Grocery stores serving rural settings are seen as the lifeblood of their communities. But concerns about them closing haven't gone away. Nearly a decade in, Minnesota is providing grants to keep more from disappearing. Through the University of Minnesota Extension, the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships initiative helps these smaller outlets navigate resources.

Since 2017, loans and grants have been available to cover equipment costs and other needs. On the western edge of the state, Bonnie's Hometown Grocery has used state aid to replace refrigerators and pay for roof repairs. Without that support, owner Bonnie Maas doubts they'd still be serving customers.

"We still have a lot of elderly clientele that come up there, and they really have nice access to good food," she explained. "We will deliver if they need it."

She said they continue to work around challenges, pointing out that rising food costs and the popularity of online shopping will keep the pressure up on these independent stores. According to Hunger Solutions, 235,000 Minnesotans live more than ten miles away from a large grocery store or supermarket.

Kathy Draeger, statewide director, University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, said the proliferation of discount stores is another obstacle for smaller grocery stores. Ownership transitions are, too.

"Just like we see an aging population in farmers, we're seeing aging population in rural grocery store owners," she said.

Maas says in her town of Clinton and its population of nearly 400, the grocery store is a place to maintain social connections while stocking up on food.

"It's like the hub of the community, especially Sundays after church," she jested.


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Now that President Donald Trump's big budget bill has been signed into law, Arkansas nonprofits that rely on federal funding to help people in need are trying to figure out how they will continue to serve their clients.

The legislation calls for cutting billions of dollars from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Lance Whitney, advocacy director with Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, said it would cost food banks across the state almost $46 million a year to continue to help those who face food insecurity.

"That does not include the cost of increased capacity needed to serve those individuals," said Whitney, "like in warehouse space, the vehicles the staffing to hand out that, the refrigeration. With those included it would ramp it up to an additional probably $10 million."

Whitney predicted that children, veterans, caregivers, and older adults in Arkansas will suffer the most because of the cuts. Arkansas has the highest food insecurity rate in the nation.

The federal government will start cost-sharing with states for SNAP benefits in 2027. The amount the government contributes to administrative costs will be cut from 50% to 25%, leaving states responsible for 75% of the total cost.

Whitney said state and local governments will have to divert money from other essential services to cover SNAP benefits.

"It can't be ignored when you have people who can't eat, health care that's going down, school lunches that can't be provided for," said Whitney. "So every community, every person in the state of Arkansas - whether you're a SNAP recipient or a Medicaid recipient, or just a community person - you're going to have a challenge with this."

The legislation expands work requirements for older adults and parents with children age seven and older.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, that could take food assistance away from more than three million adults a month.





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Oregon lawmakers would have to find an extra $850 million in the state budget starting in 2028 to cover cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill just signed by President Donald Trump.

Alex Aghdaei, policy analyst and outreach coordinator with Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, said the bill is projected to cause an estimated 100,000 Oregonians to lose SNAP coverage by 2034.

He said policymakers will face some hard choices going forward.

"We believe that there is no other option than to find the funding," said Aghdaei, "because our state simply cannot abandon the one-in-eight of all Oregonians that rely on this program to feed their families."

Aghdaei added that the bill makes more people subject to a work requirement, even though 83% of Oregon Trail Card users are already employed.

It also requires people to verify their eligibility more often, and it cuts the amount the federal government reimburses for the administrative costs of SNAP.

Aghdaei said low-income families will face similar paperwork obstacles to maintain coverage under the Oregon Health Plan because of huge cuts to Medicaid.

"Make no mistake, this bill will kill," said Aghdaei. "The level of cuts that the SNAP program will experience, in addition to Medicaid and other essential services, is frankly unheard of, and the impact in Oregon will stretch far across the state."

The legislature just concluded its 2-year session, but lawmakers will begin to address these issues in the short session next February.





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When North Dakotans head to farmers markets this summer, they might want to see which ones accept SNAP benefits, as the state is enhancing a search tool so that those eligible can stock up on fruits and vegetables.

EBT cards distributed through SNAP are now accepted at thousands of farmers markers across the country. North Dakota's agriculture department has updated its online Local Foods Map to indicate which locations within the state are part of the SNAP network.

Keith Knudson, executive director of the North Dakota Farmers Market and Growers Association, said it is another way to improve access to healthy food.

"We're seeing a lot more of those farmers markets in rural areas where we have issues with not having enough fresh vegetables in the community," Knudson explained.

He pointed out small town grocery stores have struggled to stay open and if those new rural farmers markets accept SNAP, program recipients have a dedicated source of fresh food for the season. Knudsen note it has been hard for some operators to implement SNAP payment systems but added the program is making improvements. On the updated map, a yellow star shows which markets are SNAP sites.

EBT users visiting farmers markets can stretch their benefits further through incentives. The "Double Up" option provides a dollar-for-dollar match for purchases of fruits and vegetables, meaning low-income residents can load up without depleting their account.

Doug Goehring, North Dakota's agriculture commissioner, hopes the feature boosts awareness and activity.

"Once they know that, maybe they'll seek them out, and it'll encourage more and more people to consider going down that road," Goehring stressed.

Agriculture leaders said increased program activity not only helps the SNAP recipient but also the local vendors by expanding their customer base.


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