#mainefarmers — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #mainefarmers, aggregated by home.social.
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So, when the time comes, our #Farmer friends already have #Pitchforks!
With tractor parade, Maine farmers protest #USDA cuts that could leave many in debt
by Eesha Pendharkar
Wed, April 16, 2025 at 4:12 PM EDT"Steve Sinisi of Old Crow Ranch in Durham was among dozens of farmers who paraded through the streets of Augusta on Wednesday on tractors bearing signs like 'Support Farmers, Not #Billionaires' and '#CompostTrump.'
"The more than 100 farmers and supporters were there to protest the millions of dollars in federal cuts to agricultural grants and programs and raise awareness about the impacts they would have on their farms and livelihoods."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/tractor-parade-maine-farmers-protest-201230864.html
#FarmersAgainstFascism #BadDOGE #FarmersResist #MaineFarmers #TractorParade #MaineResists #CompostTheRich
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So, when the time comes, our #Farmer friends already have #Pitchforks!
With tractor parade, Maine farmers protest #USDA cuts that could leave many in debt
by Eesha Pendharkar
Wed, April 16, 2025 at 4:12 PM EDT"Steve Sinisi of Old Crow Ranch in Durham was among dozens of farmers who paraded through the streets of Augusta on Wednesday on tractors bearing signs like 'Support Farmers, Not #Billionaires' and '#CompostTrump.'
"The more than 100 farmers and supporters were there to protest the millions of dollars in federal cuts to agricultural grants and programs and raise awareness about the impacts they would have on their farms and livelihoods."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/tractor-parade-maine-farmers-protest-201230864.html
#FarmersAgainstFascism #BadDOGE #FarmersResist #MaineFarmers #TractorParade #MaineResists #CompostTheRich
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'This is our best option:' #Maine farmers turn to #SolarEnergy due to #contaminated fields
Story by Brad Rogers
7/25/2024ARUNDEL (WGME) – "#PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, have been nothing short of disastrous for hundreds of #Mainefarmers.
"It's ruined their land, made their cattle, milk and eggs unsafe to eat and left many farmers with serious health problems.
"'This farm has been in our family since 1914,' #FredStone, whose #Arundel farm was contaminated with PFAS, said.
"Stone was a third-generation dairy farmer in Arundel until forever chemicals were discovered in his fields, #WellWater, cows and milk.
"The pollution came from spreading #wastewater #sludge on his farm after the state told him it was safe.
"#MaineDEP has identified more than 500 sites where sludge was applied to farmland as #fertilizer.
"In 2017, Stone was the first farmer in the state to have his dairy farm and his pasture shut down due to #PFAScontamination.
"To make up for it, the state offered to buy his farm, but he refused to walk away.
"'We’re not in the farm selling or land selling business,' Stone said. 'Given what options we had left, that brought us to the solar thing.'
"He's been working with #WaldenRenewables to build a solar array on 100 acres of his contaminated farm.
"'It's their best alternative, but for some of these landowners, it's hard to kind of accept the change that they're facing,' Dale Knapp of Walden Renewables said. 'This is an injection of revenue that they desperately need.'
"This week, the Maine Public Utilities Commission [#MainePUC] approved new rules, paving the way for solar development on PFAS-polluted farms.
"'The Act provides that the commission must give a primary preference to projects that are located on contaminated lands,' Carrie Gilbert of the Maine PUC Commission said.
"'This is our best option,' Stone said. 'So reluctantly, very reluctantly I guess, that’s what we ended up having to do.'
"Stone plans to sign a 30-year lease for the solar array.
"After that, his farm may still be contaminated with forever chemicals, but 30 years is a long time for someone to come up with a solution.
"'That might mean that generational farm just goes on pause,' Knapp said. 'And the next generation may have the opportunity to return it to being a family farm someday.'
"'I’m very bitter,' Stone said. 'This is not the way we wanted to see this go. Yeah, I would love to see it continue on as a farm of some kind but damn the state of Maine for putting me in this position.'"
#MaineFarms #SolarFarms #ContaminatedFarmland #Reuse #SolarFarm #RenewablesNow #RenewableEnergy #PFOA #WaterIsLife #PFOS #PFASContamination #WaterPollution #PFASPollution #PTFE #Wildlife #Cancer #Contamination #Chemicals #Environment #GenXChemicals