guest blog, snap
From Capitol Hill to the Farmers Markets: the Ripple Effects of SNAP’s Uncertain Future
February 23, 2026
Our blog is a space for sharing and learning about various food systems topics across Alaska. We occasionally have Guest Blogs that highlight particular issues and stories of interest. The views in our Guest Blogs are not reflections of APFC positions. If you are interested in writing a Guest Blog, please contact info@alaskafoodpolicycouncil.org to discuss your idea!
By Claire Marshalek, Alaska Farmers Market Association
The past year has brought about immense change and uncertainty for thousands of Alaskans. In July, Congress passed H.R. 1, which reduces critical funding for several social programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as Quest.
68,745 Alaskans receive food assistance through SNAP, with more folks waiting on the program to help with grocery bills that seem to be ever rising. In certain regions, specifically in remote Alaska, over 70% of community members qualify for or are receiving SNAP benefits.
While SNAP has seen its fair share of uncertainty in the past year, Alaskan’s are no stranger to inconsistencies in the program. From the disruption of benefit distribution during the government shutdown in November, to the ongoing SNAP backlog peaking in 2023, where over 15,000 Alaskans were left waiting in the queue to renew or sign up to receive benefits, SNAP inconsistencies have caused ongoing trust issues for the future of the program.
SNAP and other federal programs remain uncertain as we continue into 2026. It is important to highlight the ripple effects of program uncertainty and how these ripples can become waves for small farmers, food banks, and rural communities.
SNAP and Alaska’s Local Food System
SNAP is a vital bridge connecting families, farmers, and small businesses alike. It is more than a food program that prevents hunger, it is an economic stabilizer. According to the Food Research Action Center for every “federal $1 invested in SNAP generates between $1.50 and $1.80 in local economic activity”. If we continue to see disruptions and changes to SNAP we can expect to see drastic changes in spending at the local grocer, food retailer, and farmers market.
Since 2022, Alaska Farmers Market Association (AFMA) has been running a SNAP doubling program known as Market Match. Market Match provides SNAP customers with the opportunity to double benefits; for every dollar spent at the farmers market they receive an additional dollar. The Market Match program turns $40 in local produce into $80 in local produce every week of market season, designed to connect farmers to their neighbors.
Annually, upwards of $60,000 has been spent by customers at farmers markets through the Market Match program. While hundreds of families are gaining access to local food, thousands of dollars are going directly into the pockets of Alaska’s hard working farmers. When we see inconsistencies in SNAP we see strain on the farmers who keep our communities fed.
Our friends at Grow North Farm serve many community members who have traditionally relied on SNAP to support their families. Market Manager Cecilia Karoly-Lister, expressed concern that changes to SNAP under H.R. 1, will directly impact our neighbors “who are legally living in the US but do not have Legal Permanent Resident status (a green card) are no longer eligible for food stamps. Without access to farmers’ market incentive programs such as SNAP double up, Fresh Bucks, and Senior/WIC FMNP coupons which require SNAP eligibility, those families will no longer be able to afford to shop at the farmers’ market”. Grow North Farm is not alone,
“Markets like Grow North Farmers Market, which are situated in low-income neighborhoods and programmatically designed to feed people will suffer… Urban and small-scale farmers will suffer the most, and communities who are the most vulnerable will be pushed out of local food systems”.
Beyond our farmers markets we can expect to see rising demand at community institutions like food banks, food pantries, faith organizations, and other anti hunger nonprofits. The pressure put on these institutions can not be met with the current rate of federal disinvestment. Programs like the Local Food Purchase Assistance(LFPA) program where farmers are paid in full for their produce to be dropped off at food banks, temporarily alleviated some of these pressures. While the LFPA program is set to expire in June of 2026, the Alaska Farmers Market Association intends to gain support for additional farm to foodbank donations in the upcoming months but fundraising for that sort of community resilience takes local and long-term commitment.
Responding to Change
SNAP has been a vital thread in the fabric of Alaska’s communities supporting families, small farmers, and local economies. As we plan for the impacts on the future of SNAP there are ways we can adapt to the changing tides. AFMA is launching a Community Food Access Fund to help support farmers, food banks, and neighbors in need. The AFMA Market Match program has been taken to the state legislature for continued funding through a Capital Budget Request. This summer the Farmers Market Directory update will highlight all markets accepting SNAP and offering other nutrition incentives. Continued support for food access programs and SNAP doubling will be one of the many threads that hold our communities together.
Learn more about AFMA’s programs and ways to support at alaskafarmersmarkets.org
