I'm new to CalFresh and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea you could buy seeds and plants with EBT benefits. With grocery prices being so crazy this year, growing some of my own food sounds like a really smart way to stretch my benefits further. Based on everyone's experiences, it sounds like Target and Walmart are the most reliable options, and I'm definitely going to look into farmers markets with Market Match programs - getting double the value sounds amazing! I'm a complete beginner when it comes to gardening, but the success stories here are really encouraging. Quick question for those who've been doing this - about how much should I budget from my monthly CalFresh benefits for getting started with a small container garden? I'm thinking herbs and maybe some cherry tomatoes like others mentioned. I want to make sure I'm being realistic about the initial investment versus long-term savings. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating all the CalFresh rules and finding ways to make benefits go further!

Just wanted to add my experience from the Bay Area! I've had success using EBT for seeds and plants at several locations that haven't been mentioned yet: - Lucky supermarket (they have a small garden section in spring) - Some independent Mexican markets that sell vegetable plants - Berkeley Bowl (amazing selection of organic starts and heirloom seeds) One thing I learned the hard way - don't assume all "vegetable" plants qualify! I tried to buy ornamental kale with my EBT thinking it was food, but the cashier explained that decorative varieties don't count even if they're technically edible. Has to be specifically labeled as food-producing. Also wanted to mention for apartment dwellers like me - window boxes work great for herbs and lettuce! I'm growing cilantro, green onions, and baby spinach in my kitchen window and it's already paid for itself in just 6 weeks. Green onions are especially awesome because you can regrow them from the roots of store-bought ones - basically free food forever! The key is starting small and building confidence. My first year I tried to plant everything and half of it died. This year I focused on just 5 types of plants and I'm getting way better results. Don't get discouraged if you're new to this - even experienced gardeners kill plants sometimes!

I just went through this exact same situation a few months ago! It's honestly mind-blowing how many people deal with this EBT Edge security question nightmare. That 1-877-328-9677 number with option 4 is absolutely the way to go - I see everyone's already pointed you in the right direction! I called around 7:30am and only waited about 15 minutes. The tech support rep was super helpful and walked me through resetting everything. One thing I'd add that I haven't seen mentioned much - when they verify your identity, they might also ask for the zip code you used when you first applied for benefits. It caught me off guard but luckily I remembered it was different from my current address since I had moved. Also, once you get back in, definitely enable any account security notifications if they offer them. That way if something like this happens again, you'll at least get an email heads up. The mobile app really is a game changer compared to the website - much more user friendly for quick balance checks. You'll have this sorted out soon, and then you can actually focus on using your benefits instead of fighting with technology! Good luck! 🍀

I'm going through this exact same issue right now! Just got my CalFresh approval a couple weeks ago and I'm totally locked out of my EBT Edge account. I must have created it years ago when I briefly had benefits before and I have absolutely no memory of what security questions I used. It's so frustrating because I just want to check my balance online instead of having to call or go to the store every time! I've been trying to guess my security question answers for days with no luck. Reading through all these responses, it's clear that calling 1-877-328-9677 and pressing 4 for EBT Edge technical support is the way to go. I'm definitely going to try calling first thing tomorrow morning at 8am with all my verification info ready - card number, DOB, last 4 of SSN, current address, and even my old zip code just in case. It's actually really comforting to see so many people have dealt with this exact same problem and gotten it resolved! Makes me feel less frustrated knowing it's such a common issue with their system. Once I get back in, I'm absolutely writing down my security questions AND setting up a password manager. Clearly I can't trust my memory with this stuff! Thanks everyone for sharing what actually worked - gives me hope I can get this sorted out quickly!

As a new community member, I'm incredibly grateful to have discovered this thread while dealing with my own P-EBT activation struggles! I've been trying to activate my card for over a week with no success, and reading through everyone's experiences has been both validating and incredibly helpful. It's clear that these activation issues are systematic problems with data integration between school districts and the P-EBT system, not something we're doing wrong as parents. The comprehensive troubleshooting approach that's developed in this thread is amazing - I had no idea there were so many potential data mismatch scenarios that could cause activation failures. From using the child's birthdate instead of the parent's, to maiden name discrepancies, old zip codes, birth year typos in school records, and even different date format requirements - it's like a minefield of database errors! I'm definitely calling that dedicated P-EBT hotline at 1-877-328-9677 first thing at 8 AM tomorrow (thanks for that timing tip!) with all possible variations ready: my kids' birthdates, my maiden name, our previous address from when we first enrolled, and different date formats. The advice about keeping a detailed log of attempts is brilliant - I'm starting that today so I can be organized when I finally reach a representative. It's honestly outrageous that families have to become database forensics experts just to access food benefits our children are entitled to, but this community has created an invaluable support system. Thank you especially to @Anastasia Popov for sharing your complete journey from problem to resolution, and to everyone who contributed specific solutions. This thread should be pinned as the unofficial P-EBT activation survival guide! I'll definitely update once I hopefully get this resolved tomorrow.

