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Common Ground Country Fair

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Coordinates: 44°35′24″N 69°17′28″W / 44.590°N 69.291°W / 44.590; -69.291
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The children's vegetable parade happens each day of the fair.

The Common Ground Country Fair, also known as the Common Ground Fair, is an agricultural fair in Unity, Maine held the third weekend after Labor Day and sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). It was first held in 1977.

History

The fair began in 1977 in Litchfield, Maine. In 1981, it moved to Windsor, Maine and in 1996, MOFGA purchased 200 acres in Unity, Maine, where the fair now takes places yearly.[1] The fair "celebrates organic living, farming and growing," and all the food sold at the event must be organic.[2] The fair regularly hosts 50,000 to 60,000 people.[3]

The fair is also host to a large number of political groups and activists. In 2009, there were 64 political or social activism groups in attendance.[4]

In 2008, MOFGA installed water bottle filling stations to test the viability of banning the sale of bottled water. The test run was deemed a success and the sale and use of bottled water was banned the following year.[5][6]

The two food courts only serve organic food.

For the first time in 2017, the fair was powered entirely by alternative sources, including a 102-Kilowatt solar array, a series of heat pumps and a small wind turbine.[7][8]

In May 2020, MOFGA announced the fair wouldn't take place for the first time since its inception due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fair director April Bouchard said in a statement the cancellation "allows us to begin planning a marquee virtual event."[9]

Fair atmosphere

A farmers' market greets visitors at each of the two fairground entrances.

The fair doesn't have a midway or race track. It features traditional skills demonstrations, alternative energy demonstrations, handicraft vendors, two farmers markets and two food courts, selling a range of organic, prepared foods.

In 2012, Anne Raver of The New York Times visited the fair and wrote: "The fair is a grand celebration not only for organic growers, but also for spinners and weavers; woodworkers and jewelry-makers; drovers of oxen, horses and mules; and sheep herders and their dogs. Not to mention poets and fiddlers, reflexologists and herbalists, solar and wind power gurus, seed savers and worm-keepers." The Times also noted: "It wasn’t the toasty smell of cotton candy that filled the air; it was the fruity fragrance of sweet Annie (Artemisia annua), a European herb that can self-seed in the garden like an invading army. Women old and young wore golden crowns of it on their heads."[10]

In 2013, the Portland Press Herald reported: "Instead of the typical fair staples such as cotton candy and carnival rides, the Common Ground Country Fair draws crowds seeking veggie burgers and workshops on worm composting."[11]

The fair is known for its numerous vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Vegan columnist Avery Yale Kamila wrote in 2014: "for vegetarians there is no contest when it comes to the agricultural event with the largest selection of meat-free options. The Common Ground Country Fair wins the blue ribbon for consistent veg-friendliness year after year."[12][13]

The Maine Campus newspaper wrote in 2019 the fair "has significantly more vegan and vegetarian options than an average fair."[14]


An alpaca strolls with visitors at the 2016 fair.


Keynote speakers

Each day of the fair features one keynote address plus hundreds of other speeches, talks, panel discussions, demonstrations and other educational events. Some past keynote addresses at the Common Ground Country Fair[15][16][17] were delivered by: Wendell Berry, Scott Nearing, Helen Nearing, Elliot Coleman, Vandana Shiva, Will Bonsall, Kent Whealy, Jim Hightower, Ross Gelbspan, Percy Schmeiser.

References

  1. ^ Pols, Mary (September 14, 2014). "For Common Ground vendors, is the fair enough?". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  2. ^ Mack, Sharon Kiley (September 20, 2003). "Common Ground Country Fair starts". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  3. ^ Schneider, Keith (September 25, 1989). "Maine Fair Promotes Pure Food and Rural Values". New York Times. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  4. ^ Cousins, Christopher (September 27, 2009). "Activism flourishes at Common Ground Country Fair". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  5. ^ "Fair News". Maine Organic Farmers Gardeners Association. Spring 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  6. ^ Kitchens, Sharon (September 9, 2014). "8 things I am looking forward to at this year's Common Ground Fair". Maine Today. Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  7. ^ "MOFGA prepares for first solar-powered Common Ground Fair". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
  8. ^ "How Mainers keep finding new sources of energy". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2017-09-15.
  9. ^ Writer, Eric RussellStaff (2020-05-05). "Common Ground Country Fair pulls plug on 2020 event but aims to stage 'virtual fair'". Press Herald. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  10. ^ Raver, Anne (2012-09-26). "The Common Ground Fair in Maine Celebrates Organic Food". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
  11. ^ Hall, Jessica (2013-09-21). "Crowds find Common Ground at Maine fair". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 2018-08-22.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Kamila, Avery Yale (2014-09-17). "For vegetarians, Common Ground is the fairest of them all". Press Herald. Retrieved 2017-09-03.
  13. ^ Kamila, Avery Yale (2017-09-13). "At the Common Ground fair in Unity, vegans have plenty of options for eating and learning". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 2018-08-23.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Semmel, Sierra (September 23, 2019). "Common Ground Country Fair: a health food heaven – The Maine Campus". Retrieved 2020-03-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ "MOFGA Historical Timeline". Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Retrieved 2020-02-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Pols, Mary (2016-09-18). "40 years of memories at the Common Ground Country Fair". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 2020-02-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Calder, Amy (2019-09-21). "At Common Ground fair, dire warnings about pesticide dangers". Morning Sentinel. Retrieved 2020-02-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

44°35′24″N 69°17′28″W / 44.590°N 69.291°W / 44.590; -69.291


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