CalFresh Fruit & Vegetable EBT Pilot Project

AB 1811, Chapter 35, (2018), adds Welfare and Institutions Code 10072.3 and creates the California Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project. The goal of the pilot project is to develop and refine a scalable model for increasing the purchase and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by delivering supplemental benefits to CalFresh recipients in a way that can be easily adopted by USDA FNS (Food and Nutrition Service) authorized retailers of various types, sizes, and locations in the future. The California Department of Social Services EBT, in partnership with CalFresh, Office of Systems Integration (OSI), and California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) will award three grants to non-profit organizations or government agencies to meet this goal.

  • Supplemental food benefits will be transferable across any authorized retailer.
  • Supplemental food benefits can be accrued, tracked, and redeemed by EBT clients in a seamless, integrated process.
  • The state will set a maximum accrual rate.
  • There is no expiration date for using the supplemental food benefit; however, these benefits are subject to the CalFresh expungement rules.
  • Supplemental food benefits can only be accrued by EBT clients through the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables from an authorized retailer. 
  • Supplemental food benefits can only be redeemed to make eligible food purchases from an authorized retailer.
  • The supplemental food benefits mechanism complies with all applicable state and federal laws to ensure privacy and confidentiality.
  • Authorized retailers that use EBT-only point-of-sale terminals, such as farmers' markets, and those that use integrated point-of-sale terminals, such as grocery stores, shall be able to integrate the new supplemental benefits mechanism into their existing systems, including the free state-issued hardware provided to certified farmers' markets and farmers.
  • The supplemental food benefit mechanism will consist of at least a 1:1 ratio match, to be determined by the State.

Participating Retailers and Farmers Markets:

Project Sponsor/Pilot Grantee Grocery Partner Participating County 

San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR)

Arteaga’s Food Center
  • 204 Willow St,
    San Jose, CA 95110
  • 6906 Automall Pkwy,
    Gilroy, CA 95020
  • 1003 Lincoln Ave,
    San Jose, CA 95125
  • 2620 Alum Rock Ave,
    San Jose, CA 95116

Santa Clara

SPUR

Santa Fe Foods
  • 860 White Rd,
    San Jose, CA 95127
  • 7356 Thornton Ave,
    Newark, CA 94560
  • 1017 N Main St,
    Salinas, CA 93906

Santa Clara
Alameda
Monterey

SPUR

Harvest Market
  • 171 Boatyard Dr,
    Fort Bragg, CA 95437
  • 10501 Lansing St,
    Mendocino, CA 95460

Mendocino

Ecology Center

Napa Farmers' Market
  • Downtown Napa Farmers’ Market,
    Napa, CA 94559

Napa

Ecology Center

Hunger Action Los Angeles
  • Downtown Napa Farmers’ Market,
    Napa, CA 94559

Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA)
  • Atwater Village Farmers’ Market,
    Los Angeles, CA 90039

Los Angeles

Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute at the University of California San Diego

Mothers Nutritional Center
  • All 80 locations

Los Angeles County (28 cities, 48 locations)
Orange County (3 cities, 3 locations)
Riverside County (7 cities, 10 locations)
San Bernardino County (7 cities, 12 locations)
San Diego County (2 cities, 5 locations)