The presence and persistence of PFAS contamination in soil, water, and crops is an emerging national issue, and Maine is on the leading edge in the country in learning about PFAS, their impacts on agriculture and human health, and how to address PFAS contamination.
MFT is working closely with the state and many other partners to increase testing, research, and support for Maine farmers who may be impacted by PFAS in Maine, and to advocate for robust state and federal support. Any farm dealing with PFAS contamination can apply to the PFAS Emergency Relief Fund, jointly administered by MFT and MOFGA, to help cover the cost of testing, income replacement, and more.
For more information, download FAQs about PFAS contamination and what to do if you are concerned about contamination on your farm. (English | Spanish)
We’re here to help you navigate PFAS contamination on your farm.
MFT and MOFGA are jointly administering a PFAS emergency relief fund to support any Maine farm dealing with potential per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. The fund has four primary purposes at this time:
This fund is meant to serve as a safety net for farms, providing interim support from initial PFAS testing to when they can access DACF’s longer-term PFAS support programs. Income Replacement Grants and PFAS Testing Grants are now available to eligible farms. Applicants self-identified as Indigenous producers of food and medicine do not need to meet commercial farm eligibility criteria for the PFAS Testing Grants. Wellness grants are available to cover the cost of broadly understood investments in stress relief and mental health.
The PFAS Testing Grants Program, administered by MFT and MOFGA, assists farmers who have concerns regarding potential PFAS contamination. The Program will pay for:
A simple application form will assess eligibility for the program and several farms will be selected upon a weekly review to participate in the program.
Eligibility and prioritization:
We have limited resources and unfortunately may not be able to fund all eligible applications. Award decisions will be made according to available testing program funds, applicant eligibility, and priorities.
Confidentiality:
Test results will need to be shared with MFT or MOFGA as we will seek reimbursement from DEP and DACF for high test results in order to replenish the testing fund for other farmers to access. We will not share this information outside of our organizations, DACF, and DEP.
Process:
If you’d like a paper application, you can download a printable version here, or call Tricia at 207-338-6575.
This fund is intended to holistically support farmers and farm workers impacted by PFAS contamination by providing up to $500 per person to pay for wellness expenses. The Maine PFAS Farmer Wellness Fund was originally launched as a project of the Maine Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (Maine FRSAN) funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) and managed by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension (UMCE). The fund is now managed by MOFGA and partially funded through the PFAS Emergency Fund co-administered by Maine Farmland Trust and MOFGA.
Eligibility and prioritization:
Apply to the wellness fund
El Fondo PFAS de Bienestar para Trabajadores de Agricultura en Maine
Fon PFAs pou Byennèt Kiltivatè nan Maine
We cannot pay the applicant directly for or reimburse any expenses, and will instead directly pay for any services or products applicants request. Please take care to verify the contact information for payment for the service or product before submission.
As farmer wellness is broadly defined, there is a wide range of eligible uses for this fund including therapy, childcare, acupuncture, gift cards to purchase uncontaminated food and/or water, massage, traditional healers, and other supports that would help reduce stress at this time. If testing for PFAS contamination will reduce stress you are experiencing, please see the specific testing fund application above.
All answers on this form are confidential to those administering the fund which includes a limited staff from MFT, MOFGA and UMCE. Once we have followed up with you about your request, you will be enrolled in the program and receive a check for up to $500 based on the amount of your grant request.
Income Replacement Grants replace lost business income for farms that have paused or reduced farm sales due to PFAS contamination. Farms will receive interim support through weekly checks based on their prior farm income, the availability of funds, and the needs of other farms. Meanwhile, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is working to establish its own PFAS Income Replacement Program that will provide long-term funding for this purpose.
The program is open to farms that receive test results that show contamination in water, farm soils, crops or livestock and are referred to us by DACF with the recommendation (from DACF or CDC) that the farm should pause sales pending further analysis.
Farms wishing to participate should take the following steps to enroll:
1. If you have tested for PFAS contamination and received results that indicate high levels, contact Nancy McBrady, bureau director at Maine DACF, nancy.mcbrady@maine.gov, 207-287-7522. If you have not yet tested for PFAS, find information about testing here.
2. After contacting Nancy McBrady, she will provide a referral to MFT and MOFGA, confirming high levels of PFAS contamination and the need to stop sales that will make farmers eligible for the Income Replacement Program.
