Federal Funding Freeze
It’s late October 2025 and community members are beginning to think about their plans for the upcoming holiday season: dusting off old recipes or researching new ones, confirming times and locations with family members and friends traveling, and deciding on outfits and centerpieces for their gatherings.
Then the news of the federal funding freeze of CalFresh/SNAP benefits in the first week of November enters the conversation.
Suddenly, holiday plans are no longer about quality time with family and friends, but of survival: with no indication of when the federal funding freeze would end, how will food be purchased without CalFresh/SNAP benefits?
For those unfamiliar, SNAP is our federal government’s food assistance program, referred to as CalFresh in California. For many, this funding is critical in helping them secure adequate food for their families. At Fresh Approach, our Mobile Farmers’ Markets offer a 50% discount for folks with CalFresh; and at our East Palo Alto and Richmond Community Farmers’ Market, we offer an extra $15 for folks using CalFresh through the Market Match program.
So, what happened next?
The FarmRx Response
“We learned during COVID-19 that our small family farms in California can respond rapidly en mass during disaster; and through our experience running the Farms Together Program statewide, we knew that with organized systems of collaboration and trusted partnerships already in place, we can meet these moments that are sadly all too common. We were ready to mobilize for our communities again.” -Andy Ollove, Food Access Program Director
In a matter of a few days…
- Rapid Mobilization: We partnered with Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association (PCFMA), Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM), Urban Village Farmers’ Markets (UVFM), Coastside Farmers’ Markets, Ecology Center, Foragers Markets; and mobilized local funders (Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital, and Alameda County) to cover $55k in funding Alameda and San Mateo Counties.
- Fresh Approach handled coordinating the administrative aspects, including designing the vouchers and informational materials for our partners to share out at their farmers’ market sites.
- The “Stack” Effect: Farmers’ market operators then issued $5 FarmRx vouchers to all shoppers with a CalFresh card at participating markets in Alameda and San Mateo Counties, regardless of their balance.
- Maximum Impact: Some shoppers were able to secure up to $45 in fresh produce and essentials per visit, despite having zero balance in their CalFresh account.
By the end of November, all the funding had been distributed, helping thousands of families bridge the gap in keeping themselves fed during the holiday season.
While the federal funding freeze on CalFresh/SNAP ended in mid-November, that didn’t change the fact that families across the Bay Area and beyond went through a frightening period of uncertainty.
So, what were our takeaways?
Stronger Together
“The Farm RX initiative has been a highly effective way to bolster the better health of our shoppers, and the bottom line of our farmers by bringing new customers and their families to our markets. Unlike grocery stores, kids get samples of different fruits and veggies, get excited about trying new things that the whole family can enjoy together.” -Erin Tormey, Founder, Coastside Farmers’ Markets
Our connections with local farmers and relationships with our partner organizations were the keys to our success in being able to mobilize quickly and launch the FarmRx initiative in just a few days. Handing the administrative aspects, allowed our on-the-ground partners to effectively distribute the vouchers and communicate to shoppers.
This response not only helped with keeping families fed, but it alleviated pressure from local food banks who were being inundated with community members seeking food, supported farmers who would have lost sales, and uplifted the Market Match program for folks who didn’t know about it.
In the end, we walked away feeling that we now have a stronger blueprint to respond to future crises of this nature. Through our coalition of farmers’ market partners, we believe that in moments of disaster–whether economic or climate or whatever else–our local food system can play a leading role in emergency feeding relief.
“We hope that in future disasters–whether a pandemic, a natural disaster, or an economic one–our model of collaboration and farmers’ market activation is looked to as a key contributor in emergency response, as meaningful as traditional food banking systems.”-Andy Ollove, Food Access Program Director
If this story inspires you, we encourage you to consider donating to Fresh Approach, so we can continue to make nourishing food more accessible to underserved communities across the Bay Area!
