By Don Martin II, DCRR Racing Media

Antioch, CA…March 19... Kellen Chadwick picked up the win in the 20 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Antioch Speedway. Skies threatening rain and a little bit of drizzle gave way and allowed racing to take place. Chadwick was the class of the field with a dominant Main Event performance and a win in his heat race. It was a bit of redemption for Chadwick, who felt he let the win slip away from him a week earlier.

2016 champion Bobby Motts Jr had a front row start and charged into the lead from the get-go. Chadwick moved into second on Lap 2 and made a Turn 4 pass to take the lead on the seventh circuit. Previous winner Nick DeCarlo settled into third on Lap 13. Chadwick stretched his advantage to a straightaway in victory. DeCarlo made an outside pass attempt in the final turn, but Motts held him off for second. Pettit settled for fourth, followed by Terry DeCarlo, Jr. The eight lap heat race winners were Chadwick and Pettit.

Fred Ryland won the 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event. This was the second-straight win for the reigning division champion. Past champion KC Keller took the early lead ahead of Nicholas Zapatero. Ryland made a move around Zapatero on a Lap 5 restart, and Zapatero spun moments later for a yellow flag. Keller led Ryland on the restart, but Ryland made a low pass in Turn 2 on Lap 7 to take the lead. Jacob Mallet Jr got by Keller on Lap 9 and took up pursuit of Ryland. However, Ryland was just a little bit too smooth as he won ahead of Mallet and Keller. Andrew Pearce salvaged a fourth-place finish after a rough heat race as Tyler Browne settled for fifth. Keller and Ryland won the eight lap heat races.

Jason Robles won the 20 lap IMCA Stock Car Main Event. This race was destined to go without a yellow flag. Robles bolted into the lead at the start ahead of Dave Hill. Previous winner Fred Ryland started back in the fourth row and found his way into third by the the fifth lap. Ryland worked hard to get around Hill for second before making an inside pass in Turn 4 on Lap 15. By then, Robles held a straightaway advantage that he would bring to the checkered flag. Ryland pulled away comfortably for second, and reigning champion Travis Dutra made a last turn pass to take third from Hill, who fell back to fifth behind Kellen Chadwick. It was Ryland and Hill getting the eight lap heat race victories.

Danny Wagner won the 20 lap Delta Dwarf Car Main Event. The two-time champion took the lead at the outset with Devan Kammermann in pursuit. Kammermann was in search of his first win, but he had his hands full trying to hold off Chance Russell for several laps. There was a red flag incident on the Lap 15 when contact sent Sean Catucci rolling in Turn 4. David Michael Rosa was black flagged from third at that point. Kammermann tried to keep it close, but he was no match for the hard charging Wagner. 2020 champion Travis Day finished third ahead of David Rosa and John Tardiff. Kammermann, Justin Bingman and Wagner picked up the eight lap heat race wins.

This Saturday, the Delta Dwarf Cars are scheduled to return along with the Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks and Mini Stocks. For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com.

Antioch Speedway Unofficial Race Results March 19th

IMCA Modifieds

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Kellen Chadwick, Jim Pettit II. Main Event (20 laps) – Kellen Chadwick, Bobby Motts Jr, Nick DeCarlo, Jim Pettit II, Terry DeCarlo Jr, Paul Gugliemoni, Clark Gugliemoni, Buddy Kniss, Trevor Clymens, Jeff Browne.

IMCA Sport Modifieds

Heat Winners (8 laps)-KC Keller, Fred Ryland. Main Event (20 laps) – Fred Ryland, Jacob Mallet Jr, KC Keller, Andrew Pearce, Tyler Browne, Mark Garner, Chuck Golden, Jason Ryan Jr, Nicholas Zapatero, Jake Bentancourt.

IMCA Stock Cars

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Dave Hill, Fred Ryland. Main Event (20 laps) – Jason Robles, Fred Ryland, Travis Dutra, Kellen Chadwick, Dave Hill, Joe Gallaher, Anthony Giuliani, Jeff Bentancourt (DNS).

Delta Dwarf Cars

Heat Winners (8 laps)-Devan Kammermann, Justin Bingman, Danny Wagner. Main Event (20 laps) – Danny Wagner, Devan Kammermann, Travis Day, David Rosa, John Tardiff, Jerry Shreffler, Jack Haverty, Sean Catucci, Ellie Russo, David Michael Rosa.

