Quick Links
Marnieis well-known amongStardew Valleyplayers for her love of animals, secret relationship with Mayor Lewis, and frustratingly common absence from her store’s register. Yet despite the latter detail, she remains a fan favorite thanks to her kind, gentle nature.
She’s also a helpful friend to have around, especiallyearly on in the game. Players who get on Marnie’s good side can receive recipes and free hay — or sneak into her bedroom to retrieve Lewis’s purple shorts. Whatever the player’s endgame may be, or if they simply want to get to know her, here’s a guide to befriending Marnie inStardew Valley.
Updated July 20, 2025, by Demaris Oxman:The characters that populate Pelican Town are one of the biggest reasons thatStardew Valleyhas had such staying power ever since its release. One of those characters is the local rancher Marnie, a kind person and a helpful friend to have around. When trying to make new friends in their new home, gifts are a great way to gain affection with Pelican Town’s residents, but what does Marnie like? And more importantly, where can players find those items? Now that the 1.6 update is available across all platforms, this article has been updated to ensure players have the latest information on Marnie’s likes and dislikes.
What Gifts Does Marnie Like?
Like any of the villagers,presents are the way to Marnie’s heart. Of course, not all gifts are created equal — she’ll appreciate some more than others, while terrible gifts will offend her. Bear in mind that any present given onher birthday, Fall 18th, will count for 8x the usual friendship points. Here’s the rundown of gifts that Marnie likes and loves.
Loved Gifts
The following items are ideal gifts for Marnie, and will earn the player80 friendship points.When trying to gain her friendship, save these items to present to her, especially on her birthday:
Liked Gifts
These presents will earn the player45 friendship points— not as much as the above gifts, but a substantial amount nonetheless. This list also covers a great deal more items, making it more likely players will have one of these in their inventory.
Disliked & Hated Gifts
Any of the following gifts will decrease Marnie’s relationship with the farmer rather than increasing it. Hated gifts will lead to a greater loss of friendship than Disliked; however, players should never give her any of the following items:
Movie Theater Preferences
Like all villagers,once the movie theater is up and running, players cangive Marnie a movie ticketto invite her to attend a showing. Depending on how much Marnie enjoys the movie and concessions, players can earnup to 250 friendship points. Fortunately for players, Marnie will never be unhappy with whatever film is playing that day; perhaps she simply likes the experience of the cinema itself.
Quests
Like all other townsfolk, Marnie may occasionally post a Help Wanted quest on thebulletin boardoutside Pierre’s store. Bringing her the item she requests will earn the player150 friendship points.In addition, Marnie will ask for the player’s help with the quests below:
Cow’s Delight
On the 3rd of Fall, Marnie sends the player a letter in the mail. She asks the player to bring her a bunch ofAmaranth,mentioning that it’s her cows' favorite treat. Upon bringing it to her, she will reward the player with 500g, and her friendship willincrease by one heart.
To complete the request, players must purchase Amaranth Seeds from Pierre’s shop for 35g. These seeds take 7 days to fully mature, after which they are harvested with a scythe.
Marnie’s Request
Upon reaching three hearts, Marnie will request that the player bring her aCave Carrot, which she wants to use tohelp her train goats. Players will be rewarded for their efforts with 100 friendship points, and a charming cutscene in which a goat attempts to do a trick.
To find Cave Carrots, head to the Mines. By digging in the dirt underground with the Hoe, players should be able to unearth this root vegetable easily.
Friendship Perks
As mentioned before, befriending Marnie has its upsides. Among these are therecipesthat she sends the player once they reach certain friendship levels.
In addition to these recipes, Marnie may also send the player30Hayin the mail. This is especially useful during winter in Year 1, when some players struggle to feed their animals.
