Ace Food Desk – Farmers Markets Join Push for Delay in USDA SNAP Rule By Rebekah Alvey for Civil Eats: Published November 9, 2026

Federal updates took effect last week, detailing what stores accepting federal food-assistance dollars must stock, despite outstanding questions and concerns from small grocers and farmers’ markets. 

On Wednesday, a rule took effect that updates stocking standardsfor stores that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The rule, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in May, requires these stores to double the amount of foods offered, with seven varieties of items under the protein, grains, dairy and produce categories. 

In recent weeks, lawmakers and advocacy groups have urged the USDA to delay the rule’s implementation date, citing outstanding questions about how the rule applies to farmers markets and whether it could hurt small bodegas and convenience stores. 

Most big-box grocery chains are unaffected by the rule. But it presents a challenge for smaller retailers that may not have the resources to significantly increase what items they stock or store. 

In August, more than 200 convenience stores wrote to urge the USDA to delay the rule by six months. This was followed by a request from several Senate Republicans in September and a push from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who noted some of the 10,000 bodegas and corner stores in the city with limited space could lose their SNAP authorization. 

But even more recently, farmers’ markets became aware they need to comply with the new standards. In a letter to the USDA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) and other farmers’ market advocates said markets need more clarity on the rule and whether they are required to comply. 

When a retailer applies to become SNAP authorized, they submit information about stocking and sales of staple food items. This information is used to determine the retailer’s criterion, but an individual retailer or market is often unaware of how it is classified, said Hannah Quigley, a policy specialist at NSAC. 

Retailers classified as Criterion A must comply with the new standards, while those set as Criterion B do not. Most farmers’ markets fall under the latter category, but not all. 

Quigley said about 47 markets in Wisconsin are listed as Criterion A, for example, and would need to follow the new stocking requirements. Some markets in Louisiana also fall under this umbrella as well. But Quigley said the full scope is uncertain, and the group has submitted a request to USDA to get the full number of markets listed in Criterion A. 

She added they are also unclear whether and how markets will be notified that they must comply with the standards, or whether a grace period will allow those markets to update information before potentially losing SNAP authorization. 

The USDA put out guidance on Nov. 4, the day the rule took effect, explaining that most markets fall under Criterion B and would not be required to follow the standards. But Quigley said this didn’t address the questions and concerns from markets that may be under the other category. 

Farmers markets would find it difficult to meet the new stocking requirements because they are often limited to varying agricultural offerings in each state or region. Louisiana, for example, has a limited number of dairies, and farmers’ markets could struggle to meet the new dairy stocking standard. 

Some markets are also based in more rural areas and have fewer vendors. 

“To try to apply the rules as a blanket can be tough,” Quigley said. 

Farmers’ markets can be a vital source of fresh produce and food for communities. And through state programs, SNAP shoppers can often get more benefits when purchasing food at farmers’ markets.

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