About CFMC

Roots of Change (ROC) believes that every Californian can and should benefit from the bounty of our great state. Everyday, our California Farmers’ Market Consortium (CFMC) provides Market Match incentives to low-income families to shop at farmers’ markets and spend their federal benefits on fresh nuts, fruits and vegetables. This win-win partnership means more fresh, healthy food on our kids’ plates and more money in farmers’ pockets. ROC has built a statewide partnership to bring communities with grassroots knowledge the resources needed to make statewide and national impact.

The CFMC has been providing Market Match tokens or vouchers for over two years to strengthen our communities. Our partners consist of organizations that either manage farmers markets directly or work with recipients of “food stamp” programs—federal benefits that include Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Nutrition Program for Women Infant and Children (WIC), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). CFMC partners promote within their communities the use of nutrition benefits in their markets and provide a 50% to 100% match to increase buying power for benefit clients who come to market. The results are impressive. In 2011 alone:

·      More than 17,000 CA families have been impacted positively by purchasing healthy, fresh nuts and produce in farmers markets

·      754 individual small farmers selling fruits, nuts and vegetables at 124 participating farmers’ markets in 16 counties attracted nutrition benefit clients as new customers

·      Shoppers redeemed a total of $616,437 in benefit and match dollars ($394,723 in SNAP benefits, $98,643 in WIC benefits and $123,071 in Market Match)

·      Nutrition benefit sales at farmers markets increased from 10% to 240% in participating markets.

Right now the US Senate is “marking up” its version of the Farm Bill that includes money for a local food incentive program that would allow the model pioneered by ROC and its national allies (Fair Food Network, Market Umbrella and Wholesome Wave) to be implemented across the nation in a five year pilot program. This is a great example of how grassroots innovations and collaboration among nonprofits can scale up changes that will remake the food system.