USDA awards largest grant to expand farmers’ markets

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded the California Department of Agriculture and its partners a $3.9 million Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive grant – the largest in the country. FINI grants are designed to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables among low-income people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka SNAP, formerly food stamps).

FRESNO — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA) and its partners a $3.9 million Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant – the largest in the country. FINI grants are designed to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables among low-income people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka SNAP, formerly food stamps).

“We are thrilled to be selected for a federal FINI award,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The program is a triple win for California — it supports the health of our low-income shoppers, our farmers, and the local economy,” she said.

This grant was awarded to the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP), a new CDFA program that builds on the Ecology Center’s successful eight-year-old Market Match program. Market Match offers SNAP shoppers extra buying power when they spend their SNAP benefits on California-grown fruits and vegetables at certified farmers’ markets. Besides addressing food insecurity, the program boosts revenue for independent, small and mid-sized farms. Many of those farms are among the most innovative in sustainable agriculture.

“In the Fresno area, a lot of people use EBT, so it is good for us, too. Our business has doubled in the last 2 years, in part because of this program,” said Erik Ortiz of Chay’s Farm.

This year’s state contribution of over $3 million in non-federal matching funds — made possible through Assembly Bill 1321 (Ting) — will profoundly affect the scope of the Market Match program. Until now, some farmers’ markets located in areas of high food insecurity have been unable to use the program; they tend to be small or volunteer-run operations without the capacity to offer up non-federal matching funds.

“The state’s contribution to CNIP gives the program an incredible bump,” said Ecology Center Food and Farming Director Carle Brinkman. “Through CNIP, we will be bringing Market Match to 25 new farmers’ markets, and going deeper into high-need areas like Riverside County and rural areas like Siskiyou and Del Norte counties,” she explained.

The California state legislature voted last summer to allocate $5 million in state funds to establish CNIP; the bill (AB 1321, Ting) received bipartisan support and a strong endorsement from the Sacramento Bee. Now the investment is paying off, as the large influx of federal funds arrives in state. CNIP is made possible through a robust public-private funding structure — including the USDA FINI grant, state general funds, SNAP-ED funds, and local partner support, comprised of private donations, grants, and in-kind contributions. First 5 LA, which derives from tobacco taxes, provides Market Match funding in Los Angeles County, and a recent grant from Kaiser Permanente will extend Market Match into the Central Valley and Central Coast.

“Despite being known worldwide for our production of fruits and vegetables, our Valley continues to experience hunger and nutrition challenges that contribute to chronic health conditions,” said Kaiser Permanente Fresno Sr. Vice President and Area Manager Debbie Hemker, RN. “This grant will help Northern California residents in communities of need have access to more fresh produce while creating revenue for local growers to support local economies,” she said.