We’re leading the expansion of Market Match, to make healthy, affordable produce easily available to farmers’ market shoppers across California. The program received a big boost with a $2.5 Million grant from our Los Angeles partner, First5 LA, and today the LA Times picked up the story. Several other media outlets also ran articles: Los Angeles Daily News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Center for Health Reporting, and the Daily Breeze.
Started in 2009 by Roots of Change, Market Match provides matching funds for federal food benefits (like SNAP, WIC, SSI/SSDI) that are spent at farmers’ markets. With Market Match, low-income Californians can afford more fruits and vegetables grown by California farmers. Market Match also helps those local farmers’ bottom lines. In a 2013 Market Match survey, 80% of farmers reported that they sold more fruits and vegetables, 69% had new customers and 66% made more money as a result of the Market Match program.
The media buzz about the expansion of the program in Los Angeles is encouraging. Our goal is to expand Market Match to all regions of the state so that more Californians can find healthy, affordable food at a farmers’ markets near them. Visit FMFinder.org to find a market that accepts CalFresh EBT, WIC and offers Market Match!!
