The Farm Cave is an underground location accessed through a passage near the northern edge of The Farm. Initially it is just a small empty cave. After the player accumulates 25,000g in total earnings, Demetrius will visit the farm in the morning and inform the player that he would like to use the cave to set up research specimens. He’ll give the player the option to choose between fruit bats (which leave fruit in the cave) or mushrooms. This choice is permanent and cannot be reversed.
Fruit bats
Fruit bats leave various fruit in the Cave on the farm overnight. This is a great option for making Artisan Goods as it gives a slow but steady supply of fruit, particularly foraged berries, even out of their respective seasons. It also helps complete the Artisan Bundle in the Pantry in the first year or two, before the player has enough money to buy all the necessary Fruit Trees.
Fruit Tree fruits make excellent gifts for villagers because they are universal likes, readily accessible early in the game, and do not require a kitchen. Gifting may be the best late-game use for fruit, other than making Artisan Goods, Shipping them, finishing the Bundles, or eating them for extra energy (even though they don’t replenish very much health).
Every night, there is a chance of new fruit spawning. If the cave is empty, there is a 48% chance of no new fruit; 25% chance of 1 fruit; 13% chance of 2 fruit; 7% chance of 3 fruit; 7% chance of 4 or more fruit.[1] The average spawn rate is 1.06 fruit per night. There is no hard limit on the maximum number of fruit in one night, other than the available floor space (50 tiles).
Fruit spawned in the cave always remains there until the player collects it (the cave contents are never automatically reset, even at the end of the week or the end of the month). Uncollected fruit reduces the space available for new fruit to spawn. For example, ten uncollected fruit increases the chances of no new fruit from 48% to 54%. Placing equipment or craftable flooring in the cave also reduces the space available for fruit.
Fruit found in the cave can be of any quality (normal, silver, or gold). If the Botanist Profession is chosen, the fruit will be iridium quality. The Gatherer profession gives the player a chance of obtaining two fruit. Each fruit obtained from the cave gives the player 7 Foraging experience points.
| Name | Description | Also Found | Sell Price | Energy/Health | Used In | Chance |
| Cherry | It’s popular, and ripens sooner than most other fruits | Cherry Tree (Spring) | 80g 100g 120g 160g | +38 H 17 +53 H 23 +68 H 30 +98 H 44 | Artisan Bundle Wine Jelly | 3.6% |
| pomgranate | Within the fruit are clusters of juicy seeds. | Pomegranate Tree (Fall) | 140g 175g 210g 280g | +38 H 17 +53 H 23 +68 H 30 +98 H 44 | Artisan Bundle Enchanter’s Bundle Wine Jelly Elliott (Loved gift) | 3.6% |
| Peach | It’s almost fuzzy to the touch. | Peach Tree (Summer) | 140g 175g 210g 280g | +38 H 17 +53 H 23 +68 H 30 +98 H 44 | Artisan Bundle Wine Jelly Robin (Loved gift) | 3.6% |
| Apple | A crisp fruit used for juice and cider | Apple Tree (Fall) | 100g 125g 150g 200g | +38 H 17 +53 H 23 +68 H 30 +98 H 44 | Artisan Bundle Wine Jelly Cranberry Candy Fodder Bundle | 2% |
| Orange | Juicy, tangy, and bursting with sweet summer aroma. | Orange Tree (Summer) | 100g 125g 150g 200g | +38 H 17 +53 H 23 +68 H 30 +98 H 44 | Artisan Bundle Wine Jelly Gus (Loved gift) | 3.6% |
| Spice berry | It fills the air with a pungent aroma. | Foraging (Summer) Summer Seeds | 80g 100g 120g 160g | +25 H11 +35 H 15 +45 H20 +65 H 29 | Summer Foraging Bundle Summer Seeds Wine Jelly | 20% |
| Apricot | A tender little fruit with a rock-hard pit. | Apricot Tree (Spring) | 50g 62g 75g 100g | +38 H 17 +53 H 23 +68 H 30 +98 H 44 | Artisan Bundle Fruit Salad Wine Jelly | 3.6% |
| Wild Plum | Tart and juicy with a pungent aroma. | Foraging (Fall) Fall Seeds | 80g 100g 120g 160g | +25 H11 +35 15 +45 H20 +65 H 29 | Fall Foraging Bundle Fall Seeds Plum Pudding Wine Jelly | 20% |
| Black berry | An early-fall treat. | Foraging (Fall) Fall Seeds | 20g 25g 30g 40g | +25 H11 +35 15 +45 H20 +65 H 29 | Fall Foraging Bundle Fall Seeds Plum Pudding Wine Jelly | 20% |
| Salmon berry | A spring-time berry with the flavor of the forest. | Foraging (Spring) | 5g 6g 7g 10g | +25 H11 +35 15 +45 H20 +65 H 29 | Wine Jelly | 20% |
Mushrooms
Six boxes will be added to the cave where certain types of mushrooms will randomly grow. Five different types will appear, including all four that are required to craft the Life Elixir. Even though Common Mushrooms, Morels, and Chanterelles are the ones that most commonly appear, this is still the best way to craft the elixir as often as possible. This makes the Mushroom option a great one for those who love to go into The Mines, especially since most mushrooms can be hard to find otherwise. This is also a good choice for players that have grown, or plan to grow, fruit trees and do not need the extra fruit provided by the fruit bats.
Cave mushroom boxes produce every day.[2] Mushrooms grown in the cave are always of normal quality, even if the Botanist Profession is chosen. Harvesting mushrooms from the Cave does not award the player with any Foraging experience points.
| Name | Description | Also Found | Seel Price | Energy/Health | Used In | Chance |
| Common Mushroom | Slightly nutty, with good texture. | Foraging (Fall) Fall Seeds Secret Woods (Spring & Fall) Tapping a Mushroom Tree (Spring, Summer & Fall) | 40g 50g 60g 80g | +38 H17 +53 H23 +68 H30 +98 H44 | Fried Mushroom Tom Kha Soup Stir Fry Fall Seeds | 69.8% |
| Red Mushroom | A spotted mushroom sometimes found in caves. | The Mines Tapping or chopping a Mushroom Tree (Spring, Summer & Fall) Secret Woods (Summer & Fall) | 75g 93g 112g 150g | -50 H0 -70 H0 -90 H0 -130 H0 | Dye Bundle Foraging Bundle Life Elixir | 12.3% |
| purple mushroom | A rare mushroom found deep in caves. | The Mines Tapping or chopping a Mushroom Tree (Spring, Summer & Fall) | 250g 312g 375g 500g | +125 H57 +175 H78 +225 H101 +325 H146 | Exotic Foraging Bundle Field Research Bundle Life Elixir Wizard (Loved gift) | 2.5% |
| Chanterelle | A tasty mushroom with a fruity smell and slightly peppery flavor | Secret wood(fall) | 160g 200g 240g 320g | +75 H 33 +105 H47 +135 H60 +195 H87 | Life Elixir | 7.3% |
| Morel | Sought after for its unique nutty flavor. | Secret wood(fall) | 150g 187g 225g 300g | +20 H9 +28 H12 +36 H16 +52 H23 | Fried Mushroom Exotic Foraging Bundle Life Elixir | 8.1% |