A fourth-generation farmer running an organic dairy farm in Fairfield lost his livelihood when his milk and lands tested hot for PFAS contamination. ‘It got us good.’
Maine agriculture
Posted inLocal & State
Cost of helping farmers manage PFAS is rising, now at $81 million
A five-year plan to help farmers includes $37 million for direct financial support, $25 million to buy contaminated farms, $11 million for agricultural research, and $7 million on medical testing and monitoring.
advertisement
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Lawmakers move to delay start of first-in-the-nation PFAS law
A legislative committee has endorsed a bill to delay the deadline for reporting the presence of PFAS in products sold in Maine.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Businesses ask lawmakers to relax state PFAS ban
They say the new law is well-intentioned but too broad, too aggressive and too costly for them to follow. Environmental groups are calling on state legislators to defend the PFAS law as it stands.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State
Ranchers and farmers in Maine face bottleneck getting meat products to consumers
Bill in U.S. Senate could make it easier to sell meats locally; owners of a mid-sized ranch offer their views, concerns.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
State considers $5.5 million bailout for Maine dairy industry
Over the last 2 years, Maine has lost a quarter of its dairy farms to runaway electricity, fuel and fertilizer costs, and skyrocketing interest rates. Only 161 remain in operation.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State
Maine lawmakers asked to crack down on ‘grass-fed’ beef label
Farmers say they spend extra time and money raising cattle strictly on grass, and mislabeling cheats them and people who are paying extra for something they’re not getting.
Posted inLocal & State
From Maine to California, the solution to sludge disposal is not settled
In fact, the approach in Maine – banning the spread on farmland because of PFAS risks – directly opposes the tack by eco-conscious California. Here’s how the science is evolving.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State
Ban on pesticides with PFAS feeds concern about unintended impacts
Some Maine farmers, including some of its 300 certified organic farmers, worry they soon won’t be able to defend their crops from pests, said Julie Ann Smith of the Maine Farm Bureau.
Posted inLocal & State
New research lab could give Maine an edge in fight against PFAS contamination chemicals
The University of Maine plans to create a lab to support research that could help farmers with contaminated soils and crops.