Sign-Ups are Open for the 2023 CSA Season!
Our Sliding Scale CSA
This year Valley Flora is introducing an income-based sliding scale CSA payment model for Harvest Baskets (the sliding scale does not apply to Abby’s Greens Salad Shares). We want our CSA to be accessible to everyone in our community, regardless of their current economic situation. Sliding scale options ask that those who can afford to pay more make a larger CSA contribution for the season, so that those who cannot afford to contribute as much can pay less. This approach means that collectively we make food access more equitable in our community while keeping the farm economically viable.
Participation in our sliding scale is based on the honor system and is completely voluntary. CSA is built on trust; in that spirit we will not ask you any personal questions about finances or life circumstances. If you do not want to participate, you can sign up for the normal full price option ($975 for the season, with a $25 discount applied to all Paid in Full Harvest Baskets). If you want to participate in our sliding scale, please follow the steps explained below. Additionally, to make Valley Flora produce more accessible:
- We offer a $25 discount on all Paid In Full Harvest Baskets ($950 per season instead of $975).
- We offer a Monthly Payment Plan option for those who need to spread their CSA payments out over the season.
- We accept EBT/SNAP and are part of a program called Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB). SNAP members will receive 1:1 matching funds through DUFB towards the cost of a CSA share (you pay half of the cost of the CSA price with your SNAP and DUFB pays the other half). If you are paying with EBT/SNAP, you do not need to choose a sliding scale option because you will automatically receive a 50% discount. Please contact us directly if you want to pay with EBT/SNAP so we can set up your account and get you enrolled in the DUFB program.
Sliding Scale Participants, Read On...
Step 1: Income-based suggestion
Our sliding scale CSA pricing is based on the income required to provide a modest yet secure standard of living in Coos and Curry Counties, based on data from the Economic Policy Institute Family Budget Calculator. In the chart below, choose your household size (family of 2 or family of 4) and find the annual household income that most closely matches your own. To the right of your income you will find your suggested CSA contribution for the season. If you have a larger or smaller family, please use your best judgement to determine your CSA contribution for the season given the baseline provided.
Step 2: Consider your wealth and privilege in addition to income
Our sliding scale CSA encourages you to consider other factors besides income that affect your financial status. Some groups of privileged people go through life with a tailwind at their back, others with less privilege face a headwind (listen to this Freakonomics podcast for an explanation). For most people, there is a mix of tailwinds and headwinds. Please consider wealth and privilege as well as income.
Consider contributing more when you:
- Own your home;
- Have retirement accounts, investments, or inherited money;
- Have access to family money and resources in times of need; have significant discretionary expenses like travel, dining out, entertainment, etc.;
- Have a relatively high degree of earning power due to your education level (or other privileges you may have associated with race, gender, citizenship status, class background, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability, etc.). Even if you are not currently exercising your earning power – we ask you to recognize when this is a choice and consider contributing more.
Consider contributing less when you:
- Are supporting other dependents or sending remittances;
- Have significant non-mortgage debt, particularly cash advance or payday loans;
- Have medical expenses not covered by insurance;
- Are impacted by state violence (e.g. refugees, asylees and injustice in our criminal system).
Thanks to all the good people at Soulfire Farm, Zephyr Farm, Boundless Farmstead and many others for inspiring and pioneering the sliding scale CSA model.
Follow this link to select your CSA option and sign up for the 2023 season.
Thanks for being part of a more just and equitable food system in our community!
