Maine’s farms are in the news for all the wrong reasons — federal funding freezes, grant funding cuts, concerns over proposed tariffs and the end of a USDA program that helped schools purchase directly from farms.

While support from our communities, media and members of Congress is important in the wake of these announcements, we need the same level of support against proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program (SNAP), which will have dire consequences for Maine farmers and residents. We were grateful to see all four of our members of Congress vote against the budget resolution and urge them to continue to oppose any cuts on these programs.

SNAP feeds thousands of children, older adults and people with disabilities in every Maine county, and brings over $360 million in taxes back to Maine through purchases of groceries and food. This revenue cannot be replaced for small farms, like Second Frost Farm, or food retailers like Belfast Community Co-op, and access to healthy, local food won’t be replaceable for the 172,000 Maine participants who receive electronic food benefits.

The specific details of the cuts are not public yet, but some Republican leaders are calling for states to pay a portion of SNAP food benefits for the first time. Maine’s members of Congress should reject any budget proposal that shifts costs or makes SNAP harder to access because of Maine’s existing high rates of food insecurity among children and older people, the unaffordable cost of living for working people and the reliance of rural communities and economies on this investment.

Maine has the highest rate of food insecurity in New England, and a growing proportion of working Maine households can’t afford the cost of living, often forced to make difficult choices between food and bills. Farmers aren’t immune to food insecurity either. An increase in farm production expenses is also affecting the bottom line, according to the latest agriculture census data. Some of Maine’s farmers not only need SNAP to feed their own families, but also rely on the funding to operate and invest in technology, labor and access to markets.

If SNAP is cut by 5%-25%, that much less money will circulate among our growers, producers and retailers of local food. Our family farm in Monroe is working to provide nutritious food to our community and to sustain ourselves through this business. We sell at the Belfast and Rockland farmers markets, and both markets accept SNAP benefits, Maine Harvest Bucks, coupons that let shoppers buy extra fruits and vegetables when they buy local food with SNAP, and WIC, a nutrition benefit for income-eligible mothers and children.

Nearly $30,000 of our gross sales are from these nutrition dollars and this represents 15% of our gross sales. Losing 15% of our gross sales will have a large impact on our modest farm income that supports our family of four. Since nearly 20% of the total value of Maine agricultural products sold in 2022, or $172.6 million, was sold directly by Maine farms to consumers, institutions, local and regional retailers, restaurants and food hubs, this is an important source of sales these funding cuts will cumulatively hurt gross sales across the sector.

Waldo County has a poverty rate of 12.75%, but that doesn’t represent the full scope of financial struggles. Working directly with the community since 2017 at the Belfast Community Co-op, we’ve seen the increase in need for food assistance firsthand. In fact, SNAP sales have tripled in our store alone. We are proud to serve our community and provide many diverse options for low-income residents. In fact, supporting SNAP is good for our local food system, as SNAP beneficiaries account for 24% of consumer packaged goods and generate $18 more in spending per grocery trip.

Belfast Community Co-op has been a retail partner of Farm Fresh Rewards since it began as Maine Harvest Bucks in 2016. This program provides financial incentives for SNAP participants to use their electronic benefits (EBT) on their Pine Tree cards to purchase local fruits and vegetables. We have the highest redemption rate of the program in Maine, with over $78,000 in redemptions in 2024. This program has a growing impact, as it provides nutritious, local food to our low-income shoppers, including young families and elders, that they would not otherwise be able to afford.

In 2024, Belfast Community Co-op achieved $3.5 million in local sales from over 220 farmers and producers in Maine. This includes our new partnership with Harvesting Good, a subsidiary of Good Shepherd Food Bank, where all profits go to local food banks. Funding provided for food access through LD 468 will allow communities of all FFR partners to participate in our local food economy by giving them the opportunity to buy local.

The Belfast Community Co-op takes great pride in knowing our farmers and vendors by name. Supporting local farms and small businesses is at the heart of what we do and is key to fostering a resilient food system. Supporting SNAP/EBT funding means supporting real people so Mainers can access food in our great state. Supporting low-income shoppers also supports local businesses and keeps money circulating in our local economy.

Maine’s rural communities are filled with healthy and nutritious food, grown and sold by family-run businesses committed to sustaining our rural towns. No one should have to go hungry in 2025, and we urge our elected leaders to protect our intertwined interests in supporting access to nutritious food and growing our agricultural businesses.