CalFresh, California’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), helps to improve the health and well-being of qualified households and individuals by providing extra funds for healthy and nutritious foods. Since 2011, the month of May has been designated as CalFresh Awareness Month.

CalFresh is accepted at many farmer markets, and the Market Match program at participating markets extend CalFresh customers’ budget even further.

To highlight the programs, Petaluma Bounty and partners have created posters that you may start seeing around town! And this is just the beginning of our CalFresh Awareness Month efforts. Stay tuned by following us and our FM LIFE friends on social media.

1 in 8 Californians are enrolled in CalFresh

One in eight California residents are enrolled in CalFresh, according to recent data. That only accounts for 70% of eligible Californians. The participation rate is even lower among the working poor, at under 60%. And those enrolled recently saw a rollback to their benefit amounts to pre-pandemic-levels, with the end of temporary COVID-19 policies.

CalFresh Awareness Month is an opportunity for all of us to take particular note of food access and security issues. One way Petaluma Bounty tackles the issue is by working with partners to welcome CalFresh customers at Farmers Market LIFE markets and to increase their purchasing power with Market Match and other nutrition incentives. Since 2015, FM LIFE markets have distributed more than $1.2 million in CalFresh and Market Match.