Contracts with Meeting Minutes Clerk, council not approving them, special meetings

“My office cannot produce what we do not have in our possession” – Householder

Annotated minutes and video are posted within 24-48 hours after meeting

Former City Clerk Simonsen wanted full-time position, quicker type of minutes; says “no legal time limit for approving minutes of a meeting.”

By Allen D. Payton

Complaints have been made to Antioch City Clerk Ellie Householder, who is facing possible recall, for not posting the city council meeting minutes on the city’s website in a timely manner. She and former City Clerk Arne Simonsen say they are typed up by the city’s contracted Meeting Minutes Clerk, which has been the process for at least 20 years. The delay is due to too many special council meetings and the council not approving past meeting minutes.

Householder did point out that the Annotated Minutes of the council meetings are posted on the city’s website within 24-48 hours. But they only show the votes by the council members on each agenda item and aren’t posted on the City Council Agendas and Minutes page of the city’s website. Instead, they’re posted below the video of that meeting on a different page, which she pointed out also posted within 24-48 hours, as well. But that requires clicking on the video link for that council meeting on the City Council Agendas and Minutes page and watching the meeting in order to know what the council members said and did. Or clicking on the date of that meeting on the City Council Meetings page of the website where the agendas and minutes aren’t posted.

The following email message and questions were sent to Householder and Deputy City Clerk Christina Garcia on Friday, March 18: “As of today, the minutes for the Antioch City Council meetings from 1/25 through 3/11/22 are not yet posted on the city’s website. The minutes for the meetings of Jan. 25, Feb. 4, 8, and 22 were all on the March 8 meeting agenda. Why weren’t they approved then and are again on next Tuesday’s meeting agenda along with the March 8 and 11 meeting minutes?”

In addition, they were asked, “what is the process for the minutes once they’ve been approved by the council to be uploaded to the website? Can’t you upload the Annotated Minutes until they’re approved? And then replace those with the approved minutes once they have been?”

Householder responded, “Our office contracts with a Meeting Minutes Clerk to provide summary minutes for each Council Meeting. When she completes her task and provides our office with the ‘draft’ Meeting Minutes, they are then placed onto the Council Meeting Agenda for Council to approve.  Once approved by Council, the Meeting Minutes are then uploaded onto our City’s Website.

“My office cannot produce what we do not have in our possession,” she continued. “And as you know, Meeting Minutes are approved by Council.”

“The reason for the one-page staff report is merely requesting Council to ‘Continue’ the Meeting Minutes to a future Council Meeting.  This means we have not received the ‘draft’ Meeting Minutes from our Minutes Clerk,” Householder added. “The Council Meeting video is posted onto our City’s Website within 24 hours of each Council Meeting though.”

Garcia pointed out the special meetings the council has been holding as one reason for the delay in receiving the minutes back from the Meeting Minutes Clerk.

Additional Questions for Householder Go Unanswered

Additional questions were then sent Monday afternoon March 21 to Householder, copying Garcia, asking, “how long has the city clerk’s office been contracting out the minutes? Why can’t you or the Deputy Clerk handle that responsibility? If it’s taking the outside contractor too long to provide the minutes in a timely manner, have you considered bringing that responsibility back in house or contracting with someone else to get them done in time for the next council meeting? Is there a legal time limit within which the clerk’s office is supposed to have the draft minutes prepared for the city council to adopt?”

But no response was received as of Wednesday, March 23.

Former City Clerk Simonsen Wanted Quicker Type of Minutes and Full-Time City Clerk

Similar questions were also sent to former City Clerk Arne Simonsen, as well.

He responded, “The City Clerk’s Office has contracted a Minutes Clerk for over the past 20+ years. Not just for the City Council meetings, but also the Planning Commission, Police Commission and the Sales Tax Citizens Oversight Committee. Most cities contract for a Minutes Clerk, unless the Council has approved what are known as ‘Action Minutes’. I tried to get Antioch to use ‘Action Minutes’ which are simple to produce and look similar to the ‘Annotated Minutes’ that I used to produce and post the next day to the City Website.”

