In rural Pennsylvania, we understand the meaning of community. We care for the land and value hard work, but most of all, we look out for our neighbors. Congress’s proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will not be cutting an “entitlement” program; it will be cutting off our friends, neighbors and family members from the food they need to feed their children and protect their well-being. While this action may be seen as inconsequential by politicians in Washington, DC, these cuts would have a real impact in rural agricultural communities like mine.

While SNAP is often framed as a program that just benefits urban communities, in actuality, rural areas have higher rates of SNAP usage per capita. Food insecurity used to be a critical and widespread issue in the United States, but SNAP funding has helped the country fight hunger for decades. The proposed cuts to this program will roll back the clock on one of the few things that have improved in the past 50 years. Children, seniors and veterans all rely on SNAP to get the nutrition they both need and deserve.

Not only will cutting SNAP directly affect rural communities in the ways mentioned, but it will also have many unintended consequences. Farmers and grocers depend on SNAP because those same SNAP dollars give local communities the means to buy the produce and canned goods that our rural markets sell. When our representatives already know that farms and grocery stores run on tight margins, how could they possibly cut SNAP? It doesn’t take an economist to foresee the ripple effect that will harm our already fragile rural economies. As President of the Pennsylvania Grange, I have to put my foot down and maintain the Grange’s long-standing commitment to both American agriculture and our rural communities’ overall well-being.

Pennsylvania has a long history of protecting farmers and rural values, but it appears things are changing for the worse. It is imperative that Senator McCormick and other members of the Keystone State’s congressional delegation stand with rural Pennsylvania and oppose these harmful cuts. This decision shouldn’t be political. Supporting farmers and ensuring food security should be a priority for both Democrats and Republicans. Not only is it helping the impoverished, but it is also protecting the traditional backbone of this country.

We can’t claim to support rural communities like ours while turning a blind eye to hunger on our back roads and farms. Access to food is an essential part of maintaining strong, healthy communities. As President of the Pennsylvania State Grange, I must urge Congress to reject the proposed SNAP cuts and instead invest in policies that help families, farmers and rural economies thrive together. We can only have a strong harvest if it begins with a well-fed community.

Matt Espenshade is the President of the Pennsylvania State Grange.