LANSING, Mich. — Michigan farmers worried about forever chemicals on their land now have a state-funded way to find out. On Monday the state agriculture department, known as MDARD, announced a $3.5 million, five-year agreement with Michigan State University Extension to expand PFAS monitoring on farms statewide.
Under the program, Extension staff will screen interested farms for eligibility and then drive out to collect soil and water samples at no charge. Lab results are reviewed privately with each producer. Where contamination turns up, Extension specialists will help the farm build a mitigation plan, check back after changes are made, and some farms may qualify for money to help pay for those steps.
The agreement also pays for education. Extension will produce materials for farmers, farm advisers, agricultural businesses and the public on how PFAS builds up in farm settings and what can be done about it.
PFAS are synthetic compounds that resist breaking down. They show up in everyday goods such as waterproof clothing, upholstery, personal care products and firefighting foam, and over time they can collect in soil, water, livestock and poultry. Some of these chemicals have been linked to illness in humans and animals after years of exposure.
MDARD Director Tim Boring said in the announcement that the partnership will give producers dependable information, testing access and plans tailored to their operations.
Michigan has been coordinating its PFAS response through the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, a group of seven state agencies formed by executive directive in 2017 and made permanent by executive order in 2019. The team works to track down PFAS sources, deal with contamination where it starts and partner with local health departments where groundwater is affected. The agriculture department, a core member, also handed out PFAS research grants in September to study how the chemicals affect Michigan farm systems.
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