Public Policy Blog
Stay up to date with MOFGA's policy work.
MOFGA’s policy blog provides updates on various issues and policy initiatives that we’re tackling at local, state, national and, occasionally, international levels.
Please Help Protect Organic Cost Share
The 2018 Farm Bill expired on September 30, 2023. Rather than passing a new Farm Bill in 2023, Congress extended the Farm Bill for one year. September 30, 2024 has come and gone! Without Congressional action, core organic programs, including the Organic Certification Cost Share Program, will expire too, leaving thousands of organic farmers with
2024 Legislative Update: MOFGA Remains a Vital Voice in Augusta
MOFGA worked till the end of this past legislative session to advocate for farmers and sustainable growing practices in the capital in Augusta. The political climate was very challenging as the branches of government feuded over priorities. Throughout it all, MOFGA spoke with a clear voice calling for agricultural resilience in the face of market
Urge Your Members of Congress to Support the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act
Please help us shore up support for the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act, a bill in Congress that directs the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a grant program to help states and other entities address PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination on agricultural land and commercial farms. Maine’s congressional delegation is
Urge USDA Support For Organic Dairy Farms
Does this photo warm your heart? If so, it’s probably because dairy farms are the beating pulse of Maine’s agricultural landscape. While this adorable young farmer appears to have everything under control, the picture for Maine dairies is not so sweet, and organic dairy farms are struggling especially hard. Maine state and federal agencies are
EPA Fails to Regulate PFAS Under the Clean Water ActÂ
In Maine we have seen firsthand the effect of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination of farmland on farmers. As of January 2024, at least 59 Maine farms, both conventional and organic, have been found to be contaminated with PFAS. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) has shifted our work to aid farmers
FDA Falls Short in Regulating PFAS in Food
The chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continue to emerge as contaminants in agriculture. Maine farms, conventional and organic, are increasingly testing water, soil and crops to determine if PFAS contamination exists. Meaningful change will require swift federal action. Large corporations have created this problem across the United States and the rest of
Food Assistance and Conservation Programs Need Your Support in the Next Farm Bill
We are calling on Congress to pass a farm bill that maintains the $20 Billion Inflation Reduction Act funding for conservation programming. The four main conservation programs funded by the IRA support climate-smart organic practices such as cover cropping and conservation crop rotation, practices that build soil health and increase crop yields. The results amount
2023 State Legislation
Bills That MOFGA Followed In The 2023 Maine Legislative Session Below is a summary of the state legislation that MOFGA focused on in 2023. Appropriations Bill # Title Summaries MOFGA Position MOFGA Testimony Status LD 258 Governor Mills’ Supplemental Budget Budget appropriations for fiscal years ending June 30, 2023, June 30, 2024 and June 30,
MOFGA Public Policy Updates
As the winter 2023-2024 issue of The Maine Organic Farmer and Gardener goes to press, unprecedented geopolitical events are creating new and daunting challenges for our work to create a food system that is fair and healthy for everyone. The world’s food and agriculture systems show the effects of war, famine, industrial pollution, disease, weather
