SNAP-Ed is a federally funded program that helps people learn how to be physically active and cook healthy meals. The program also helps people use their food assistance benefits, known as SNAP, more efficiently. But the SNAP-Ed program has been cut in this year’s massive budget bill, along with record cuts to SNAP itself. WMRA’s Ayse Pirge reports.
A big chunk of the average American diet is made up of ultra-processed foods, including salty snacks out of a bag, or fast food. And these types of meals can lack nutritional value. But a program under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, was designed to educate Americans about healthier eating habits.
MATT PAYSOUR: We provided direct nutrition education programs and then, we also offer like “Train the Trainer” programs, where we work with teachers in K-12 schools, afterschool programs, fruit pantries and train volunteers how to deliver nutrition education.
Until recently, Matt Paysour was a SNAP-Ed Extension Agent, based in the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Charlottesville-Albemarle office. He also served Greene, Nelson, Fluvanna and Louisa Counties. Paysour was part of the Cooperative Extension’s Family Nutrition Program, and that––
PAYSOUR: …was funded 85 percent by SNAP-Ed. So, with the loss of that funding it’s going to affect our staffing and our programming going forward. We’re still working out the full details of this.
Paysour says there are 12 SNAP-Ed Extension Agents across the state. But he thinks that those positions, which are funded up until December, are likely to go away due to the cuts in the so-called “One Big Beautiful Act” signed into law by President Trump in July. Paysour also points to Nutrition Education Facilitators, who are more responsible for direct nutrition education, such as working with kids in afterschool programs. Paysour says it’s uncertain how many of them will remain after the cuts.
PAYSOUR: Considering that we have been told, one, there’s a lot of funding uncertainty around our positions in the future, and that we have I think unofficial approval to continue our positions up until December. I think the goal was for everyone to find another spot to land.
One of Paysour’s colleagues has already left, and Paysour himself accepted another position with a local food pantry. He expected to start his new position the week after we spoke.
The remaining 15% of the Family Nutrition Program’s budget was funded by another federal nutrition education program, known as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, or EFNEP. Paysour says this funding remains, which means there will still be some nutrition education programming available through the Virginia Cooperative Extension. But he says it is likely to be scaled back significantly due to the budget cuts.
Paysour says the important thing about SNAP-Ed is that it existed in pretty much every county across the state, and in spite of claims by some Republicans, was unique in its ability to educate people about healthy eating.
PAYSOUR: In the draft budget of the House bill it mentioned that the SNAP-Ed program was duplicative. I would disagree with that. There are a lot of places across the state of Virginia where there is no other organization doing the kind of programming that we were doing with our participants.
He says in their community partnership with a local food pantry, they were able to apply for grants together and do nutrition education demonstrations with––
PAYSOUR: … a toaster oven and an induction burner and a skillet and cooking equipment that we bought with this grant funding.
Paysour says one survey showed that around 86% of the participants in the nutrition education demonstrations at the pantry said they were more likely to select the ingredients used in those recipe demonstrations. He also points to research that shows how effective recipe kits are in promoting healthy eating.
Jon Henry is the owner of Jon Henry General Store in New Market. They partner with a program called Virginia Fresh Match, which allows SNAP recipients to buy more fruits and vegetables at stores or farmers markets across the state.
He says they will feel the loss of the SNAP-Ed program because the store was assigned an extension agent who would come to the store on Fridays in the summer and in the fall and do educational programming with all of their customers.
HENRY: …so you don’t have to be receiving SNAP benefits to get any of her education, information. You can also like schedule like one-on-one dietitinary advice from her along with some like short advice and demos on like simple exercise movements… And then also the nice thing about the SNAP education office is that they created and produced a lot of like passive education information. So like print-outs, nutrition guides, recipe books so we could have those in stores on the shelves and that was like really really popular.
Henry says the loss of funding will mean a major loss for these programs.
HENRY: It would be a lot to rebuild and redo. People found it much more trustworthy or valuable that they came from SNAP education and that they were USDA tested and approved. Really nice synergy that would happen between us and them.
For now, the cuts to SNAP-Ed will mean fewer opportunities for nutrition education programs in Virginia.
