by According to Anita Bassey, a rising senior at McCormick, she visits the Evanston Farmers’ Market in Downtown Evanston on Saturdays during the summer months to purchase a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, and fresh juices. This market is her primary source of grocery shopping.
According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, Bassey is one of the nearly 1.9 million people in the state of Illinois who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to make purchases of food.
There is currently a danger to SNAP.
One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a budget reconciliation bill that introduced comprehensive reductions to many federal assistance programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4.
“I am completely and utterly terrified,” Bassey stated. “I am extremely aggrieved. SNAP is for me. I spend the money that is allotted to me on a monthly basis.
The bill includes a number of provisions, one of which is that it will change the work requirements for those who are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which includes veterans, the elderly, and those who are homeless. Additionally, the bill will shift the burden of program costs onto the states.
During the next ten years, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill will result in a loss of $267 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) across the country.
Bassey makes her purchases of produce from the farmers’ market through the Link Match program offered by Link Up Illinois, which is a community-oriented nonprofit organization based in Chicago called Experimental Station.
It is possible for markets to match, dollar for dollar, what a customer intends to spend on SNAP benefits through the use of Link Match.
“It’s just incredible that they are able to double… according to Bassey, “how much you pay with your (electronic benefits transfer)” “This allows me to explore items that are based in the community without completely emptying my bank account.”
When asked about the benefits of Link Match, Todd Nichols, a farm manager whose company has sold its products at the Evanston Farmers’ Market for all but three years of the market’s fifty-year history, stated that the program is beneficial to both the recipients and the vendors.
Nichols is the proprietor of Farm and Orchard, a farm located in Marengo that specializes in growing a wide range of fruits and vegetables, particularly apples.
According to Nichols, “for every dollar that somebody is using on their Link card, they are getting [two] dollars at the market.” When compared to shopping at a grocery store, the cost of attendance at a farmer’s market is typically higher. Therefore, it eliminates that disparity for individuals who are unable to afford it.
If the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are reduced, Nichols is concerned not only about his customers but also about an increase in the amount of food that is wasted. He also mentioned that everything that he is unable to sell is thrown into the compost pile.
On the other hand, Link Match vouchers can only be used for the purchase of fruits and vegetables, whereas SNAP dollars can be spent on virtually any type of food at the grocery store. In total, there are 125 farmer’s markets across the state that participate in the program, including the one in Evanston.
These benefits, according to Katie Horwitz Martinez, an employee of the city who is responsible for the management of the market, SNAP vouchers, and Link Match vouchers, are essential for certain residents of Evanston living in Evanston.
The statement that she made was that “we have a lot of people who come every single week.” “It is making it possible for people to purchase fruits and vegetables that they otherwise would not have been able to purchase.”
According to the 2024 Food Access Report published by Experimental Station, SNAP recipients in the state of Illinois spent more than $1.47 million on fresh produce in 2024 using Link Match.
In spite of the recently passed budget reconciliation bill, Link Match continues to receive funding from a grant that has not been diminished. As a consequence of this, the effects of the reductions in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would be concentrated at the local level.
Kate Gurke, the manager of the Link Up Illinois Farm Direct Program, stated that if the federal government were to reduce the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), it would have repercussions for the economy as well as for the public’s health.
Gurke stated, “I don’t think there is any world in which this is a positive outcome for anyone,” and he was making this statement.
It is possible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to act as an economic multiplier for farmers all over the country, in addition to those who rely on SNAP benefits to eat.
A study conducted by the USDA in 2019 found that for every dollar spent on SNAP, up to two dollars have the potential to generate economic activity and revenue.
According to Gurke, “It is certainly removing a sector of people who go to markets — that they decide to go elsewhere with their the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.” “A significant number of our numerous established markets, each of which has a consistent group of SNAP customers, will most likely experience a decline.”
In addition to being a farmer and a vendor for Henry’s Farm, Henry Brockman was one of the many sellers who expressed concern that the reduction in SNAP benefits could put their ability to maintain a local presence in the market at risk.
According to Brockman, “Everything that is purchased from me is going into my local community rather than into the large global food chain.” “The best option is to remain at home. Because I pay my employees both on the farm and here at the market, I am able to keep all of my businesses within the community.