“The logic of using Action Minutes is that the DVD of a meeting would be preserved and considered the actual full minutes of a meeting,” Simonsen explained. “Summary Minutes, which Antioch uses take much longer to produce and contain names and comments made not only by council members, but also by the public. And we all know how some in the public like to see their names in those minutes.”

“There is no legal time limit for approving minutes of a meeting. When you have a Council meeting every two weeks, plus throw in any Special Meetings in between, it does take some time,” he pointed out. “Kitty Eiden does a great job with the minutes, and I have absolutely no complaints.  If a Council only met once a month, getting the minutes of the previous meeting on the next agenda would be easy. But every two weeks (and sometimes three a month, plus Special meeting) it does take longer.”

“Would you trust Householder doing the minutes?” Simonsen asked. “The full time Deputy City Clerk has her hands full running all the many other functions of the Clerk’s Office. I tried to get the City Clerk to be full time, as it was from 1872 up until 2010, but my staff reports were turned down every time and never made the agenda.”

“When Kitty was on vacation and the Planning Commission needed a Clerk for the meeting and to produce the minutes, I stepped in to do it and did not receive any extra compensation for doing it,” he added. “Since I had been a Russian linguist for 24 years in the Navy, I routinely transcribed intercepted communications, so taking minutes for me was easy.”

Asked if he remembered ever being five meetings behind when he was city clerk, Simonsen responded, “Only when we had a meeting every week for five weeks in a row.”

Ogorchock doesn’t believe he only had one drink, says apology insincere; claims two women from previous job filed sexual harassment complaints against him; if Thorpe won’t resign, she will work to support his recall

Publisher’s Note: The views contained in this opinion are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Herald, it’s staff or publisher.

Dear Editor:

Due to this weekend’s lack of control and poor decision making on the part of Mayor Lamar Thorpe, I feel duty bound to share my thoughts, not only concerning Lamar’s driving while intoxicated but the lack of respect he shows to the residents of Antioch.

First, our mayor has taken to using ad-hominem, bigoted and misogynistic terms to attack his constituents rather than provide a rebuttal of his position. His title for his campaign is, “Stop, the #Karen Recall of Mayor Lamar Thorpe.”

Dictionary.com defines “Karen” as “a pejorative slang term for an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or police other people’s behaviors. In 2020 Karen spread as a label used to call out white women who were captured in viral videos engaging in what are widely seen as racist attacks. The mayor has chosen on two different occasions to refer to me as a “Karen”.

To call a woman today a “Karen” is to evoke an image of white privilege that in no way represents the life struggles millions of women endured to achieve equality, respect, and representation.

Second, Mayor Thorpe chose to drink and get behind the wheel of his vehicle, while intoxicated.  He not only endangered himself but others.  He stated he is sorry for his actions, well how sorry is he truly?  He wants us to believe he had only “a drink” with dinner.  We all know this is a fallacy.  So, to me his apology is far from being sincere.

Third, it has been brought to my attention that two women have filed a sexual harassment complaint against Mayor Thorpe. The complaint has been filed with the former Los Medanos Community Healthcare District, City of Antioch, and State of California. And yes, I personally verified the facts prior to sharing this repulsive information.

We need to make a change in our leadership, and we need to do it quickly.  Mr. Thorpe needs to step down as the mayor of our beautiful city.  If he so chooses not to, I will put all my energy into the success of the campaign to recall him as mayor.  Antioch citizens deserve better, do the right thing Mayor Thorpe and step down immediately!

Lori Ogorchock

Antioch City Councilwoman, District 3

Part of 50th anniversary celebration of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program

This is the last week of March for Meals, a month-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program. It is also the fourth week of our March Safety Bag Madness to collect items to fill a bag for our seniors to have on hand in case of power outages, fires, or an earthquake.

Even though the challenge for the brackets is coming to an end, as is March for Meals, we still need more items to fill 1,000 bags! So please consider donating these essential safety items throughout the month of April, too:

• Non-slip socks
• Whistles
• Small flashlights with batteries
• Extra batteries
• Small garbage bags
• Hand and toe warmers
• Band-aids, gauze, and alcohol wipes
• Glow sticks
• Hand sanitizer

Items can be purchased through Amazon or other retailers and shipped directly to us or can be dropped off at our office at 1300 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. To arrange a drop-off time, please call us at 925-937-8607.

