How does the CalFresh Healthy Incentive Program work for fruits and vegetables?

You're talking about the CalFresh Healthy Incentive Program (HIP). It's a great benefit that gives you back $1 for every $1 you spend on fruits and vegetables at participating locations, up to a monthly limit based on household size. For a family of 4, you can get up to $60 extra per month. The great thing is you don't need to sign up separately - it's automatic if you're already on CalFresh! It works at farmers markets, farm stands, and some community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs that participate in the program. When you use your EBT card at these places, the incentive money gets added back to your card automatically, usually within 24-48 hours. Just be aware it doesn't work at regular grocery stores, only at approved farmers markets and farm locations. You can find participating locations on the CalFresh HIP website or by asking vendors if they participate in HIP.

i used it last yr at the downtown frmers market by me and got like $27 back on my card it was awesome!! but then i tried at safeway and nothing happened lol so yeah only farmers market

To add to what others have said, the program is officially called Market Match in most of California counties (though some counties might call it differently). The maximum monthly amounts for 2025 are: - 1-2 person households: $40/month - 3-5 person households: $60/month - 6+ person households: $80/month When you swipe your EBT card at a participating market, you'll get the incentive either immediately as market tokens/vouchers OR as a credit back to your EBT card within 1-2 days. You can find all participating locations at: https://marketmatch.org/locations (be sure to check individual market schedules as they can change seasonally). Tip: Take your EBT card to the market info booth FIRST before shopping to learn how that specific market handles the program - some give tokens, some do rebates.

Just a caution about this program - I tried using it and the money DID show back up on my EBT card, but it took almost a WEEK, not 1-2 days like they promise! And one time it never showed up at all and when I called they said I needed to save my receipt as proof but by then I had thrown it away. So ALWAYS SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS from farmers markets if you use this program!!! The county workers won't help you without proof.

If you're having trouble reaching someone at the county office about the Healthy Incentive Program or any other CalFresh issues, I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that helped me a ton! I was stuck in that awful phone queue loop for DAYS trying to fix an issue with my HIP credits not appearing. Claimyr basically calls the county office for you and gets a real person on the line, then calls you when they do. Saved me literally hours of waiting. They have a demo video that explains how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 and their website is claimyr.com. Honestly worth checking out if you run into problems with the incentive program not working properly.

does anyone know if WIC counts for this 2?? or is it just calfresh EBT

Wait I'm confused. I thought this program was called Market Match? That's what they call it at my farmers market. Is Healthy Incentive Program the same thing or different?? My market gives me wooden tokens when I use my EBT card there, is that the same program you're all talking about??

anyone know if it works on canned or frozen vegetables??? or is it just the fresh ones cause sometimes i cant use all the fresh stuff before it goes bad

To answer the question about frozen and canned vegetables - the CalFresh HIP program generally only applies to fresh fruits and vegetables. Canned, frozen, dried fruits and vegetables typically don't qualify for the incentive. Some markets might have different policies, but the core program is designed for fresh produce. Also, just to clarify for everyone: Market Match is the most common program name, but some counties might use the term HIP (Healthy Incentive Program) or other local names. They all work similarly, providing matching funds for fruit and vegetable purchases, but the exact implementation can vary slightly by location.

Update: I went to my local farmers market yesterday and tried the Market Match program! It was so easy - I just went to the info booth at the entrance, told them I wanted to use my EBT card, and they swiped it for the amount I wanted to spend. They gave me regular tokens for the EBT amount AND bonus tokens for the matching funds to spend on fruits and veggies! My kids had so much fun picking out different produce to try. Thanks everyone for the helpful info! We're definitely going to make this a regular thing.

That's so great to hear about your success at the farmers market! I love seeing families discover this program. Just wanted to add a tip for anyone else reading this - if you're going to a farmers market for the first time, it's worth calling ahead or checking their website to confirm they participate in Market Match/HIP. Some smaller markets might not be set up for it yet. Also, many markets have seasonal hours or might be closed certain months, so double-checking the schedule can save you a trip. The program really does make such a difference for families trying to eat healthy on a budget!

This has been such a helpful thread! I'm also new to CalFresh (got approved 3 months ago) and had no idea about the Market Match program until I stumbled across this post. Reading everyone's experiences has been really eye-opening. I especially appreciate the tips about saving receipts and calling markets ahead of time to confirm they participate. One thing I wanted to add - I noticed some people mentioned concerns about the credits not showing up on time. Has anyone tried keeping a log or taking photos of their receipts? I do this for other important purchases and it's helped me track things better. Also wondering if anyone knows whether the program works year-round or if there are seasonal limitations at certain markets? Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge - this community is so supportive!