CalFresh $60 Fruits & Veggies incentive suddenly appeared in EBT EDGE app - how to use it?
Just logged into my EDGE EBT app and noticed I have $60 for fruits and vegetables? I've been on CalFresh for almost 2 years and never seen this before. Is this new for 2025? Does anyone know how this works? Can I use it at any store that takes EBT or only certain places? Does it expire if I don't use it soon? I'm confused because I don't remember getting any notice about this program in the mail.
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Chloe Robinson
That's the California Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot program they started rolling out in some counties! I got mine last month. You can use it at any store that accepts EBT for produce - fresh, frozen, or canned (as long as it's only fruits/veggies without added sugar/salt). It doesn't expire within the month like regular CalFresh - I think you have like 9 months to use it but don't quote me on that. It's separate from your regular benefits, so when you check out, just use your EBT card and it automatically pulls from the fruit/veg money first for eligible items.
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CosmicCrusader
•That's awesome! So it automatically knows which items qualify? I don't have to tell the cashier anything special? And does this mean I'll get $60 every month now or is this just a one-time thing?
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Diego Flores
This is part of the new California Nutrition Incentive Program expansion that started in January 2025. The $60 is deposited quarterly (every 3 months) and can only be used for fruits and vegetables. The funds remain available for 9 months from the date of issuance before they expire. When you purchase qualifying items, the system will automatically deduct from your fruit and vegetable incentive balance first, then from your regular CalFresh benefits if needed. The program is designed to promote healthier eating options for CalFresh recipients. You should have received a notice about this with your last recertification or approval letter, but many people miss it.
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Anastasia Kozlov
•I got mine too but wasn't sure what it was for! Thanks for the explanation. Do you know if farmers markets also accept this special benefit? I usually go to one that doubles my regular CalFresh dollars already.
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Diego Flores
•Yes, farmers markets that accept EBT should work with the fruit and vegetable incentive. In fact, some farmers markets still offer Market Match which can double your fruit and vegetable purchasing power. So potentially you could leverage both programs at participating farmers markets for maximum benefit.
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Sean Flanagan
i got this 2 but mine was only $45?? why does everyone else get more lol. tried to use it at foodmaxx and the cashier had no idea what i was talking about when i asked about the seprate fruits money. ended up just using it without saying anything and it worked fine, system just knew which stuff counted i guess
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Diego Flores
•The amount varies based on household size. $45 is for 1-2 person households, $60 is for 3-4 person households, and $75 is for households with 5+ members. The cashiers don't always know about these specialized benefits since the system handles it automatically.
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Zara Mirza
I'm so frustrated with these constant program changes and never getting properly notified!! I've been on CalFresh for 3 years and never saw anything about this in my mail. Tried calling the county about this AND an issue with my recertification but of course it's IMPOSSIBLE to get through to an actual human being. Just endless hold times and then getting disconnected after waiting 45+ minutes! Does anyone know if there's a direct number to ask about these new benefits? The EBT customer service line had no clue what I was talking about.
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NebulaNinja
•I had the same problem trying to reach someone at the county about my SAR7 questions. After trying for days, I finally used this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person in about 10 minutes. You just go to claimyr.com, put in your number, and they call you back when they have a worker on the line. Saved me hours of hold time frustration. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8
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Zara Mirza
•Thank you!!! Going to try this tomorrow morning. So sick of getting disconnected after waiting forever.
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Luca Russo
Does anyone else think its weird they just put this money on our accounts without telling us? Cant complain about free money for fruits and veggies but seems like a weird way to roll out a new program. Makes me wonder what else I might be eligible for that I don't even know about.
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Chloe Robinson
•they did send notices! it was probably that boring-looking white paper that came with your last benefit approval that everyone throws away lol
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Luca Russo
•LOL you're probably right. I definitely don't read all those inserts they send.
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CosmicCrusader
Update: I tried using the fruit & veggie benefit today at Walmart! It worked perfectly - bought some apples, frozen broccoli, and canned tomatoes. The cashier didn't need to do anything special, and when I checked my EDGE app after, it showed the purchases came from my $60 incentive balance, not my regular CalFresh amount. Thanks everyone for the helpful info!
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Anastasia Kozlov
•Thanks for updating us! I'm going to try mine at the farmers market this weekend since someone mentioned they might double it there with Market Match.
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Liam Sullivan
This is so helpful! I just checked my EDGE app after reading this and I have $60 too! I had no idea what it was for. Quick question - does anyone know if baby food fruits and vegetables count? I have a 10-month-old and spend a lot on jarred baby food. Would be amazing if those qualified since they're basically just pureed fruits and veggies. Also wondering about things like applesauce or fruit cups - are those considered processed and wouldn't qualify?
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Carmen Diaz
•Great question about baby food! From what I understand, jarred baby food fruits and vegetables should qualify as long as they don't have added sugars or other ingredients beyond the actual fruits/veggies. So plain pureed carrots, sweet potato, apples, etc. should work. For applesauce, it depends - unsweetened applesauce typically qualifies, but the kind with added sugar wouldn't. Fruit cups are usually a no because they're packed in syrup or juice. When in doubt, check the ingredient list - if it's just the fruit/veggie itself, you're probably good to go! The system is pretty smart about automatically detecting what qualifies.
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Carmen Vega
•@Carmen Diaz is spot on about the baby food! I ve'been using mine for my 8-month-old and it works great. Those little Gerber containers of plain sweet potato, peas, and fruit purees all qualified. Just avoid anything that says with "DHA added or" mixed "cereal since" those have extra ingredients. Also pro tip - buying the individual veggie/fruit pouches is usually cheaper than jars and they definitely qualify too. My little one loves the organic carrot and apple ones!
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Marcelle Drum
•This is such great info about the baby food! I'm a new parent too and had no idea about this benefit. Does anyone know if those squeeze pouches of mixed fruits and veggies count? Like the ones that have apple, spinach, and kale all mixed together? My 11-month-old loves those but I wasn't sure if the combination would still qualify. Also wondering about frozen baby food - I've seen some brands that sell frozen puree cubes, has anyone tried those?
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