For those who are participating in our March Madness Brackets, below are the target numbers for this week’s donation goals:

Week 4: Donate 20+ items

• Donation example: 3 packs of batteries + 3 flashlights + 4 hand sanitizers + 24 packs of non-slip socks = 34 items

The seniors in our community are the most vulnerable among us and depend on MOW Diablo Region for meals to keep them from going hungry, and our supportive services keep them healthy and less isolated.

Providing them with safety bags ensures that we can keep our seniors safe in case of a natural disaster, but we can only do it with your help!

Will close gap caused by Hwy 4, complete Contra Costa section by early 2023

“This is one of my dreams that really did come true.” – former Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor

By Allen D. Payton

Officials from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), State Route 4 Bypass Authority and the City of Brentwood celebrated the beginning of construction on the Mokelumne Trail Bike and Pedestrian Overcrossing Friday morning, March 18 with a ceremonial groundbreaking. The multi-span bridge will connect two sides of the Mokelumne Trail, providing safe access to cyclists and pedestrians across Highway 4 for recreational travel and commuting.

When completed, the overcrossing will also provide access to the future Brentwood Transit Center and BART Station. It is part of the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail which includes the Delta de Anza Regional Trail that runs through Antioch and Oakley.

Also in attendance at the groundbreaking were local bicycle advocates including Bruce Ohlson from Bay Point, who rode his bike to the event.

It’s been the plan since the right-of-way for the Highway 4 Bypass/extension between Lone Tree Way and Balfour Road was purchased in 1998 to provide a connection to both sides of the trail and close the gap with an overcrossing.

“The highway splits the trail that was not in place but merely planned at the time the first phase of the Bypass was built in 2002,” said Dale Dennis, Program Manager for the State Route 4 Bypass Authority. “With the understanding that the regional trail would connect. and we would have to provide that connection in the future.”

“The Bypass Authority did the right of way acquisition for the trail,” he added.

Construction on the $8.6 million project is expected to be completed by early 2023 if not sooner. Funding has been provided through the county’s Measure J half-cent sales tax dollars, the Bypass Authority, and regional bridge toll funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC).

The project will have one of the shortest construction timelines in CCTA’s history. The 850-foot bridge structure includes a wider trail width of sixteen feet to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians using the trail or accessing potential future transit, and meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards to support use by all community members.

“Total construction costs are $8.6 million with total project costs of $13 million,” said Timothy Haile, CCTA Executive Director. “It’s turned into a focal point for the community….for transit in Eastern Contra Costa County…for the transit center…and for Brentwood’s Innovation Center” for commercial development and employment.

Supervisor Federal Glover spoke representing the MTC saying, “This is going to be major for some visionary individuals as we connect to other areas. It’s been a very collaborative effort and very well thought out through the years. But it doesn’t happen until someone brings the money together.”

He acknowledged and thanked former Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor, “who was banging on the door of (former CCTA Executive Director) Randy Iwasaki and Tim Haile asking, ‘how…are we going to get the money to get this done?’”

Glover then thanked the partners and all those who helped

“I started working with the City of Brentwood in 2017” Haile said, then thanked the city staff “and the city council that has been very supportive.”

Brentwood Mayor Joel Bryant said, “the overcrossing is part of a greater vision…part of a larger Mokelumne to Crest Trail. This is very exciting. We have a lot of residents who are pedestrians and bicyclists.”

“We provide everything the future is going to need as far as economic development and living as the Bay Area moves our way,” he added.

Bryant acknowledged his predecessor, Mayor Taylor and said, “this is his project that he handed to us”.

“I made a promise 16 years ago that I would do this,” Taylor then said. “I was very naive. After 10 years, I said ‘we’re going to do this’. After 12 years, ‘we’re going to do this’. Well, we’re going to do this.”

“This is not just a Brentwood thing. It couldn’t have been done without a whole lot of people,” he continued. “This is one of my dreams that really did come true.”

“When I came to CCTA the first thing that happened was Bob came into my office and asked how we were going to get the Mokelumne Trail Overcrossing?” Tim Haile added to the credit given to Taylor for the project.

