Most Maine farms with forever chemicals are still in business

Most Maine farms affected by fertilizer sludge containing forever chemicals remain in production, members of the state fund charged with aiding them said on Thursday.
Farmers can use fields for different crops that do not take up the contaminants as readily or plant less resilient crops in fields not treated with forever chemicals, they said.
The almost 50 farmers and environment advocates attending a public feedback session on how the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee has operated in its first six months were largely supportive of the state’s efforts to help farmers whose land or water had been contaminated by per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Those chemicals were contained in sludge that was spread commonly as fertilizer in the 1990s and 2000s. PFAS, which does not readily break down in the environment, has been linked to health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, hormone suppression and cancer when ingested
“We know certain crops take up more PFAS than others, so land that may not be suitable for one use is perfectly suitable for something else. And not every field was spread with sludge,” Beth Valentine, director of the state’s PFAS Fund, told in-person and online participants in a public comment session Thursday held by the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee. “So by screening and evaluating the situation we can get further guidance.”
The committee was established by the Maine Legislature to recommend use of the $60 million it appropriated for commercial farmers affected by PFAS. Since the fund went into effect in March 2024, it has disbursed $2.25 million, mostly as income replacement for farmers. Some 78 Maine farms had soil or water levels of PFAS that registered above a level of concern as of July, although production may continue on them, Valentine said.
The committee also set up a process for interested parties to buy PFAS-contaminated land and launched a $3 million research grant program. Adam Nordell, who owned and operated Songbird Farm in Unity with his partner, Johanna Davis, sold the farm earlier this year to Maine Farmland Trust to conduct research on it.
Nordell and Davis had been growing 4 acres of vegetables and 15 acres of grains on their 45-acre organic farm for about half a decade until 2021, when they discovered that their soils, well water and their own blood showed high concentrations of PFAS.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention ran blood tests on Nordell and Davis that showed they had estimated PFAS levels at around 250 times the level of the average American. The well water tested at 400 times the state’s recommended threshold for contamination.
The trust said at the time that it wants to attract research partners interested in exploring the effects of PFAS contamination on agricultural production and soil remediation.
Nordell lauded the committee for its programs, and asked that it fund blood tests for farmers affected by PFAS, something the PFAS Fund is considering in 2025 along with a mental health program that will include counseling, peer support and a 24/7 hotline.
“The fact that so few impacted farms have been forced to close here is a testament to the vision of the Legislature and the governor, as well as the focus work of the DACF [Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry], the perseverance of the advocacy community and the bravery of impacted farmers,” Nordell said. “Please, please move rapidly to offer blood serum testing, full medical monitoring and PFAS-related healthcare.”
Lori Valigra is an investigative environment reporter for the BDN’s Maine Focus team. She may be reached at [email protected]. Support for this reporting is provided by the Unity Foundation, a fund at the Maine Community Foundation, and donations by BDN readers.