“I hope Market Match remains. If it wasn’t available, I would not be able to pay the full prices at the farmers markets. And I believe in eating healthy and really try to live up to that.” — Santa Rosa resident
The Ecology Center’s Market Match is a statewide program that expands CalFresh customers’ purchasing power at farmers’ markets and other farm-direct sites. The program helps low-income customers buy more locally grown fresh produce directly from small scale farmer vendors while bringing in federal dollars to the state.
But the Market Match program is in jeopardy in 2025. State funding for the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP), which funds Market Match, was drastically slashed in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed state budget revision for 2024/2025. The revision is due to unforeseen shortfalls in state tax revenues, but it is not final. The State Senate, Assembly, and the Governor’s Office must negotiate a final budget agreement by June 30, 2024.
Petaluma Bounty and partner farmers markets (FM LIFE) run the Market Match program in Sonoma and parts of Marin County. Help us advocate for CNIP funding. Petaluma Bounty, the Ecology Center, partners, and YOU have a chance to save Market Match if we work together to advocate to maintain CNIP funding in the 2024/2025 California state budget.
It’s important to note that the proposed cuts do not impact the current 2023/2024 funds of $35 million, and the program will continue to run at least through Dec. 31, 2024.
Take action! Help save CNIP and Market Match
Petaluma Bounty and partners are actively working on an advocacy plan to get CNIP back on the California state budget. Here are some actions you can take right now to help!
Call Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office at (916) 445-2841.
Here is a sample call script; please personalize
Send a message to Governor:
- Online portal for comments: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/
- Select “Budget Proposal 2024/2025” and then “Leave a Comment” and “Con” for the position
- Put in your ‘message’- Use this template, or create your own, in favor of funding the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) in the state budget. This can be submitted by individuals and organizations.
Tweet/post on social media about your support for CNIP ASAP! And tag the Governor or Senate/Assembly budget leaders (@CAgovernor @GavinNewsom and @CASenateBudget @NancySkinnerCA @CASpeakerRivas @JesseGabrielCA #CALeg on Twitter).
Three sample tweets below (click here for Tweet/post image):
- @CAGovernor please don’t cut our SAFETY NET! #FundCNIP in the #CAbudget. With many facing food benefit cuts and rising food prices, #CNIP helps feed Californians in need https://tinyurl.com/fundCNIP
- Millions of Californians rely on #CalFresh matching to buy healthy food grown by #CAFarmers. @GavinNewsom: Your constituents are counting on you to #FundCNIP in the #CABudget. #CNIP is a SAFETY NET program! https://tinyurl.com/fundCNIP
- Save the safety net from budget cuts! #FUNDCNIP in #CABudget. Low-income shoppers can’t afford to leave benefits on the table. #FoodSecurity #LocalEconomies #CalfreshShoppers @CASenateBudget @NancySkinnerCA @CASpeakerRivas @JesseGabrielCA #CALeg https://tinyurl.com/fundCNIP
Follow Petaluma Bounty’s FM LIFE’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, as well as the local farmers markets’ social media platforms, to stay up-to-date on our efforts and how you can stay involved. For more information, email fmlife@petalumabounty.org.We appreciate your support to advocate for local consumers and farmers!