3. Farm enrollment will be complete when the farm is contacted by a representative from MFT or MOFGA and the following elements are received:
Participants enrolled in the Income Replacement Program are paid bi-weekly through MFT and MOFGA until they begin receiving payments from DACF’s PFAS Income Replacement Program or the fund runs out of money. Participants agree to have their income replacement award deducted from the payment they receive from the Maine Income Replacement Program. That deducted portion of their award from DACF will be used to replenish MFT and MOFGA’s emergency fund that will continue to support contaminated farms.
Farms affected by PFAS contamination have a wide variety of needs to enable financial stability and, where possible, future farm viability. MFT and MOFGA administer funding to cover the upfront costs of infrastructure necessary to farmers’ responses to PFAS contamination while DACF develops longer-term support programs.
Eligibility
Farms who have test results that show contamination in water, farm soils, crops, livestock or products (for water, contamination must be above action threshold), and are referred to us by DACF with the recommendation (from DACF or CDC) that the farm should invest in noted appropriate infrastructure.
Use
Any infrastructure expenses
Process
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals including PFOA, PFOS, and many other chemicals that are very persistent in the environment and in the human body. PFAS have been produced and used in a variety of products and industries since the 1950s, ranging from food packaging to firefighting foam. Studies suggest that these chemicals may have negative effects on the human body.
PFAS enter agricultural soils through a variety of means, including biosolids from municipal sewage and contaminated irrigation water, and from there they may be taken up by plants and then by animals, as well as into the drinking water of farmers. Since PFAS chemicals were widely used, they can still end up in wastewater treatment plants and other waste products from everyday household activities and industrial sources.
The application of residuals (which include industrial waste products and biosolids) on agricultural land was permitted and regulated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) until LD 1911 was passed in May 2022, since these products contain nutrients which can enhance agricultural production. However, residuals may also contain PFAS, especially in the past. Since PFAS are persistent in the environment, the application of residuals decades ago can still impact PFAS levels in the soil today.
Beginning in 2019, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) began testing Maine-produced fluid pasteurized milk to determine the level of one chemical, PFOS, in Maine’s milk supply, since residuals were often applied to dairy farms. Based on the survey results, DACF has high confidence in the safety of Maine-produced milk. However, several individual dairy farms have been found to have elevated levels of PFOS in milk, and are currently working with DACF to address contamination issues. Maine is one of the few states that has established screening levels to assess the level of PFAS contamination for products such as meat and milk (Maine does not yet have screening levels for any plant sources).
Maine DEP has expanded their testing of sites suspected to have PFAS/PFOS based on application of residuals. As testing expands, more and various types of farms are likely to become aware of PFAS contamination, and DACF, MFT, MOFGA and others are working together to be ready to support farms through research and direct assistance to identify alternative production and business strategies. Currently, the DEP has identified roughly 700 sites where residuals have been applied, located in nearly three dozen “Tier 1” towns throughout the state. These sites have been deemed to be at higher risk of contamination, and DEP has begun testing sites at the top of that list. The goal is to test all Tier 1 sites by 2023, and test all sites where residuals have been applied by 2025. More information about the state’s testing process and timeline can be found here.
MFT staff are here to help answer questions and navigate resources related to PFAS. Maine Farmland Trust easement holders can reach out to your land steward anytime or email Hannah Chamberlain at hchamberlain@mainefarmlandtrust.org. You are also welcome to email PFAS-specific questions to pfasinfo@mainefarmlandtrust.org.
If you are concerned about or experiencing PFAS contamination on your farm:
Maine is on the leading edge of learning about and dealing with PFAS, but Maine has a strong core of farm supporters and organizations like MFT that are committed to supporting farmers. That means that Maine is in a strong position to tackle this issue and create effective strategies to support farmers through this crisis. Many organizations are working together with state agencies to respond to the issue.
MFT is working to support farmers and farmland in a variety of ways, including:
MFT is investigating all of the existing state and federal sources of support for farmers confronting or concerned about PFAS contamination. We will be engaging in advocacy efforts to help ensure that farmer needs are addressed. If you would like to hear about opportunities to get involved in the future, please sign up for our email list to receive updates and action alerts.
We’re here to help you move forward. Fill out the form below to get in touch.