Cooperative wins grant to cut CalFresh costs

California-grown fresh produce is half-price for shoppers who use CalFresh benefits at Chico Natural Foods.

CHICO » California-grown fresh produce is half-price for shoppers who use CalFresh benefits at the Chico Natural Foods Cooperative store.

The store is the first in Butte County to form a partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to offer this discount to people using CalFresh, through its new Matching On Regional Eats program.

Matching on Regional Eats first went live in the store Sept. 14, 2020, and disbursed over $4,200 by the end of the year. Brand Manager Joey Haney explained this was a soft open, to make sure the program worked well, was sustainable and could be covered in reimbursement from the state.

No enrollment as a member at the store or any prior sign-up is required to enjoy these benefits, as long as a shopper gets CalFresh benefits. The price of any fresh fruit and vegetables grown in the state of California will be automatically halved for all CalFresh shoppers, funded by the California Nutrition Incentive Program grant.

In the past the Chico Natural Foods Cooperative has offered a 5% discount on all purchases made by members who receive any need-based financial aid. But the new program offers bigger savings for CalFresh shoppers buying California-grown produce, up to $20 off per transaction.

“The deep 50% discount helps us realize two of our most important goals: making the freshest, healthiest food readily available for everyone, and supporting local farmers,” General Manager Liza Tedesco said. ”Our hope is that more will encourage more people to purchase produce from California farmers, who grow some of the greatest food in the world. It is especially gratifying to offer this program while so many people in our community are in heightened need of support, due to the challenging effects of the wildfires and the pandemic.”

”Butte County is an area where a lot of people are eligible for benefits,” Haney added. ”Between the fires … a lot of people have gotten on the temporary or emergency program. We want those programs to be able to stretch even further.”

It’s hoped that through 2021 the program will disburse about $90,000, he added.

The store reported the program has taken several months to roll out, and next, staff will be reaching out to food security focused organizations in the region, spreading the word about the discount service to people in the area. Haney said while the store hasn’t reached out to Butte County for promotion, they hope these organizations will help promote the program.

Chico Natural Foods Cooperative hopes to offer the benefit to CalFresh shoppers until the end of 2022.