Maine Business Area

Maine Businesses Prove: You Can Beat Imports

You'll find soaps and candles, pens made from historic wood (such as the USS Constitution!), traditional hand-sewn moccasins, both rustic and beautifully finished furniture, canoes, original note cards, beef jerky, blankets, handknit sweaters, henna tattoos, Maine tourmalines and jewelry made with them, fleece clothing, bread, deerskin handbags, granola, canvas backpacks and travel gear, and run-on sentences...All made in Maine!

-Patti Dowse

Maine Business Area Guidelines

Coordinators: Ellis Percy, Patti Dowse

Purpose: The purpose of the Maine Business area of the Common Ground Country Fair (CGCF) is to promote Maine-based businesses that support the goals and objectives of MOFGA. The Fair strives to improve the quality of rural Maine living by promoting the development and sale of goods and services produced by Maine people, in a sustainable way. Applicants must explain how their mission and business philosophies fit with MOFGA's. Bringing producers and consumers together helps stem the outflow of dollars, improve the local economy, and increase employment.

1. Vendors must reside in Maine, and represent Maine-based businesses or organizations. The CGCF accepts goods and services not made in Maine if they are important to the quality of rural living, and similar products are not yet available from a Maine-based business or organization.

2. The CGCF gives preference to products made with sustainably-harvested, natural resources from Maine.

3. The CGCF allows products made from other resources not available in Maine when value is added by Maine workers. However, the business that uses non-polluting, organic, Maine materials and/or processes will be chosen over the ones who does not.

4. The CGCF recognizes the value of recycling, and therefore encourages the sale of goods made from recycled material.

5. Food products sold in the Maine Business Area are subject to the same standards as food sold in the Food Area.

6. Animal feeds/grains of any kind for sale at the Fair must be certified organic, or made with certified organic ingredients.

7. The quality of the finished product must meet Fair standards. Applicants may submit samples of their products and/or literature about their products.

8. The Maine Business Area will devote no more than 10% of the total number of booths to any single product. Any current imbalance will be adjusted through attrition.

9. Vendors must list on their application all items and services that they wish to sell. Vendors may sell only items approved for sale by the Maine Business Area Coordinators.

10. Vendors may not share booth space. Each business or organization must apply for booth space separately.

11. In the event of a dispute, the decision of the CGCF officials will be accepted as final.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)
Common Ground Country Fair
PO Box 170
Unity, ME 04988
Phone: 207-568-4142
Fax: 207-568-4141
Email: cgcf@mofga.org