CDFA Grant Supports WIC/FMNP Matching
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Farm to Fork recently named the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA) as one of 11 grantees of the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP). This round of CNIP funding specifically supports farmers markets to incentivize the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables by families enrolled in the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program and low-income seniors enrolled in the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP).
PCFMA’s proposed project supports over 40 farmers markets in 7 Bay Area counties. In addition to PCFMA’s own markets, the project will support markets operated by partners, including the Coastside Farmers Market, Agricultural Institute of Marin, Napa Farmers Market, Urban Village Farmers' Market Association, and Fresh Approach. Over the course of 9 months, $150,000 in vouchers will be distributed to customers who present their WIC or FMNP card at a participating farmers market. Customers will receive $15 in “WIC Match” scrip to use, along with their WIC or FMNP benefits for food purchases at the farmers market. Customers will be eligible for the $15 WIC Match every 14 days.
PCFMA’s Executive Director, Allen Moy, is excited to use the CNIP grant to support Bay Area farmers and farmers markets. “The technology that allows WIC and FMNP customers to easily spend their benefits directly with farmers in a farmers market is new in California; most farmers have had the technology for less than a year,” Moy said. “While WIC benefits can be spent at grocery stores, FMNP benefits can only be spent at farmers markets like those operated by PCFMA and our partners. Our project is intended to encourage more customers who have WIC or FMNP benefits to shop at their local farmers markets, confident that this influx of additional shoppers will encourage even more farmers and other vendors to sign up to accept those benefits.”
WIC and FMNP are both food benefit programs that are coordinated by state agencies and funded with federal dollars. FMNP is the only food benefit program exclusively for use at farmers markets. FMNP benefits are typically available to families enrolled in WIC or low-income seniors during the summer and fall. Eligibility is determined by local WIC agencies or participating senior-serving organizations, such as Area Agencies on Aging.
In 2025, the FMNP program shifted from paper vouchers to debit cards. For years, farmers were accustomed to accepting these paper vouchers every summer. With the shift to debit cards, farmers have had to reapply to participate in the program and train on how to properly accept the electronic benefits. This shift also allows farmers to accept WIC benefits – specifically the monthly allotment families receive to purchase fruits and vegetables – in addition to FMNP benefits.
Allen Moy said that this project is modeled after the successful California Market Match Consortium. “Over the past 10 years, the Market Match Consortium, under the leadership of the Ecology Center, has proven the impact that farmers markets can have when they work together to support California farmers and local communities,” he said. “We are excited to adapt that model to support our partners and the families served by their farmers markets.”
The California Nutrition Incentive Program is managed by the Office of Farm to Fork at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. CNIP funding is allocated periodically by the state legislature. PCFMA and other farmers markets are currently advocating for continued funding for CNIP to support future projects supporting WIC, FMNP, and CalFresh customers.
