In the Maine Fiber Farms area, everyone is welcome to visit the animals and see the wonderful things that farmers have created with fiber from the animals. Fairgoers might even meet the sheep who provided fleece for the yarn they see hanging from a nearby peg. The Maine Fiber Farms area provides a chance to get “up-close and personal” with the animals -- from tiny bunnies to towering llamas --  and the people who raise them.

The farmers in the Maine Fiber Farms area love to answer questions about their livestock and about running a small farm. Among the participants are amazing craftspeople who are more than eager to share their knowledge of knitting, weaving, spinning, felting and more.

In addition to knowledge, fairgoers take home fabulous fiber goods produced by these farms. There are offerings from raw fleece and yarn to finished goods: hats, mittens, socks, shawls, scarves, sweaters and probably a few things you never imagined fiber could be used to create! Instructional books and “tools of the trade,” including spindles, spinning wheels, knitting needles and dyes, are available, too.

The Maine Fiber Farms Area provides a unique opportunity to support an important part of Maine’s agricultural community. Sales of warm hats and toasty mittens help keep these farms going through the year. They are not “mass produced” but are lovingly crafted by the same people who raise these animals. All are unique, and many are works of art.

Application materials for the 2008 Maine Fiber Farms Area are posted below. Please be sure to download each form and read each one carefully. Anyone exhibiting animals must have liability insurance. Coverage is available through the Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors (MALE).

Maine Fiber Farms Cover Letter (Word doc)
Maine Fiber Farms Area Guidelines (Word doc)
General Guidelines For Participating in the Fair
2008 Maine Fiber Farms Application (PDF)
Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors (MALE) Application (PDF)

For more information, please contact the Maine Fiber Farm Coordinators:

Michelle DeLucia
ssddfarm@fairpoint.net

and/or

Diane Knowlen
dknowlen@gwi.net