Massachusetts farmers are beginning to feel the effects of reduced federal SNAP benefits, with some businesses reporting their SNAP are down by half at farmers markets around Boston.
Nov. 1 was the one-month mark for the federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1. Patrick Penn, deputy under secretary of food nutrition and consumer services for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said last week in a court filing that SNAP recipients will receive 65% of their benefits for the month. The decision follows an order by a federal judge for the Trump administration to use emergency funding for the program Oct. 31.
David Wadleigh, owner of Kimball Fruit Farm in Pepperell, said last week that he’s been to a market every single day Nov. 1. At all of them, he said foot traffic was slower than usual and at the Copley Square Farmers Market on Friday, SNAP sales were down by about 50%from before Nov. 1.
SNAP purchases typically make up about 20% of his profits at markets, which worked out to about a 10% decrease in profits overall, he said.
“We’ve been paying to upkeep these plants already. We’ve already put the money out,” Wadleigh said. “Now the risk is the money might not come in like we’re expecting it to.”
Chath pierSath, a farm worker at Nicewicz Family Family Farm in Bolton, drew attention to agriculture’s effect on the larger state and city economy. Enabling people to eat sustains this part of the economy, he said.
“By making sure that access to food and water (is available), you create a larger picture of our protective economy,” he said. “When people are alive, well and healthy, then the economy is alive and healthy.”
Some farmers said they hadn’t yet seen a decline, but said it was too early in the day to determine if sales would be affected or not.
“Farmers are in many ways notoriously optimistic,” said Edith Murnane, executive director of Massachusetts Farmers Markets. “There’s a sense of ‘we’ll wait and see.’”
Farmers said help is available to help from the state’s Healthy Incentives Program as well as community donations and assistance programs as avenues for affected customers to continue shopping at markets.
Markets in areas like Somerville and Cambridge have programs that allow people to obtain additional SNAP benefits. For the Davis Square Farmers Market in Somerville, users typically need to have a remaining SNAP balance to match their account balances for the month by up to $15. In light of the shutdown, customers have been able to receive benefits regardless of the amount on their cards, said Murnane.
Vendors who don’t take SNAP benefits at their formers market stands said that while they haven’t been directly affected yet, they worry that’s possible if the shutdown continues, since consumers may choose to use money they would use for other uses on food instead.
Most farmers with leftover produce said they plan to donate their crops to local food banks. While concerned about their own sales, many said they’re also worried for the consumers themselves.
“We at least have places that we can donate (food) to so hopefully (people) will still have access to the food,” Wadleigh said. “We want everyone to be able to have access to our food.”
As the federal government shutdown continues, farmer’s markets, neighborhood stores and supermarkets along with the retailing, agriculture and fishing sectors are all expected to feel continued impacts.