On a recent Sunday morning at the Heart of the City Farmers’ Market in San Francisco, a long queue of eager customers formed outside as they awaited the opportunity to pick up paper vouchers from the Market Match program.
This initiative is designed to enhance the value of state and federal food subsidy benefits, adding $30 of value each month per recipient.
Though not a large sum, Market Match plays a crucial role in addressing food insecurity for the city’s low-income residents.
However, recent legislative changes introduced by President Donald Trump through the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” could significantly disrupt this program.
The bill, signed on July 4, includes major cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), amounting to $186 billion over the next decade, according to projections from the Congressional Budget Office.
Initially, these cuts will affect eligibility rather than benefit amounts, targeting specific groups who will be removed from the program.
As a result, states may face increased financial burdens, leading to possible reductions in benefits or exclusion of vulnerable populations.
Heart of the City, located in Civic Center near low-income neighborhoods like Tenderloin and South of Market, is a vital source of fresh produce for many residents.
The market’s vendors excel in processing public benefit transactions, with over $2.4 million anticipated in 2024 and more than 1,000 daily transactions, as highlighted by executive director Steve Pulliam.
This biweekly market functions as a crucial neighborhood resource, particularly for elderly Asian Americans residing in Chinatown.
Every year, around 25,000 customers utilize the Market Match subsidy, providing them access to healthy food options.
As of May 2025, SNAP, known as CalFresh in California, provides support to nearly 110,000 San Francisco residents, which is approximately 14% of the city’s population.
Participants receive monthly benefits loaded onto an EBT card, typically ranging from $10 to $300 to purchase food.
The timing of SNAP cuts is alarming, occurring during a period of pronounced food insecurity.
According to a 2023 report from the city’s Department of Public Health, the percentage of households earning below 200% of the federal poverty level experiencing food insecurity reached its highest rate since monitoring began in 2001.
Among those relying on local food aid, as many as 83% continue to face a lack of consistent food access.
Currently, while SNAP has work requirements, the new bill expands these conditions to encompass more individuals. More people will be subjected to stringent requirements aimed at limiting access to food assistance.
This expansion will impact vulnerable groups including homeless individuals, veterans, and youth aging out of foster care.
Experts like Itzúl Gutiérrez from the California Association of Food Banks emphasize the historical significance of these cuts, highlighting the challenge food banks will face in filling the gap left by reduced SNAP benefits.
The SF-Marin Food Bank, the city’s largest food provider, has already seen its waitlist grow to more than 8,300 individuals seeking assistance.
Farmers at the Heart of the City market share the growing concern surrounding the potential fallout from these legislative changes.
Typically, the farmers at the market have established personal connections with Pulliam, who has been leading the market for 15 years.
These vendors often hire unhoused individuals to assist at their stalls, reflecting a community-centered approach.
For family-operated farms, sales at farmers’ markets can be significantly beneficial.
Martin Bourque, the executive director of the Ecology Center, notes that grocery stores return around 15 cents of every dollar spent back to farmers, while farmers’ markets can provide over 90 cents on the dollar.
The impact of reduced foot traffic resulting from SNAP cuts would be felt deeply, as noted by Pulliam, who points to the market’s considerable turnout of over 34,000 customers last month alone.
Joel Aguayo from Castellanos Farms travels four hours from Tulare County to sell at the market, with EBT transactions accounting for about half of his weekly revenue—roughly $7,000.
He points out that, if sales decline, maintaining affordable prices becomes more difficult.
Tony Mellow, owner of Mellow’s Farm and Nursery, has been part of the market since it began in 1981, with EBT purchases accounting for 65 to 70 percent of his summer sales, translating to approximately $40,000 monthly.
He acknowledges the potential impact of SNAP cuts but vows to lower prices to help customers.
Mellow expresses concern for local residents’ food choices, saying, “People have to eat something. I don’t know what they’re going to do.”
While some farmers elsewhere in the state charge higher prices to make comparable profits, Aguayo believes the EBT-driven model at Heart of the City benefits everyone by keeping prices low.
He states, “Good for the farmer, good for the people. I don’t see… why the benefits are being cut because, honestly, it’s a good service.”
Under the current SNAP regulations, able-bodied adults aged 18 to 54 without dependents must demonstrate work, volunteerism, or educational engagement of at least 20 hours a week to qualify for benefits.
Failing to meet these criteria limits them to just three months of assistance within a three-year period.
The new regulations will broaden work requirements to include adults up to age 64, parents with no children under 14, and additional vulnerable groups.
It is projected that this expansion will reduce participation in SNAP by 3.2 million people within an average month due to the anticipated funding cuts.
California has historically seen low enrollment in SNAP compared to other states, with about 30 percent of eligible individuals not receiving benefits as of 2019.
The barriers to accessing SNAP can include social stigma, language translation challenges, and the burdens of extensive paperwork, particularly for showing exemptions from work requirements for medical reasons.
These obstacles are especially acute for unhoused individuals, many of whom lack stable transportation or documentation.
As Bourque points out, “Many of those people on the street, in the state that they’re in, are not very employable.”
Further significant changes to SNAP are looming, with major structural adjustments taking effect in October 2026, shifting financial responsibility to the states.
California is poised to assume 15% of SNAP payouts and 75% rather than 50% of administrative expenses.
Starting in 2028, specific groups—immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and trafficking victims—will become ineligible for SNAP benefits.
Those in food advocacy groups are uncertain how the state will adapt to these changes.
Marchon Tatmon from the SF-Marin Food Bank estimates that around 12,000 San Francisco households will be impacted by the SNAP cuts.
Pulliam indicated that any reductions in SNAP participation would directly affect the availability of Market Match dollars, placing both farmers and shoppers at risk.
Since its inception in 2009, Market Match has been integral to over 270 farmers’ markets across California.
At Heart of the City, the program has been particularly significant since its introduction in 2015, helping ensure the market’s economic sustainability.
With shoppers currently eligible for up to $30 in monthly matching funds, the program’s demand necessitated the hiring of four workers, including Chinese speakers, to assist at the EBT tent.
According to Pulliam, Market Match played a pivotal role in keeping farmers afloat during the pandemic, especially as lower-income customers turned to the market for accessible food options amid the crisis.
Aguayo remarks that many of his fellow farmers from Tulare County avoid selling at Heart of the City due to the emphasis on low prices, showing a commitment to helping serve that community.
In 2024, advocates successfully fought against proposals that could have decimated the California Nutrition Incentive Program, which provides vital funding for Market Match.
Thanks to collective efforts, the program garnered $35 million in state funding, ensuring full support until 2027.
While Pulliam remains uncertain about the future, he asserts that a sizable decline in SNAP will inevitably impact Heart of the City.
It’s possible that more individuals will seek the market as an affordable option, but a significant drop in the SNAP customer base could disrupt the entire balance that enables both low prices and high sales volume.
Pulliam emphasizes, “I try to preach that to people—this is the best deal going.”
As federal support diminishes and eligibility criteria tighten, the sustainability of this community-based program will soon face a crucial test.
image source from：thefrisc
