The Blue Hill Public Library will sponsor a talk with Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association Executive Director Sarah Alexander about PFAS on Thursday, June 23 at 6:00pm in the library's Howard room. 

PFAS, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a hot topic in the agricultural world right now. These chemicals have been used in a wide range of products from commercial and industrial to consumer - items like food packaging, fire extinguishing foam, shampoos, and stain repellant used on fabrics. PFAS have recently been recognized as a contaminant in agriculture and can be present in our water and soil, which can then enter our food supply here in Maine and elsewhere. MOFGA has worked to give farmers, land managers and the public, information on what is now known about PFAS and what can be done, by leading reseach on PFAS uptake, managing an emergency fund, and piloting private testing and consulting programs. Sarah Alexander, the Executive Director of MOFGA since 2018, has worked in the agricultural field for over 20 years, and will share her knowledge and experience with attendees.

Sarah Alexander began working as MOFGA’s executive director on August 13, 2018. She has over 20 years of experience advocating for sustainable, local and fair food systems. Sarah spent more than 3 years working with the White Earth Land Recovery Project to help restore traditional food systems, and then moved to help grow the urban agriculture program at American Community Garden Association. She then spent nearly 10 years at Food & Water Watch, where she worked to protect organic standards, strengthen consumer labeling and fight for genetically engineered food labeling. She moved to Maine in 2015, and just prior to starting as Executive Director she worked as a Senior Strategist at M+R Strategic Services, coaching progressive nonprofits in their membership engagement and digital communications.

All are welcome to attend this free program. If you have any questions, please contact Kayleigh at Kayleigh.thomas@bhpl.net or 374-5515. You can join virtually on Zoom by clicking here to register.

The Robert K. & Linda B. Slaven Lecture Series seeks to bring distinguished speakers with expertise in a wide array of subjects to Blue Hill, to share their knowledge on topics of importance to the community and the world. It is supported by a generous gift from the Anahata Foundation. The series theme for 2022 is "Agriculture."