Silos are an essential building to have on any Stardew Valley farm. These tall, 3x3 structures are used to store hay, which is a vital material for any farmer who chooses to raise animals. Without a silo, players may struggle to keep their cows and chickens fed and happy, especially in the wintertime.

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Some players may not realize the importance of this building until they have already begun to raise animals, resulting in a scramble to get one built quickly. To help new farmers, here's a quick guide on how to build silos and use them on the farm.

The silo is a good choice as a first building to purchase. It is cheaper and requires fewer materials than most other buildings; furthermore, it allows players to stockpile a feed supply before purchasing animals. To build a silo on their farm, players will need to collect the following materials:

• 100 Stone: Break rocks with a pickaxe on the farm or in the mines.
• 10 Clay: Dig in the dirt with the hoe, especially in artifact spots.
• 5 Copper Bar: Break copper ore nodes with the pickaxe in the mines. Place five copper ore and one coal in a furnace to make one copper bar.

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Take these materials to Robin at the carpentry shop to purchase a silo for 100g, which will take two days to complete. Generally, the best locations for silos are at the far edges or corners of the farm, where they won't get in the player's way. However, depending on the player's choice of layout, they may decide to incorporate them decoratively into their farm's design.

Once the silo is built, players can use it to store hay. Hay can be acquired in a number of ways:

• The player can cut grass on their farm with a scythe, which has a 50% chance to let them collect hay. Players cannot harvest hay in this way without a silo.
• Cutting wheat has a 40% chance to spawn hay in the same manner as above.
• Marnie sells hay at her ranch for 50g each.
• The desert trader will sell the player 3 hay in exchange for 1 omni geode.
• Marnie may send the player 30 hay in the mail.

Any hay the player collects with a scythe be deposited directly into the silo. Additionally, if players purchase or receive hay as a gift, they can right-click on the silo while holding the hay to add it to the stash. Each silo can hold 240 hay.

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To access hay from the silo, simply click on the hay hopper in a barn or coop. Players can then place this hay in a feeding trough for their animals. Alternatively, if players have grass to cut and need to make room in the silo, they can remove all hay from the silo via the hopper, storing it in a chest. This tactic can come in especially handy when preparing for winter, as no grass will grow on the farm during the coldest season.

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