As the government shutdown halted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits nationwide, the effects are reaching far beyond grocery store shelves, and into farm fields, rural markets and the livelihoods of producers who already operate on thin margins.
Dana DiPrima, founder of the For Farmers Movement, says the situation underscores how interconnected the nation’s food system truly is.
SNAP benefits, DiPrima says, do far more than help low-income households.
“It’s a national program meant to stabilize our food economy,” DiPrima says. “When SNAP experiences cuts, farmers suffer, markets suffer and the economy has a lot less money in it.”
The For Farmers Movement is a grassroots, people-powered organization that supports small and midsized farmers across the U.S. through storytelling, microgrants and direct community engagement. Now in its fifth grant cycle, the group has awarded 190 grants to 290 farms in 46 states, with another 100 planned for December. The movement also offers a “wish list” feature that allows supporters to buy small but meaningful items such as work gloves, socks or animal feed, directly for farmers.
“It’s not just about the money,” DiPrima says. “It’s about showing farmers that they’re appreciated, that they’re not invisible and that we understand what they’re doing out there.”
But even with community support, many farmers are being hit hard by the freeze on SNAP benefits.
“I’m hearing from farmers who are struggling right now,” she says. “A lot of them have been working off-farm as federal employees and haven’t pulled a paycheck since the end of September.”
DiPrima says one West Virginia beef farmer — a veteran and federal employee — had to refocus simply to feed her own family.
“She never qualified for SNAP before,” DiPrima says, adding that now the farmer qualifies for the benefit but is unable to access it. “This story is emblematic of what’s happening. This is a system, and when we put the brakes on a system like this, a lot of the cars are backing up and hitting one another, and that’s really unfortunate.”
The pain is especially pronounced in rural areas, where 85 of the top 100 SNAP-reliant communities are located. Many of those towns depend on small grocers and farmers markets — the same outlets where SNAP dollars are often spent.
“Those small, independent grocers don’t have the margins to lose customers,” DiPrima says. “When they shut down, it’s not just the store that disappears — it’s access to food, to jobs and to community.”
The Food Research and Action Center provides an interactive map of SNAP participants at the county level.
According to the National Library of Medicine, “Importance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Rural America,” while SNAP is often associated with urban areas, in reality, the program is vital to Americans residing in rural areas, stating: “Both poverty and SNAP participation rates are higher in rural than urban areas.”
Layered on top of healthcare shortages, tariffs and rising input costs, the loss of SNAP revenue adds one more strain to a system already at the breaking point. Yet despite these challenges, DiPrima says farmers continue to show their generosity.
“Even when they’re struggling, they still donate,” she said. “They don’t want people in their communities to go hungry.”
“Unfortunately, we’ve built a system that allows farmers to donate food when we should be paying them for it,” DiPrima adds. “They donate it because they understand the value of food, and we allow them to do it because we don’t.”
Through its grants, wish lists and ongoing advocacy, the For Farmers Movement is working to bridge the gap between consumers and the people who feed them.
“We’ve got to stay firm for our American farmers,” DiPrima says. “We are all eating three times a day. Our kids need farmers, and we need farmers. They are essential to us all.”
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