Here at MCFM, we believe that shopping local should be financially accessible to everyone. This is why we accept CalFresh & offer Market Match, which will double your money and give you more buying power. Most of our farmers also accept WIC FMNP and Senior FMNP, as well!
Financial Assistance Programs
CalFresh
CalFresh: You can use your EBT card at the market! Because the CalFresh card is government issued, the individual vendors can’t take it, so we use a coin exchange system instead. Bring your card to the information booth, let the market aides know you are there for EBT, and how much you would like to spend from your card.
Once you give them your card, they will swipe it through a machine, which will subtract the amount you wanted off of the card . The market aides will then give you white $1 coins and blue $5 coins to spend throughout the market. These coins never expire and you can spend them as you would your EBT card (so no hot foods, hot drinks, or alcohol.) If you find more goodies at the market and need more coins, you can always come back and withdraw extra! There is no maximum to how many EBT transactions you do per market, as long as you have the funds available on the card.
MarketMatch
Along with CalFresh, MCFM is also part of a special grant program that helps you get more without spending more. This program, which is known as the Market Match Program, was designed to aid low income individuals in getting better access to fresh, local fruits and veggies.
When you withdraw up to $15 or more from your CalFresh card at the market, Market Match matches the amount up to $15 in Market Match coins. These coins are different than the ones you will receive for EBT. The Market Match coins are yellow $1 coins and dark green $5 coins and can only be spent on fresh fruits and veggies. You can get Market Match once per market and the coins do not expire.
FMNP, SFMNP & WIC
Beginning in March 2022, Stanislaus County started the process of replacing paper WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) checks with a digital card system. The green paper WIC checks are being transitioned to a digital card system. As a result, the market will also undergo changes. The digital WIC will be managed through a QR system accessible to all vendors with a personal device such as a tablet or phone. The digital WIC will encompass FMNP, SFMNP, and WIC benefit cards. This is a pilot program, and our market is one of three markets in California included in this pilot program! Exciting!
FMNP, for those unfamiliar with it, is a booklet of 3 $10 checks ($30), good for fresh fruits and veggies at a farmers market. You can get these checks if you currently get WIC. They are handed out at certain times of the year (including sometimes at the market) and are able to be spent May through November. For details on how and where to get these checks, please contact your local WIC office. The current dates WIC will be at the market this 2024 season are:
- Saturday, June 15
- Thursday, June 20
- Thursday, July 11
- Thursday, July 25
- Saturday, August 10
SFMNP is similar. They are checks for individuals 60 or older with an income of less than $2,095 per month for one person or $2,823 per month for two. You are allowed to get these checks once a year assuming the previously mentioned conditions are met. These checks are able to be spent May through November, and are good on fresh fruits, veggies, and honey. They are handed out at certain times and locations (including at the market) during the year. For information on how and where to get these checks, please contact the Stanislaus County Area Agency on Aging.