USDA Food Access

SNAP participation, food insecurity indicators, and agricultural statistics

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What it can do

    What data it sees

    Do you need an account

    No: the server works without sign-in

    SNAP participation, food insecurity indicators, and agricultural statistics

    How to connect

    How to connect USDA Food Access to Claude

    The server address to paste into Claude settings:

    https://mcp.olyport.com/usda-food/mcp

    1. Open Claude (claude.ai or the desktop app).
    2. Go to Settings → Connectors.
    3. Click Add custom connector.
    4. Paste the server address copied below into Remote MCP server URL and click Add.
    5. In a chat, click + → Connectors and switch the new connector on.

    Custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans (Free is limited to one). On Team and Enterprise an organization Owner adds the connector first under Organization settings → Connectors.

    Authorization

    After you click Add, a sign-in window for the service opens. Sign in with your own account and approve access. Claude never sees your password.

    How to connect USDA Food Access to ChatGPT

    The server address to paste into ChatGPT settings:

    https://mcp.olyport.com/usda-food/mcp

    1. Open ChatGPT in a browser (chatgpt.com). A Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu plan is required.
    2. Turn on developer mode once: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → Developer mode.
    3. Open Settings → Connectors and click Create.
    4. Fill in the form: Name (anything), Description (one line about what the service does), MCP server URL (copy it below).
    5. Under Authentication choose OAuth if the service requires sign-in, otherwise None. Click Create.
    6. In a new chat open + → Apps/Connectors and enable the connector.

    OpenAI has renamed this section before (Connectors → Apps/Plugins). If the label differs, search settings for "developer mode". On Business/Enterprise workspaces an admin must allow custom connectors first.

    Authorization

    On first use ChatGPT opens the service's sign-in window. Sign in and approve access.

    How to connect USDA Food Access to Cursor

    The server address to paste into Cursor settings:

    https://mcp.olyport.com/usda-food/mcp

    Fastest: click Open in Cursor below and confirm the prompt.

    Manually:

    1. In Cursor open Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP and click Add new global MCP server.
    2. Paste the JSON copied below into ~/.cursor/mcp.json (per project: .cursor/mcp.json in the repo root).
    3. Save the file. The server appears in the MCP list; authorize it there if asked.

    Authorization

    If the service needs sign-in, an authorize button appears next to the server in the MCP list.

    Server tool list (4)

    Raw names from tools/list. Only developers need these.

    get_snap_participationGet SNAP/food stamp household participation by county using Census ACS Table B22001. Returns the number and percentage of households receiving vs not receiving SNAP/food stamp benefits, broken down by county. Essential for understanding food assistance utilization in grant target areas. Args: state: Two-letter state abbreviation (e.g. 'WA', 'MS') or 2-digit FIPS code. county_fips: Three-digit county FIPS code (e.g. '033' for King County, WA). Omit to get all counties in the state. year: ACS 5-year estimate year (default 2022). Data covers year-4 through year.
    get_food_insecurity_indicatorsGet food-related economic indicators as proxies for food insecurity by county. Combines SNAP participation rate (B22001), poverty rate (B17001), and median household income (B19013) to build a food insecurity risk profile. Higher SNAP rates, higher poverty, and lower income correlate with greater food insecurity. Useful for grant narratives demonstrating community need. Args: state: Two-letter state abbreviation (e.g. 'WA', 'MS') or 2-digit FIPS code. county_fips: Three-digit county FIPS code (e.g. '033' for King County, WA). Omit to get all counties in the state. year: ACS 5-year estimate year (default 2022). Data covers year-4 through year.
    get_food_environmentGet county-level food access risk profiles using Census ACS data. Constructs food access risk profiles by combining vehicle access (B25044), poverty status (B17001), and SNAP participation (B22001). Limited vehicle access combined with high poverty indicates food desert risk. Useful for identifying areas with barriers to food access in grant applications. Args: state: Two-letter state abbreviation (e.g. 'WA', 'MS') or 2-digit FIPS code. county_fips: Three-digit county FIPS code (e.g. '033' for King County, WA). Omit to get all counties in the state.
    get_agricultural_dataGet USDA NASS QuickStats data on agricultural production by state. Returns crop values, production quantities, and farm statistics from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Useful for understanding local food production capacity in grant narratives. Args: state: Two-letter state abbreviation (e.g. 'WA', 'IA'). commodity: Agricultural commodity to query (e.g. 'CORN', 'SOYBEANS', 'WHEAT', 'CATTLE', 'MILK'). Omit to get a broad survey of crops. year: Year for data (e.g. 2022). Omit to get the most recent available data.