#dewtask007

to the residents of stardew valley,

but more importantly, my neighbors and my friends. when i took this office, i swore to do right by you and to lead always with your best interests in mind, and over the years i have done my best to keep that word. i see now, though, that allowing joja mart to take refuge in our town was not in any of our best interests.

i understand the threat that large corporations often pose to small businesses, but i believed joja mart would diversify our town’s offerings and grant us all access to products we can otherwise only find in the city. without proper care and regulations, however, joja mart’s stronghold clearly tears our community apart in the most regrettable way.

over the past two months, i have tried to negotiate with joja mart and establish a balance that could allow both joja mart and the general store to thrive alongside each other. because we could come to no agreement, i will not allow the corporation to stay in the valley when its lease expires at the month’s end.

i understand this is the least i can do by way of reparations, and it will also host more problems for us in the valley. to ensure you all have access to the products you need, i have developed a plan with the mercer family to ensure their store can reopen at once. i will also work with the other businesses who have taken losses due to joja mart.

this matter goes beyond business. your trust is something i can only restore through further time and care. but as your neighbor before your mayor, i thank you for your letters and meetings, for my accountability. time and time again, you all spoke of the community that we have built together, and you are right. stardew valley as we know it takes a village, and i am nothing without your guidance. so i thank you.

Mayor Lewis,

Hi! I’m Lizzie. I know your daughter well, but I don’t think we’ve made official acquaintance yet. It’s unfortunate that that introduction is under these circumstances — but perhaps this is an opportunity for both of us to prove how much we care about the Valley!

I moved to Stardew Valley on a whim. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be living here for long; I thought I’d stay for a few months, then move off to Zuzu City or whatever other town lied in my path. However, It’s been a year, and I am still here.

Why do you think that is, Mayor? I’ll give you a few seconds to mull it over.

Done?

It was the people. It wasn’t my paradisaical escapist fantasy, it wasn’t the beauty of the Valley-- it was the people. You may remember that you hired me as the photographer for quite a few Valley events, and I can tell you from first-hand experience: I have never seen such a tight-knit community of people who look out for one another, who care for each other, and who make each other thrive. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here right now. They have not only provided me with opportunities and employment (I was a regular employee at the Mercer General Store), but they have also offered compassion, friendship, and loyalty.

Locally run businesses like the Mercer General Store make Stardew Valley what it is. It is a natural extension of that tight-knit community this place has fostered over the years. Made by dewers, for dewers. They have a stake in this valley, one that is much deeper than any other corporation you could try and force onto us. I think the recent protests and calls to boycott are proof enough of that, aren’t they?

Joja Mart is not a part of Stardew Valley. It never has been, and it never could be. Our “neighbors” have been destroying our local economy, leaving many citizens unemployed or forced to work in the strenuous circumstances the corporation places its workers under (don’t worry, word of overworked and exhausted employees runs fast in a small town). Joja does not represent our valley, our values, or our community, nor has it helped us in the slightest, no matter what poor excuse for “philanthropy” they try to hide behind. The bus would have been fixed much sooner if Joja hadn’t run us dry by then, forcing themselves into their own savior narrative.

Stardew Valley thrives when its people thrive. I know capitalistic ventures like Joja might seem enticing, and those dollar signs might be blinding, but know that this isn’t what the Valley wants or needs. If you do think it’s what the Valley wants and needs, I advise you to take a step back and listen to the citizens that have been directly affected by your and Joja’s actions. I’m sure they will tell you otherwise.

Joja will run this town dry. There’s no other way to put it. And if we have to protest, to expose Joja for the sham it is, to scream at the top of our lungs, we will do so, because this community sticks together. I hope you realize that before it’s too late. I’ve included a few things in this envelope that I hope will help you realize what Stardew Valley truly is.

Best regards,

Finley Martin

I don’t think I can even express the rage I feel at the news of the Mercer General Store closing. You heard a very vocal protest against the establishment of Joja in Pelican Town, yet you went forward anyways. As a representative, your interests should like in your constituents, not in corporations and your own pockets.

In my travels, I have seen corporate entities, like Joja, destroy the economies of small towns. What do you plan to do when none of your farmers can stimulate the local economy because they have to ship crops outside of the valley? Or when they have to up and leave? What will you do when Joja raises the prices because they have monopolized the area and residents have to move from the valley or go bankrupt?

This seems like such a shortsighted solution to the valleys problems and assumes that the corporation has the best interest of the town in mind. I can assure you, this generosity will not last much longer. 

I implore you to really consider the values we hold in this valley - how we all look out for each other here, and consider if letting Joja establish roots here, unregulated, is consistent with these values.

I am of the opinion that it would be best to think of alternate solutions, that either involve the removal of Joja and stimulating the economy for local businesses. Or severely regulating how Joja can set prices. 

Once more, you represent the people here and it is in your interest to represent us if you want to remain in office.

Sincerely, 

You have never steered us wrong, so I have faith that with bringing Joja here you had the best of intentions.

BOYCOTT JOJA! a call to boycott the town’s new “neighbor” erupted through the valley following the general store’s closing. the town, or those who feel led, banded together to boycott joja mart, creating a rideshare schedule, bartering their artisan goods, and commuting via bus to zuzu city together. some have even taken to protesting outside the store to get potential customers on their side. you can write your #BOYCOTTJOJA threads and tag them as #dewevent009.