Pay-What-You-Can Markets Provide Food for the Common Good | Eater

"A historic 14-acre organic farm in Ferguson, Missouri — touted as one of the oldest operational organic farms west of the Mississippi — that launched a pay-what-you-can stand in mid-2021 with the goal of making produce accessible to all. The farm chose an open pay-what-you-can approach rather than a complex sliding scale so no one is turned away; by the 2022 season, about 36 percent of customers paid less than full price. Customers skew toward people of color and older adults but also include university students and visitors from wealthier nearby areas, and while initial donations once outpaced discounts, that balance has shifted as inflation raised input and shipping costs. The model has relied on social trust and community loyalty, and staff report renewed hope from customers’ sustained use and support of the service." - Gabriel Pietrorazio