CALFRESH EBT

DEDICATED TO IMPROVING ACCESS TO FRESH & LOCAL FOOD FOR ALL ANGELENOS.

Food Access LA is dedicated to improving access to fresh, healthy food for all Angelenos. In 2004, we led a countywide promotional effort for the use of the new CalFresh-EBT (the new name in California for food stamps) card at twenty-two farmers’ markets in LA County.

Calfresh customers can shop at the market with an EBT card- it’s quick and easy!

Stop by the market’s information booth to find out more on how to shop with your benefits. For even more information on Calfresh benefits and how to apply, please contact the Los Angeles County Department of Social Services.

CalFresh-EBT can be used at any of our farmers’ markets and shoppers also earn a dollar-for-dollar match in the form of Market Match currency to spend when they use their food stamp benefits. Market Match and ARP Market Match are nutrition incentive programs that provide extra market dollars for the purchase of fresh fruits, vegetables, and fruit bearing plants. EBT Market Dollars can be used to purchase any CalFresh-EBT eligible item.

We leverage Market Match, ARP, and other funding sources to ensure increased match levels at our farmers’ markets. Match levels vary per market and currently have a daily maximum of $25-30/day. We encourage shoppers to check with their neighborhood market to confirm the daily match.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR CalFresh-EBT BENEFITS

How It Works: 

  1. Visit the market information booth to swipe your EBT card for the amount you want to spend at the market. 

  2. You will receive EBT and Market Match dollars to spend at the market. 

For example, if you want to spend $20 in EBT, you’ll receive $20 EBT Market Dollars and an extra $20 in Market Match. In short, you’ll have $40 to spend at the market, having only used $20 from your CalFresh EBT benefits.

Market Match is a program of the Ecology Center and is funded in part through the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. ARP Market Match is made possible by Los Angeles County.

To learn more about CalFresh, visit dpss.lacounty.gov or to apply, call (866) 613-377 or visit getcalfresh.org.

All Food Access LA Farmers’ Markets offer the Market Match program for CalFresh and SNAP users, along with additional healthy food incentives.

Visit your local Food Access LA Farmers’ Market to learn more.

  • “I've learned to make more nutritious foods and found out that it actually tastes good.”

    Central Avenue Farmers Market Participant

  • “I learned to cook healthier and to be better. [The classes] help me to be better physically and to share recipes with my son.”

    Central Avenue Farmers Market Participant

  • “I've made many changes in my daily life because of what I’ve learned thanks to the wonderful staff who motivate me to live healthier [...] progress like never before and many of my friends have even made comments about my “Healthier” appearance.”

    Raphael Santillan, Central Avenue Farmers’ Market

  • "The program was amazing; I learned that eating healthy is a lifestyle I should make. I am thankful for everything. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.”

    Cindy Ortiz, Parent Center

  • “Nutrition classes helped me to make right choices in regards to shopping more veggies and fruits than meats and dairy products.

    Narina Kazarian, Parent Center

  • “There was a reason I kept coming back week after week. I want to thank you for teaching me how to read the labels because now when I go to the store I know how to tell what’s good for me and what isn’t."

    Darryl Turner, MLK Campus Farmers Market

  • "I never liked green beans or red peppers [but after learning about stir fry] I had to convert! It’s helpful to have different things to cook that are not only healthy but also very good. I’m very happy that I was introduced to something new by coming to your class.”

    Andres Lara, MLK Campus Farmers Market