Dear Editor,
As the director of the Burlington Farmers Market I am deeply concerned about what’s happening in Congress right now and the potential to gut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, two of the most essential programs that help people put food on the table and get the healthcare they need.
At our farmers market, I see every week how these programs support both the dignity and health of our neighbors, and the stability of our local economy.
Programs like 3SquaresVT (Vermont’s SNAP program) and Crop Cash (Vermont’s SNAP incentive) allow customers to stretch their food dollars and buy fresh, local produce. Over the last two summers, more than $80,000 of food benefits were spent at the market. When families can afford to shop here, farmers earn income.
SNAP isn’t just a nutrition program, it’s an economic engine that creates wins for all and creates inclusive community spaces.
If Congress moves forward with its planned SNAP cuts, the consequences will be severe. Our vendors will feel the hit in their bottom lines. People in our community, including seniors, families with children, and people with disabilities, will lose access to nutritious food and essential healthcare.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, some state food benefits were lost, and we saw how that negatively impacted our customers and vendors. Farms saw up to 40% decreases in their revenue, and market staff were left strategizing with customers to figure out how to stretch their dollars. The impact of deeper cuts to food benefits, like those in the current budget proposal, could be even more devastating.
Health and food security are deeply connected. When people have access to good food and stable healthcare, they are better able to work, care for their families, and contribute to their communities. Farmers markets like ours become places of connection and resilience, but only when the policies that support low-income families remain strong.
Congress must reject proposals that would weaken SNAP and Medicaid. Instead, they should prioritize investments that strengthen our food systems, support rural economies, and ensure all Americans, of all incomes, can meet their basic needs with dignity.
While Vermont’s senators are strong supporters of SNAP, our neighbors in other states need support urging their senators to vote “no” on this bill, on cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. I urge you to call your friends in other states, as close to home as Maine, and make sure they are raising their voices.
Our community, our farmers, and our health depend on it.
Georgie Rubens, Burlington