“This new bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing will improve the community’s connections to nature, jobs, housing, and transit opportunities – and serves as an example of what can be accomplished through collaboration,” said Contra Costa Transportation Authority Board Chair Chris Kelley. “But just as important, this bridge is designed with the future in mind and could accommodate potential future autonomous shuttles as well as bicycles and pedestrians to help local residents get where they need to go.”

Options for Brentwood’s East County Intermodal Transit Center are currently being evaluated as part of the East County Integrated Transit Study. The overcrossing also provides a connection to the planned Innovation Center at Brentwood, a 200+ acre parcel that city officials have zoned for employer and development partners to create a workplace community.

According not the trail map website, “For 28 years, dozens of citizens and government agencies have been working to complete the 300+ mile-long Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail. First envisioned by ‘Father of CA Trails’ and ‘Grandfather of National Trails’ George H. Cardinet, Jr., the Trail Council is proud to share three open sections for day hikes and more.”

Families can miss out on thousands of dollars by not filing by April 18

CALIFORNIA – United Ways of California is urging Californians to file before the April 18 tax filing deadline. According to the most recent data from the Franchise Tax Board (FTB), filing for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is down 5% among Californians this tax season compared to this day last year, and while nearly 4 million California residents claimed the tax credit last year, less than 35% of those eligible have filed for the credit this year. Thousands of dollars in tax credits are available to California residents – and all they have to do is file their taxes to receive them. There are numerous no-cost tax filing options available and Californians are encouraged to visit MyFreeTaxes.org to utilize United Ways’ free tax filing program and tax education resources, provided in both English and Spanish.

Advocates are concerned at the low filing numbers this close to Tax Day, as 64% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck. However, it’s not too late for working families in California to get additional tax credits from the state – California is offering two tax credit programs to help families stay afloat:

• The California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) ranges from $255 to over $3,000 and is available to families with incomes up to $30,000.
• If you qualify for the CalEITC AND have a child under the age of 6, families can file for the Young Child Tax Credit(YCTC), which provides up to an additional $1,000 per child.

United Ways of California urges families to stay away from pay-to-file companies to file for these tax credits, which can save filers 13-20% of their tax refund, an average of $400. According to an audit by the Treasury General for Tax Administration, more than 14 million taxpayers in 2019 may have paid tax software providers when they could have filed for free.

“United Ways throughout California are providing IRS-certified volunteers at no cost to these hardworking families, helping them navigate these tax credit programs and get their tax returns submitted early,” said Pete Manzo, United Ways of California president and CEO. “The money can add up to quite a lot. In fact, some families can receive thousands of dollars – depending on their income and family size. With quick, safe, no-cost tax filing programs like MyFreeTaxes.org, all eligible Californians should claim these life-changing tax credits.”

Federal tax credits are also still available to families – even if households made $0 – like the Child Tax Credit (CTC), which provides up to $3,600 per child under the age of 18 as of December 31, 2021, and EITC, which adds up to $6,728 if the filer made less than $57,414.

As of March 2022, the IRS had a backlog of 7.2 million unprocessed individual returns for 2021, a far higher number than the typical one million. Families should expect to experience delays when filing their taxes this year, so it’s important to file as early as possible. The agency also added new regulations around claiming EITC or CTC to prevent identity fraud, so filers should be prepared for an additional delay if filing for these programs.

“Utilizing [free tax prep assistance] is essential to someone in need, you never know what someone has to go through in their lives financially,” said Crystal Vargas, a Kern County resident who filed through United Ways’ services. “I always come here knowing I’ll be taken care of—people don’t need to feel the financial burden of paying someone for their taxes and not knowing what exactly the process is. I plan to spend some of my refund on paying back my student loans and catching up on bills, and the rest to savings for emergencies.”

Nearly one in three California households—over 3.5 million families (33%)—do not earn sufficient income to meet basic needs, making it more important than ever to file by the April 18 deadline – the smallest delay in receiving tax returns could provide challenges to families who need to cover daily expenses and meet basic needs. For more information, free assistance, and to see if you qualify for no-cost tax filing, filers should visit MyFreeTaxes.org or text “taxes” to 211-211 to find a free tax filing site near them.

United Ways of California improves the health, education and financial results for low-income children and families by enhancing and coordinating the advocacy and community impact work of local United Ways across California. United Ways of California was formed in 2008 by California’s local United Ways seeking to work together to educate state and national leaders about policy issues affecting community impact goals in health, education, and financial stability.

