# Farmers | Store to Earn $AI3

## Background

A major barrier to mass adoption in web3 is often the technical expertise required to participate in decentralized networks. Running blockchain node software from a command line interface (CLI) on specialized hardware is particularly difficult for the average user. This accessibility hurdle threatens to limit some of the greatest benefits of the web3 ecosystem to a small number of highly technical individuals and enterprises.

## Space Acres

**Space Acres**, our [farmer node](https://academy.autonomys.xyz/autonomys-network/nodes) running software, abstracts away these complexities through an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) that allows anyone with a consumer-level computer to pledge SSD space to the Autonomys Network in exchange for [$AI3 rewards](https://academy.autonomys.xyz/autonomys-network/rewards-and-fees), while Space Acres seamlessly handles the backend [consensus](https://academy.autonomys.xyz/autonomys-network/consensus) and [DSN](https://academy.autonomys.xyz/autonomys-network/distributed-storage-network) operations. This incentivization model scales rewards to contributors based on their amount of pledged storage, fostering a scalable decentralized data storage solution.

Space Acres provides several key features that simplify the farming process:

* **Configuration**: Users can easily configure their reward address, node location, multiple farms, and P2P ports through the user-friendly interface.
* **Node Sync**: The node synchronization process is displayed with progress, speed, and estimated time remaining (ETA), keeping users informed about the status.
* **Plotting and Farming**: Space Acres displays plotting/farming piece cache progress and replotting progress, and calculates the speed, giving users visibility into their farming operations.
* **Auditing and Proving**: Performance indicators for farmer auditing and proving are provided, allowing users to monitor their contribution to the network.
* **Sector State Visualization**: The state of farmers' sectors is visually represented, providing a clear overview of their storage contribution.

To learn more and **install Space Acres**, visit our [farming documentation](http://docs.autonomys.xyz/farming/space-acres/install/).

## Command Line Interface (CLI)

To start farming via CLI, visit our [farming documentation](https://docs.autonomys.xyz/farming/cli/install).