Last verified 2026-05-17. The CalFresh Fruit & Vegetable (CF&V) EBT Pilot Project relaunched on November 17, 2025 with $10 million in new state funding and is active statewide at participating retailers. [Source: cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project (accessed 2026-05-17)]
What you get
If you get CalFresh, you can earn $1 back on your EBT card for every $1 you spend on fresh fruits and vegetables at a participating store or farmers' market, up to $60 per month per household. You can spend that $60 on any CalFresh-eligible food at any CalFresh retailer — it doesn't have to be produce. [Source: doubleupca.org/how-it-works-cfv (accessed 2026-05-17)]
As of February 2026, more than 75,000 California households were earning these rebates each month. [Source: cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project (accessed 2026-05-17)]
Who qualifies
- You must have an active CalFresh (EBT) case in California.
- No application or sign-up is required. The match is added to your EBT card automatically when you buy qualifying produce at a participating location.
- Both new and returning CalFresh households qualify.
How to use it
- Shop at a participating retailer or farmers' market (list below).
- Pay for fresh, whole, unprepared fruits and vegetables with your EBT card. Frozen, canned, dried, and prepared produce do not count toward the match.
- Your $1-for-$1 match is added to your EBT card automatically — usually that same day.
- Spend the earned credits on any CalFresh-eligible food at any CalFresh retailer. There's no rush — earned credits don't expire on their own, but standard CalFresh expungement rules apply if your EBT card sits unused for 274 days. [Source: cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project (accessed 2026-05-17)]
Where to shop
The pilot is run through three grantees. As of May 2026, participating locations include:
Fullwell / Double Up Food Bucks — Alameda, Santa Clara, Monterey, and Mendocino counties:
- Arteaga's Food Center — Gilroy, San Jose (Willow St, Lincoln Ave, Alum Rock Ave)
- Santa Fe Foods — San Jose, Newark, Salinas
- Harvest Market — Fort Bragg, Mendocino
Note: Monterey County locations are scheduled to wind down in summer 2026. [Source: doubleupca.org/how-it-works-cfv (accessed 2026-05-17)]
UC San Diego / Mother's Nutritional Center — about 82 store locations across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties. Find your nearest store at mothersnc.com. [Source: mothersnc.com/pages/ca-fruit-vegetables-ebt-pilot (accessed 2026-05-17)]
Ecology Center — LA River Farmers' Market, Los Angeles. [Source: cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/ebt/california-fruit-vegetable-ebt-pilot-project (accessed 2026-05-17)]
In total, around 92 grocery stores plus one farmers' market participate statewide as of early 2026.
Common pitfalls
- Only fresh produce counts toward earning the match. Frozen, canned, dried, juiced, or pre-cut/pre-cooked items do not.
- The $60 cap is per household, per month — not per shopping trip.
- The match is added to your EBT card, not handed to you as a receipt or coupon. Check your balance through the EBT app or by calling the number on the back of your card.
- If a store advertises "Market Match" or "Double Up Food Bucks," that's the same family of incentives but the rules and limits can differ — ask staff which program is running that day.
Where to get help
- EBT card balance, lost or stolen card, transaction questions: 1-877-328-9677 (24/7, free).
- CalFresh general help: Call your county social services office or visit getcalfresh.org.
- Help finding food right now: Second Harvest Food Bank's Emergency Food Hotline, 1-800-984-3663. [Source: doubleupca.org/how-it-works-cfv (accessed 2026-05-17)]
- Recipes for CalFresh-friendly cooking: eatfresh.org.
What's next for the pilot
CDSS is required to submit a transition report to the Legislature by March 1, 2026 outlining how this pilot could become a permanent statewide program. Funding is secured through the 2025-26 state budget cycle. [Source: lee.asmdc.org/press-releases/20241126-calfresh-fruit-and-vegetable-pilot-relaunches-10-million-new-funding (accessed 2026-05-17)]
Background
Created by AB 1811 (2018), Welfare and Institutions Code §10072.3. The pilot tests a scalable model for boosting fresh fruit and vegetable purchases among CalFresh recipients in a way USDA-FNS authorized retailers can adopt later.
Freshness note (2026-05-30): The pilot is still active — 75,000+ households were earning the up-to-\$60/month match as of early 2026, with no sign-up required. Two things to know: (1) the \$60 monthly cap is shared across all participating sites (e.g., earn \$40 at a store, only \$20 left at the farmers' market) and resets on the 1st; (2) the program runs only as long as state funding lasts — current funding comes from the 2025–26 budget, and continuation past mid-2026 depends on the 2026–27 state budget still being negotiated (advocates are requesting \$100M). The LA River Farmers' Market site is funded through about November 2026. Check the CDSS program page for the latest before relying on it. [Source: cdss.ca.gov; Nourish California (accessed 2026-05-30)]