 

“anyone who chooses to drive impaired should be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law” – Mother’s Against Drunk Driving

He doesn’t respond; former Councilwoman calls for his resignation

By Allen D. Payton

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers issued a statement, Monday, about Mayor Lamar Thorpe’s arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol early Saturday morning. (See related article)

It was included in a letter to the Antioch City Clerk as a public comment for Tuesday’s council meeting. MADD’s Official Statement Regarding Mayor Lamar Thorpe

The letter reads, “My name is Natasha Thomas, and I am the Executive Director for Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) San Francisco Bay Area Affiliate. Below, MADD has provided an official public statement regarding Mayor Lamar Thorpe’s recent DUI arrest.”

“Mothers Against Drunk Driving is grateful no one was injured or killed in the arrest involving Mayor Lamar Thorpe. It’s never OK to drink and drive, and anyone who chooses to drive impaired should be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Public officials are uniquely positioned to communicate the seriousness of impaired driving to their communities and back up their words with action. MADD stands ready to work with Antioch to help keep its residents and visitors safe from the tragedies caused by impaired driving.”

Thorpe Does Not Respond

Thorpe was sent the statement and letter Monday afternoon asking if he had any comments in response. As of Tuesday he had not responded prior to publication time at 3:00 PM.

Recalled Councilwoman Calls for Thorpe’s Resignation

Former Antioch Councilwoman Elizabeth Rimbault, who was the only council member in the city in the past 30 years to be recalled (this reporter also faced recall while a council member at the same time but beat it) joins current Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica and a chorus of residents in publicly calling for Thorpe to resign.

“When I was mayor pro tem in the 1990’s I was informed that if we broke the law we were in violation of our oath office,” Rimbault said. “We could be demanded to be removed from office by any member of the public.”
“In addition to that, not only do I think he should be removed from office, which is no laughing matter, his behavior at a council meeting, restricting another council member’s right to speak and walking out of the meeting was reprehensible. He denied her the right to represent her district.”

Please check back later for Thorpe’s responses.

A recognition during National Ag Week – March 20-26, 2022

By Julie Yee, Public Affairs, USDA Food & Nutrition Service Western Region

SAN FRANCISCO, March 22, 2022 – Today, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s (FNS) Western Region (Alaska, American Samoa, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, and Washington) joins millions of Americans in celebrating National Ag Day. The special recognition encourages every American to understand how food and fiber products are produced, value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy, and appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products. This day also provides an opportunity to show appreciation to hard-working farmers who provide delicious and nutritious food for families across the region.

“National Ag Day provides us an annual opportunity to say, “Thank You” to countless farmers and ranchers across the Western Region who work hard each day so that we have healthy and nutritious food on our plates,” said FNS Western Regional Administrator Jesus Mendoza, Jr. “Over the last year, the agriculture sector has stepped up to ensure we have a stable food supply in the face of incredible challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Farmers provide consumers with fresh, affordable, convenient, and healthy products. With support from USDA, farmers can offer customers the opportunity to make purchases with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.

America’s Direct Marketing Farmers and Farmers’ Markets (DMFs/FMs) are great sources of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. FNS is committed to expanding access to these foods by SNAP recipients while supporting economic opportunities for farmers and producers. Use the interactive map to locate participating DMFs/FMs and other retailers in the west and all across the nation.

In the western region, 230 DMFs and 722 FMs were authorized by USDA in fiscal year 2020. This is an increase of 66.67 percent and 12.64 percent respectively over the previous year. These farmers and farmers markets are authorized to accept SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), which enables SNAP recipients to use their benefits to purchase eligible food. Farmers and farmers’ markets in the western region redeemed more than $9.5 million in EBT benefits in fiscal year 2020.

A top FNS priority for 2022 is continuing USDA’s focus on nutrition security, not just for the duration of the pandemic, but well into the future to make sure the many nutrition programs USDA offers are providing access to nutritious food for all those in need. FNS delivers science-based information and guidance that is pivotal in ensuring Americans have a nutritious, safe, affordable and abundant food supply. USDA will make full use of flexibilities to support governors, school districts, food banks and others while deploying food assistance to struggling families, seniors and people with disabilities.

Learn More

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit  

www.usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.