MOFGA PFAS Resources
PFAS and Agriculture
The chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely used since the 1950s in products ranging from food packaging to fire fighting foam. PFAS have recently been recognized as contaminants in agriculture and are believed to largely be entering soil through the application of biosolids, industrial sludges and ashes, which may contain these compounds that are difficult to break down.
Over the past few years, PFAS have emerged as a growing contaminant of concern for the food supply in Maine and elsewhere.
- Read more about the impact of PFAS on farmers in Maine and donate to the safety net for growers impacted by these chemicals.Â
- Read MOFGA’s PFAS Frequently Asked Questions document.
- Find a list of PFAS related services provided by MOFGA and Maine Farmland Trust through the PFAS Emergency Fund.
- Find detailed information and resources to help navigate potential PFAS contamination concerns on your farm here.
Help MOFGA Respond to the PFAS Crisis
More PFAS Resources
MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center is located in the towns of Unity and Thorndike, both of which are listed as Tier 1 towns on Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for priority testing for PFAS contamination. The land that we steward has no record of biosolids application to our knowledge. The health and safety of our staff and broader community remain our top priority and as a result we performed tests for PFAS contamination on the wells on our campus in early 2022. All of our wells that provide water to the general public tested as non-detects for PFAS and are safe to use. One well, which supplies our Annex office space, which is remote from our main office, tested above the state contamination thresholds and we are working with the Department of Environmental Protection to identify the source and mitigate exposure in that office. That well is not connected in any way to our public water source for the fair or the central office.