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.

Help MOFGA Respond to the PFAS Crisis

MOFGA staff are working across departments to offer up-to-date, reliable and responsive answers and resources to address members of our community impacted by PFAS contamination. This includes pushing for legislative action, offering one-on-one support for farmers, collaborating with partners to conduct research and advance our understanding of the issue, and providing direct financial support to affected farms. Click the button below to donate to MOFGA’s work on PFAS in Maine. Thank you for your support!

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.

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