Does CalFresh EBT give extra money at farmers markets in California?
Just found out I'm eligible for CalFresh and getting my EBT card next week! Wondering if there are any ways to stretch my benefits? I heard something about getting extra money if you shop at farmers markets with your EBT? Is this true or just a rumor? And if it is true, how does it work? Do all farmers markets participate or just specific ones? Anyone have experience with this in Sacramento area? Trying to make my benefits go as far as possible for my kids.
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Amina Diallo
Yes! It's called Market Match and it's absolutely real. When you use your CalFresh EBT at participating farmers markets, they'll match what you spend up to a certain amount (usually $10-$20 depending on the market). So if you spend $10 of your CalFresh benefits, they'll give you another $10 in tokens/vouchers to spend on fruits and vegetables. It's a great way to stretch your benefits AND get healthy food. Not every farmers market participates though. You can check which ones do at marketmatch.org. I know for sure the Sacramento Central Farmers Market does it, and I think Oak Park does too.
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Paolo Conti
•OMG thank you!! This is amazing - I had no idea you could double your money like that. Definitely going to check out those markets. Do I have to sign up for anything special or just show my EBT card when I get there?
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Oliver Schulz
my sister uses market match all the time she says its the best thing ever. they give u these wooden tokens or sometimes paper coupons to use. but u cant get change back so spend it all!!
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Natasha Kuznetsova
The Market Match program is great, but there are a few things to know: 1. The match amount varies by market (usually $10-$20 per market day) 2. The matched funds can ONLY be used for fruits and vegetables, while regular EBT can buy any eligible food 3. You need to visit the market info booth first to swipe your card 4. Some markets run out of matching funds later in the season Also, some markets have special kid activities and food demos where they give out free samples or recipe cards. Great for getting kids to try new vegetables!
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AstroAdventurer
•Another tip: some farmers markets have ATM fees if you want cash back from your EBT transaction. Don't do cash back at the market - the fees can be $2-3! Instead just get the amount you want to spend converted to tokens.
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Javier Mendoza
i go to the one on sunday under the freeway and tbh its kinda confusing the first time. u have to find this little booth with a sign that says "Market Match" or "EBT accepted here" and they swipe ur card there, not at individual vendor booths. just fyi
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Emma Wilson
There's ALSO a program called CalFresh Healthy Living that sometimes gives out $3 vouchers for fruits and vegetables at some markets. So potentially you could combine both programs! Between Market Match and these vouchers, my family gets almost double our produce each month. It's seriously been amazing for us. Oh and one more thing - there's an app called Forage that helps you find stores and markets that accept EBT, including ones with Market Match. It's super helpful.
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Paolo Conti
•This is all such helpful info! Can't believe I didn't know about these programs before. Downloading that Forage app right now. Really appreciate all the advice!
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Malik Davis
Has anyone else had problems with their EBT card not working at farmers markets? I tried using mine at Oak Park last month and it was declined even though I had benefits available. The market staff wasn't very helpful and I ended up having to leave without any food which was embarrassing...
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Amina Diallo
•That happened to me once! Turned out their card reader was having connectivity issues. If your card is declined at the market but you know you have benefits, try calling the number on the back of your EBT card to check your balance and make sure the card is active. Sometimes you have to try a few times with their machine or they might need to manually enter your card number. If you're having ongoing issues getting through to someone at CalFresh, you might want to try Claimyr (claimyr.com). They can help you skip the phone wait times to reach a CalFresh worker quickly. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. My cousin used it when her card wasn't working properly and got it fixed same day instead of waiting for days.
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Oliver Schulz
btw u can also use calfresh at some farm stands not just markets! theres one near me that does the match too its called soil born farms i think
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Javier Mendoza
i heard walmart gives double ebt too is that true??????????
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•No, Walmart does not double EBT benefits. The matching programs are only at participating farmers markets and farm stands through the Market Match program. Some grocery stores may have their own promotions occasionally, but there's no regular doubling program at Walmart or other major chain stores.
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Isabella Santos
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS A JOKE! I tried to use Market Match last year and they made you jump through so many hoops just to get the extra $10. Had to fill out a whole survey and they wanted my zip code and how many people in my household. Why do they need all that info just to give us the benefits we deserve?? Then half the farmers wouldn't even accept the tokens. WASTE OF TIME.
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Emma Wilson
•I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but they do need to collect some basic data because Market Match is funded by grants that require tracking usage. And they don't ask for your name or anything that identifies you personally. As for vendors not accepting tokens - usually only a few vendors (selling non-produce items like bread or meat) don't take the Market Match tokens because the program is specifically for fruits and vegetables. The regular EBT tokens should work with any food vendor though!
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AstroAdventurer
My experience with Market Match has been totally worth it. Yes, there's a little paperwork the first time, but after that it's easy. And the farmers market near me in Roseville gives up to $15 match every week! That's $60+ extra per month in fresh produce for my family. My kids actually get excited to go now because they know they can pick out fruits to try.
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Paolo Conti
Thank you all so much for the great advice! I'm definitely going to try the Market Match program. One last question - does anyone know if the doubled amount counts against your monthly CalFresh limit? Like if I get $20 matched, does that take $20 off my monthly benefits?
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•Great question! No, the Market Match funds are completely separate and don't count against your CalFresh benefits at all. They're bonus money provided by a non-profit organization, not from your EBT allocation. So when you get that match, it's truly free additional money for fruits and vegetables. Your regular monthly benefit amount stays exactly the same.
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Isaac Wright
This is such valuable information! I'm new to CalFresh too and had no idea about Market Match. Just wanted to add that I called the Sacramento Central Farmers Market this morning and they confirmed they do participate - they're open Saturday mornings from 8am-noon under the freeway at 8th & W streets. The staff person I talked to was really helpful and said they usually have match funds available through the whole season, but it's first-come-first-served each market day. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is amazing!
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Sofia Hernandez
•Thanks for calling ahead and confirming! That's such a smart tip about it being first-come-first-served each market day. I was wondering about timing - is it better to go early in the morning when they first open to make sure the match funds are still available? Also really appreciate you sharing the exact location and hours, that's super helpful for planning my first visit!
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