As a new community member, I'm so thankful to have found this thread while struggling with my own P-EBT activation issues! I've been trying for almost two weeks and was starting to lose hope until I discovered this incredible resource. Reading through @Anastasia Popov's journey from frustration to resolution, plus everyone's specific solutions, has given me a clear roadmap forward. The systematic approach you all have developed here is brilliant - I had no idea there were so many potential data mismatch scenarios! It's eye-opening that something as simple as a typo in a birth year or using an old zip code can completely block access to benefits our kids deserve. The fact that these database integration problems are "extremely common" (as the rep confirmed to @Olivia Harris) but families are left to figure it out alone is honestly unacceptable. I'm calling that P-EBT hotline (1-877-328-9677) at 8 AM tomorrow with all variations ready - my children's birthdates, maiden name, previous addresses, different date formats, and I'll even check for potential school record typos. The detailed log keeping tip from @Zoe Papadopoulos is genius - starting that today! It's ridiculous that accessing food assistance requires becoming database detectives, but this community has created the troubleshooting guide that should exist officially. Thank you all for turning your frustrations into actionable solutions that help other struggling families. This thread is truly invaluable and should be required reading for every P-EBT recipient! Will definitely update with my results.

I'm really new to this community and just started receiving CalFresh benefits about 2 months ago, so reading about your card getting randomly canceled is honestly so concerning! It's terrifying to think this could happen to any of us even when our cases are completely active. From all the amazing advice everyone has shared here, it really sounds like calling your county office directly first thing in the morning (right at 8am when they open) is the best approach instead of going through the general EBT customer service line. The tip about asking if your county has emergency EBT phone lines specifically for urgent card issues is also super helpful - I had no idea that was even an option! It's at least reassuring that your $178 in benefits are still safe and will automatically transfer to your new card once you get one. But I can't even imagine how stressful this must be when you have kids to feed and suddenly can't access your food benefits. I really hope you were able to get through to your county office and get this resolved quickly today! As someone who's still learning how to navigate the CalFresh system, it would be incredibly helpful to hear how things worked out if you're able to update us. No family should have to deal with these kinds of system glitches, especially when children are involved. Sending you and your kids lots of positive thoughts!

I'm brand new to this community and just got my CalFresh benefits approved about a month ago, so reading about your situation is really alarming! The fact that cards can just randomly get canceled while your case is active is something I never knew could happen. From all the helpful advice shared here, it seems like the best approach is calling your county office directly first thing in the morning (around 8am) rather than the general EBT customer service line. Multiple people have mentioned this cuts down wait times significantly. I'm also noting the suggestion about asking if your county has emergency EBT phone lines for urgent issues - that's really valuable information I wouldn't have known to ask about! It's at least somewhat reassuring that your benefits are still there and will transfer to a new card, but I can't imagine how stressful this must be when you need to buy groceries for your kids right now. I really hope you were able to get through to your county office and resolve this quickly! As a newcomer to the CalFresh system, it would be super helpful to hear how things turned out if you can update us. This thread has been incredibly educational about what to do if something like this happens. Wishing you and your family the best!

does anyone know if u can use p-ebt at farmers markets like regular ebt? i heard u get extra $ that way

Just wanted to share my experience - I called the P-EBT hotline this morning (finally got through!) and they confirmed what others have said here. The $108 is just the first installment for August-September 2024. The rep told me they're doing it in smaller chunks this year to spread out the processing load and avoid the system crashes they had with P-EBT 3.0. She also mentioned that if you have kids at different schools or different grade levels, the amounts might vary slightly based on the number of school days in their calendars. Really glad I found this thread because I was getting worried we somehow got shorted!