CalFresh EBT not working at farmers markets but admin says it should - what am I missing?
I've been trying to use my CalFresh EBT card at the certified farmers market near my apartment for the past three weekends, but every time I swipe it says 'benefit not available' or something like that. I called the county office last week and the lady told me all certified farmers markets in California should accept CalFresh and even have the Market Match program where they match up to $10. When I told the market manager what the county said, he insisted they don't have the system set up for EBT yet but are 'working on it.' Has anyone else had this problem? Are certain farmers markets excluded from accepting CalFresh? I'm trying to buy healthier food for my kids but this is super frustrating and the county and market are giving me completely different information!
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Aria Washington
Not all farmers markets are set up for EBT, even if they're certified. Each market has to apply separately to get the equipment and authorization to accept CalFresh. The county worker was giving you general information (that farmers markets CAN accept EBT) but not specific to your local market. If the manager says they're working on it, that probably means they've applied but don't have the system up and running yet.
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Rajiv Kumar
•Ugh, that makes more sense. The county lady made it sound like it was universal. Any idea how long it typically takes for markets to get approved? The manager has been saying 'soon' for like 2 months now.
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Liam O'Reilly
i had this same issue!!! the big farmers market downtown takes ebt but the small one by my house doesnt. so weird right? i think it depends on if they got the grant money for the machines
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Chloe Delgado
•Yep, it's all about whether they've completed the USDA authorization process. Each market has to apply individually and set up the right equipment. Some smaller markets don't think it's worth the administrative hassle, which is really frustrating for CalFresh recipients wanting fresh produce!
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Ava Harris
The Market Match program is amazing (I get $20 extra per month for fruits and veggies!), but not every farmers market participates. Here's what you need to know: 1. Markets have to apply through the USDA to accept SNAP/CalFresh 2. Market Match is a separate program that provides matching funds 3. Some markets have EBT but not Market Match 4. Others have neither program yet I recommend checking this website: https://farmersmarketfinder.cdfa.ca.gov/ - you can filter for markets that accept EBT instead of wasting your time at ones that don't. The county worker should've directed you there instead of giving you incorrect info.
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Rajiv Kumar
•Thank you SO MUCH for that website! That's exactly what I needed. Turns out there's another market about 15 minutes further that does accept EBT and has Market Match. Wish the county worker had told me about this resource instead of just saying 'all markets accept it.' Saving this link!
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Jacob Lee
this is why the calfresh system makes me so mad!!! they never give accurate info and expect us to figure everything out ourselves. i spent 3 weekends trying different farmers markets before finding one that actually took my ebt. complete waste of time and bus fare.
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Chloe Delgado
•This is unfortunately a common problem with county information. I've found it helps to ask specifically: "Can you tell me which farmers markets near [your zip code] currently accept CalFresh?" That way they have to check rather than give a general answer. The system isn't perfect but there are ways to navigate it more effectively.
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Emily Thompson
Have you tried calling the EBT customer service number directly rather than the county office? In my experience, they sometimes have more updated information about which vendors actually accept CalFresh. When I was having trouble getting anyone at the county office to help with EBT issues, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. It saved me so much frustration when I was trying to figure out why my EBT wasn't working at certain locations.
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Rajiv Kumar
•I didn't even know there was a separate EBT customer service beyond the county! I'll try calling them instead. And thanks for the Claimyr tip - those hold times are ridiculous. I'll check out the video.
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Sophie Hernandez
did u try asking the individual vendors at the market? sometimes at our local market, some vendors have their own ebt machines even tho the main market doesn't. worth asking each stand if u see something u really want
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Rajiv Kumar
•That's a good idea! I didn't think to ask the individual vendors. I just assumed since the market manager said no, that meant everyone there. I'll try that next weekend. Thank you!
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Chloe Delgado
Something important to note: Market Match benefits have increased for 2025. Many markets now offer up to $15-20 in matching funds (varies by location). The state expanded the program because of the positive health outcomes they've seen. One more tip - some markets that don't accept EBT still participate in the Nutrition Incentive Program which gives coupons to CalFresh recipients. You might want to ask specifically about that program too when you call markets.
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Rajiv Kumar
•I had no idea about the Nutrition Incentive Program! That's really helpful. None of this info was in any of the materials I got when I was approved for CalFresh. I wish they made these resources more obvious to us. Thanks for sharing this!
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Liam O'Reilly
my ebt card stopped working last month even tho i had benefits on there. had to get a replacement card. maybe ur card is broken?
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Rajiv Kumar
•I don't think it's my card since it works fine at the regular grocery store, just not at the farmers market. But thanks for the suggestion!
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Micah Franklin
I'm new here but dealing with the same frustrating situation! Just wanted to add that some farmers markets also have a "token" system for EBT users - you swipe your card at a central booth and get wooden tokens or paper vouchers to spend with individual vendors. The market near me in Sacramento does this and it works great. Maybe ask if your market has this setup instead of individual vendor machines? Also, I've found that calling ahead on Friday afternoons helps - market managers are usually there prepping for the weekend and can give you a straight answer about their EBT situation rather than making you drive over just to find out they don't accept it.
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