An Interview with Dr. Rachel Criswell Back in December of 2021, Maine was rocked by the discovery of “forever chemicals” on farmlands. The issue of contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a large group of man-made chemicals used in consumer goods for their stain- and water-resistant qualities, had been bubbling to the surface since 2014, when
Across the country livestock are being sickened and crops are being poisoned by the scourge of farmland contaminated by PFAS chemicals. A farm in Texas had its cows and horses unexplainably die after the farm spread contaminated sludge processed by Synagro that was being marketed as fertilizer. A farmer in Michigan was informed by the
MOFGA continues as a national leader on the PFAS crisis The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) announced today its Notice of Intent (NOI) to sue the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failure to regulate the land application of sludge contaminated with PFAS chemicals under the Clean Water Act. Farmers across Maine
The National podcast FoodPrint recently released a new episode featuring MOFGA staff Sarah Alexander, executive director and Caleb Goossen, organic crop and conservation specialist. The episode, titled PFAS: The ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Your Food, features the discovery of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on Maine farmland and the work being done in the state to
The Senate and House Agriculture Committees of Congress are well into discussions on the 2023 Farm Bill, the country’s enormous spending package that strives to secure our nation’s food supply, support our farmers, and protect the natural resources on which our food and agriculture systems depend. It’s difficult to comprehend the scope and size of
When the ubiquity of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl) chemical contamination of farmland in Maine made headlines last winter, MOFGA jumped into action. Partnering with the Maine Farmland Trust (MFT), MOFGA created the PFAS Emergency Relief Fund and provided much needed financial assistance to farmers irrevocably impacted by PFAS contamination, developed farmer programs to offer technical
MOFGA and Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) are jointly administering a PFAS emergency relief fund to support any Maine farm dealing with potential per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. This fund is meant to serve as a safety net for farms. It provides funding for initial PFAS testing on farms that choose to do their own
The discovery of forever chemicals (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS) in the Maine agricultural landscape over the last several years has led to a significant amount of information coming to light about the state of Maine’s sanctioning and licensing of biosolids applications over decades. For producers who have come to Maine to start
Interview by Holli Cederholm Introduction Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or forever chemicals as they’re often referred to, are not new. And neither is the contamination of land, water, food and even human bodies by these persistent chemicals. PFAS, distinguished by incredibly strong carbon-fluorine bonds that do not easily degrade in the environment, were invented
On March 31, Erin French of The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine, announced the opening of the restaurant’s 2022 reservation system with a special fundraising effort to support local farmers dealing with PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) contamination. Through French’s encouragement over the last month, over 25,000 people have donated more than $950,000 to the
