Maine is the first state in the US to ban pesticides that contain forever chemicals, a law that could force more than 1,300 pesticides to be taken off the market here.

And some fear the loss of about one of every 10 pesticides that can be sold here will have unintended consequences for Maine farmers and consumers.

The ban doesn't kick in until 2030 but manufacturers are facing a key disclosure deadline that could hasten the market departure of some pesticide makers who conclude the cost of the testing needed to comply with this month's reporting mandate outweighs the profits that can be made here.

Julie Ann Smith of the Maine Farm Bureau said that this has some Maine farmers, including some of its 300 certified organic farmers, worried they soon won't be able to defend their crops from pests or blight and that there is already a very limited selection of certified organic pesticides.

Smith also said that with their competition eliminated, pesticide makers that stay in the Maine market will probably raise prices, adding to the financial burden already facing farmers dealing with increasing labor and fertilizer costs. Farmers are also spending money to test fields, crops and water for PFAS and if Maine farmers can't get their products to market, consumers will lose access to fresh locally produced food. She pointed to studies that show fresh food packs a mightier nutrient punch than food trucked in from out of state, which can take weeks instead of days to reach consumers.