom Logs (and/or Demetrius’s mushroom boxes)
• Preserves Jar
• Steel Axe (or better)

You’ll also want to be decent at fishing, and it’s helpful if you’ve gotten to at least the 60th floor of the Mines. It’s also not uncommon for the Raccoon to want fruit that only grows on trees, such as Cherries, Apricots, or Pomegranates. If you haven’t already set up an orchard on your farm, do so before you start the Giant Stump chain.

You do need to have finished the Greenhouse before “The Giant Stump” is even an option, so you’ve likely done all of this by now... unless you’re on the JojoMart route, in which case all bets are off.

Step One: Feed the Trash Panda

When the Raccoon appears, speak with him to receive the first request in the chain. He’ll ask for a specific seasonal smoked fish and 5 specific raw shellfish, such as Oysters or Cockles.

For the shellfish, you can forage for them on the Beach or set Crab Pots up in the ocean or river. The smoked fish requires you to insert the raw version and 1 piece of Coal into a Fish Smoker, the blueprint for which is available for purchase from Willy. The Raccoon will accept any quality of fish.

Your reward is 25 seeds for one of the new seasonal plants from 1.6, depending on which season you’re in when you complete the request:

• Spring: Carrot Seeds
• Summer: Summer Squash Seeds
• Fall: Broccoli Seeds
• Winter: Powdermelon Seeds

Step Two: Raccoon Matrimony

Return to the Stump a week later and, as promised, Mr. Raccoon has gotten himself hitched. Mrs. Raccoon doesn’t talk much, but “sells” the aforementioned 1.6 seasonal seeds in exchange for Maple Seeds, Sap, Moss, and Acorns. This can be a really useful way to stock up ahead of a change in seasons, so even if you don’t care about achievements, it’s well worth finishing at least the first step.

The Raccoon’s new request is for 2 seasonal artisan items. In my game, when I spoke to him in Summer, he wanted Dried Apricots, made with the Dehydrator, and Cherry Jelly, which requires a Preserves Jar.

In exchange, he offers a Raccoon Journal. When read, this permanently increases the chance that foliage cleared with the Scythe will drop Mixed Seeds. This is the only way to get the Journal, which counts towards the new Well-Read achievement.

You can also “buy” more Raccoon Journals from Mrs. Raccoon for 999 Fiber. On a reread, the Raccoon Journal grants some Foraging experience points.

Step Three: Mushroom Time

From this point forward, you’ll be able to tell when the Raccoons’ quest has advanced by the sudden presence of another Raccoon poking its head out of the Giant Stump (above). Keep an eye out for that as you come and go between your farm and Cindersap Forest.

The next request from the Raccoon is for 1 packet of Dried Mushrooms, which you can make by putting 5 Common Mushrooms into a Dehydrator. This is either very easy, if you had Demetrius set your farm cave up for mushrooms, or it could take some work.

You can forage for Common Mushrooms in Fall, or in any season, build a couple of Mushroom Logs. The latter are created by a new recipe introduced in patch 1.6, which is received when you hit Foraging level 4. These produce an assortment of up to 5 mushrooms every 4 days, with rainy days knocking a day off that time. Planting the Log near oak, maple, or pine trees will increase the number of mushrooms that appear on a Log at once.

In addition, the Raccoon also wants 5 Eggs, Cave Carrots, or White Algae. The Algae can be the hardest to find, but it’s a relatively common drop from Slimes in the Mines.

As a reward, you’ll get a Raccoon Hat, which for my own peace of mind, I’m going to assume isn’t made with a real raccoon tail. You can buy more Raccoon Hats for your dog(s) or horse by trading 10 Mixed Seeds to Mrs. Raccoon.

Step Four: 2 Kids and a Tree

The Raccoons’ growing family requires more food, which requires you to bring them two more artisan products. In my game, the Raccoon asked for Radish Juice and Pickled Summer Squash, but from what we’ve been able to tell, he could request the jellied/pickled/juiced version of any 2 seasonal crops.

If you’re really unfortunate, he may ask for 5 Purple Mushrooms, which are difficult to come by, and which you’ve probably already made into Life Elixirs. Keep an eye out for more Purple Mushrooms on the lowest floors of the Mines, in the Skull Cavern, or at the Traveling Cart. Alternatively, make a bunch of Mushroom Logs and hope you get lucky.

For completing this stage of the quest, you’ll receive 5 bags of Fairy Dust. This is a new item which can be used on production equipment to automatically complete or advance whatever they’re creating. For example, if you put Fairy Dust on a Furnace, it immediately finishes production on a metal bar. If you put Dust on a Cask, it advances the item inside to the next quality tier.

This can come in handy for the rest of the Raccoons’ quest series, as they’ll frequently want more artisan goods from this point forward.

Mrs. Raccoon also puts Fairy Dust on her vendor menu in exchange for 1 Mystic Syrup. This can be acquired by putting a Tapper on a Mystic Tree, which can be grown using a seed you learn how to make when you achieve Foraging Mastery.

Step Five: Middle Child Syndrome

This time around, the Raccoon wants a surprise gift for Mrs. Raccoon. In my game, he wanted 99 Slimes and 4 Coral. He might also ask for 20 Bat Wings, 20 Bug Meat, 10 Moss, a Diamond, 5 Frozen or Magma Geodes, 2 Sea Urchins, or 3 Ghostfish.

In exchange, he gives you a Jungle Tank, an aquarium that you can put on display in your house. If you want to get a second one, Mrs. Raccoon will trade it to you for 5 Broken Glasses.

Steps Six to Eight: Bribery

From this point, the Raccoon’s requests start to repeat themselves. Each week, he asks for 2 items that follow the same pattern as one of the quests listed above. In exchange, he offers a random reward, which could include 7 pouches of Fairy Dust, 1 Stardrop Tea, 25 seasonal seeds from patch 1.6, or 5 Mystery Boxes.

Once you've unlocked Golden Mystery Boxes, Mrs. Raccoon also offers them in exchange for 20 normal-quality Mystery Boxes. As of patch 1.6.4, Mrs. Raccoon is also willing to trade you a single piece of Magic Rock Candy in exchange for 20 Golden Mystery Boxes.

After you get the Good Neighbors achievement, continuing to complete the Raccoon’s quests gets you items that are useful but not irreplaceable. If you’re a completionist, stick it out until the 8th week. Otherwise, it’s only worth helping the Raccoon out if he’s looking for items you already have handy, or which are easy enough to get. He'll keep offering a new quest each week in perpetuity.

That’s the what, where, and why of the Giant Stump quests in Stardew Valley patch 1.6. If you’ve never heard of this well-hidden quest series, or you’re trying to figure out if it’s worth burning so much Hardwood on a random tree stump, this is the information you were looking for.