Temple City farmers market expands CalFresh matching and aims to add on‑site cooking

Gretchen Sterling, the volunteers/organizer for Temple City’s farmers market, updated the council April 2 on market operations and recent program additions.

Sterling said the market began around 2011 and last year launched a matching program in partnership with Hunger Action Los Angeles that doubles CalFresh spending for customers. “For the first $20 … I’ll match dollar for dollar so they get to double their benefits,” Sterling told the council, and staff reported the match program resulted in slightly more than $3,000 in redeemed benefits used for fresh fruits and vegetables. Sterling said most customers are Temple City residents, with some visitors from neighboring Arcadia, and described efforts to recruit a replacement for a long‑time Asian vegetable vendor who retired.

Sterling also told the council the market hopes to add limited on‑site cooking by vendors, which requires a three‑compartment sink and health permitting at Live Oak Park. The market will coordinate with the city manager and parks staff to pursue the necessary permits and access to the sink. Council members offered support and asked staff to coordinate logistics.

The council thanked Sterling for the update and confirmed city staff will follow up on permitting and connections to the parks department and city manager’s office.