Below is a short list of guidelines to assist you as you navigate the question of how much you can afford. Consider paying more on the scale if you: Own the home you live in, have investments, retirement accounts, inherited money, travel recreationally, work part-time by choice, have access to family money and resources in times of need, have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education (or gender and racial privilege, class background, etc.) Even if you are not currently exercising your earning power, we ask you to recognize this as a choice. Consider paying less on the scale if you: Are supporting children or have other dependents, have significant debt, have medical expenses not covered by insurance, have tuition/educational expenses, receive public assistance, have immigration related expenses, are a senior citizen. The sliding scale payment model is an alternative to a charity model. It is an opportunity to look inward and take stock of our levels of financial privileges and resources. It's intent is to give the opportunity to facilitate a small piece of local economic justice. While we do ask you to reflect on where you fall on the scale, please don’t stress about it. Pay what feels right. *Thank you to Soul Fire Farm, Rock Steady Farm, and many others for their dedication to developing sliding scale models and for their willingness to share their resources with other farmers.*