How You Can Help

Featuring an NSPR Interview With Center for Healthy Communities and Doug LaMalfa Visits Farmers Market

What is Market Match?  

Market Match, known for its wooden tokens and paper vouchers at farmers’ markets across the state, helps recipients of CalFresh (once known as food stamps) buy more local fruits and vegetables while supporting the local economy. Those receiving
CalFresh EBT benefits can convert money from their electronic benefit account into tokens to use at market stalls. Market Match then matches that money up to $15, increasing the amounts of food a recipient can buy. But the program’s future is in danger, given budget cuts proposed by Governor Newsom.  

Project Director Jenni Dye and Program Assistant Kaylyn Hand (both of Center for Healthy Communities) recently sat down with Ava Norgrove of North State Public Radio to talk about the impacts of funding cuts to programs like Market Match. You can listen to that interview here. 

The Numbers Add Up for Butte County 

• Over 41,000 Butte County residents rely on CalFresh benefits to meet their most basic needs. This is nearly 20% of the entire county population 
• Of those residents, about 25% are children and 13% older adults 
• Local farmers count Market Match purchases as an estimated one quarter of all sales 
• A combined $252,000 distributed in 2023 at local Farmers Markets in Butte County between CalFresh Outreach and Market Match 
• The Market Match program has shown that for every $1 spent an applied economic multiplier of $3 occurs, meaning that for 2023 Market Match generated $285,000 back into the community. 

Bipartisan Support as Representatives Visit Farmer’s Market, March 2024 

Bipartisan support for programs like Market Match is evident. This March, Center for Healthy Communities, in partnership with Chico Certified Farmers’ Market and the American Congressional Exchange, had the honor to host members from the House Committee on Agriculture to discuss the importance of programs like Market Match. House Representative Doug LaMalfa of our local District and House Representative Jill Tokuda of Hawaii paid a visit to the Saturday Chico Farmers Market. 

“Both representatives expressed their support of programs such as Market Match due to how it supports our local economy, small to medium sized farmers, and our community members who are eligible for the program. CHC is hopeful Representatives LaMalfa and Tokuda will keep this program in mind when they are contributing to the Farm Bill,” said Dye. 

“CHC is hopeful Representatives LaMalfa and Tokuda will keep this program in mind when they are contributing to the Farm Bill,”

-Jenni Dye, Project Director at Center for Healthy Communities

Together We Can Save Market Match 

This is a statewide concern as much as it is a local one! Your support makes a difference. Action steps include;

*Visit savemarketmatch.org to learn more about the fight to save this program or sign the petition here.

*Urge your representatives  to prioritize funding to ensure continued access to healthy, affordable foods for Butte County residents.

*Share this blog and the NSPR interview featuring Jenni Dye.  

Awaiting the final budget details, we’ll update this story and the fate of Market Match funding as it develops.  

UPDATE (6/27/2024)

THANK YOU Senate & Assembly budget committees for preserving $33.2M for the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP)! CNIP funds Market Match, offering $1-for-$1 match on CalFresh for Fruits and Veg from CA small farmers.

On June 13, 2024, both the California State Senate and Assembly passed joint budget bills which would preserve all funding for CNIP / Market Match. This was a huge milestone. The bills went to the Governor for his signature and have been passed. Thanks to the support of the State, advocates and community, Market Match will continue to be funded through CNIP.