This newsletter will be a doozy. I've been meaning to sit down and write more about the current PFAS tragedy unfolding in Maine's farm community. Every time I've sat down to write it, words have failed because honestly the problem seems so great - so so much larger than the Maine farming community in that PFAS chemicals are everywhere and so acutely devastating to the farms affected, I feel powerless to help. Even understanding the problem and the scope of it's impacts feels elusive as there is still so much we don't know about PFAS chemicals. If you don't know what I'm talking about, please take some time to read what MOFGA and the state of Maine have published about the issue: https://www.mofga.org/news/the-legacy-of-pfas-in-agriculture/ and https://www.maine.gov/dep/spills/topics/pfas/
Anyway as it stands now, several Maine farms (many of whom we know personally), are in a state of horrifying limbo. To protect the health of the public, they have pulled their products effectively ending all of their own personal income, while the companies that manufacture these chemicals and the local companies responsible for their continued spread carry on without punishment. Farms that are found to be contaminated with PFAS face down tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars of testing just to determine if they can continue to farm. Not to mention that several of them have been consuming PFAS and now know that they and their children have very high rates of PFAS in their bodies. I'm horrified, saddened, and so so angry for them.
So what are we going to do about it - here's your call to action:
1) We're going to raise money for the Emergency PFAS relief fund being administered by Maine Farmland Trust and MOFGA to provide:
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To provide short-term income replacement for farms that the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) has identified as having high test results.
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To help pay for initial PFAS testing on farms that choose to do their own testing.
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To support access to mental health services for impacted farmers.
Harvest Tide will match all donations, and will be collecting them through our online platform. Please consider donating along with your share this week, and know we will match dollar for dollar donations there. Or if you prefer, donate directly here: Donate Directly Here
2)Call your legislators to demand the passage of these two bills:
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Other quick farm updates:
We are nearly 100% sold out for our brand spanking new Spring Shares - Sign-up ASAP to reserve your share (seriously there are only like 15 left!) Sign-up here: https://www.harvie.farm/farm/harvest-tide-organics/signup
Summer shares are also open! If you have not yet signed up and were not auto-renewed you can sign-up here: https://www.harvie.farm/farm/harvest-tide-organics/signup
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