Market Match
Market Match is a nutrition incentive and bonus offered to CalFresh receipients. When customers spend their CalFresh/EBT benefits at participating farmers’ markets and farm stands, they can receive a match of up to $10 per day for fresh produce! Farmers’ markets offer up to $10 in Market Match and participating farm stands offer unlimited Market Match.
“This is the best thing ever. I only get $15/month but I spend it all here. You don’t have to be wealthy to eat well!” – Janet
The positive impact of Market Match is multi-dimensional and cumulative.
1. Market Match encourages low-income families to spend their CalFresh benefits at farmers’ markets where customers can purchase healthy and locally sourced foods. Farmers’ markets provide better quality and more nutrient-dense produce than larger grocers, offer less processed foods and support our local farming community.
2. Market Match stretches a food budget. CalFresh benefit allotments are not often reflective of the true cost of monthly groceries for a household. Market Match helps families get the most out of their benefits and is one of the few incentive programs in the state for CalFresh.
3. Market Match supports our farming families and stimulates our local economy. A USDA study showed that every dollar spent at a farmers’ market stimulates $1.79 in local economic activity. In 2021, Alchemist CDC distributed $300,000 in Market Match at 9 local farmers’ markets!
4. The economic development potential is huge. By bringing more funds to our farmers’ markets, we help make them more sustainable. There is ample evidence that farmers’ markets have a positive economic impact on the community and businesses that surround them.
