Fair Page

Common Ground Volunteers Are Amazing!

Another year in Unity is under our belts. The celebration grows not only in size, but in spirit, joy, diversity, comfort and enthusiasm -- thanks to the energy of our volunteers. We had a great year with more than 1500 volunteers on hand to coordinate the many facets of the event.

It's impossible to convey thanks worthy of all that the Fair volunteers do each year. And it's a cliche to say that the Fair wouldn't happen without them. We all know by now that volunteerism is the true essence of the Fair. Congratulations to all for the fine job that you did!

Here are just a few of the notable accomplishments of this year's esteemed volunteer community:

The Common Kitchen served almost 3,000 meals to hungry volunteers. CR Lawn's keynote address on global trends in large-scale agribusiness and grassroots efforts to combat them drew a five minute standing ovation from several hundred people in the Common. The Power and Water folks saved all of us around high noon on Saturday when we thought we were losing water pressure on the fairgrounds. Within about 10 minutes, the system was operating perfectly again. They did a wonderful job keeping the energy flowing to the many hundreds of exhibitors throughout the Fair. They also pieced together several sound systems, including a P.A., to amplify the many popular talks around the fairgrounds. Volunteers in the office handled an amazing number of inquiries this year, including a steady stream of fairgoers who needed to make phone calls. We are working hard to ensure that we have an adequate phone system in place for next year's Fair! The Recycling and Composting crew recovered 21,595.50 pounds of Fair-generated waste this year. Much of it will be composted for landscaping around the fairgrounds. On Saturday alone, the antique tractor shuttle drivers transported in excess of 8,000 fairgoers from the South Lot to the fairgrounds. The Country Store had a record day in sales on Saturday. MOFGA Booth folks brought the MOFGA membership to an all time high, signing up 298 new members, and renewing 102 memberships. The Safety, First Aid and Traffic folks did an absolutely wonderful job making sure that fairgoers had a comfortable and carefree visit to the Fair. More than one-third of all performances on the Fair stages and around the Fairgrounds were done by volunteer entertainers. Veteran ticket seller Skip Green sold over a thousand tickets in one day. Donkey and Mule enthusiasts created a new Show on Friday in the Show Ring this year to complement Saturday's Standardbred Show and Sunday's Draft Horse Show. Our webmaster, Eric Rector, posted hourly updates of Fair activities, weather and traffic all weekend. He noted that our website got close to 100,000 hits in the month of September! Wow!

Ideas for the continuing improvement of the Fair and fairgrounds are rolling in. We have had several planning meetings already to address traffic and parking, safety, signs, and food for next year. Many more planning sessions are scheduled for the coming months. We are always looking for new energy from volunteers who want to become more involved in the planning processes. If you are interested in joining the Fair Planning Team, or if you have some suggestions for improving any aspect of the Fair, don't hesitate to contact me by phone (207-568-4142), email (), snail mail (PO Box 170, Unity, ME 04988) or better yet, by dropping by the MOFGA headquarters some day.

Congratulations and a heart-felt thank you to all the volunteers. I really enjoy working with each of you!

--Heather Spalding
Fair Director

Report from the Common Kitchen

One of our most successful soups this year was a lamb-squash stew that received many raves. In addition we received kudos for a delectable dessert -- an apple-honey cake created by the Corkery sisters, Maria and Cathy, and friend Holly Hurd-Forsygh.

If you're planning to feed a hungry mob, you may wish to consider this recipe:

Lamb-Squash Stew for 50

10 braised lamb shanks
5 gallons of water

Boil until meat falls off the bone.
Reserve liquid.

5 lbs. onions, sautéed until just turning brown
10 lbs. squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces
3 lbs. carrots, sliced in quarters, then cut same as squash
Bunch of fresh rosemary

Place vegetables and rosemary in liquid with meat pieces. Cook under medium heat until squash softens and thickens soup. Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder and ground ginger to taste. Let stew set for at least 15 minutes before serving (if possible)!

We are always looking for volunteers with restaurant or cooking experience for the Fair. Please share your expertise with us next year.

Thank you to all the loyal volunteers who return year after year and give us their hard work and friendship.

--Barb MacLennan

Common Kitchen Thanks

As coordinators, we are in seventh heaven with the new kitchen after all those years in Windsor. We served about 2500 meals this year and 390 at Saturday night’s supper. We are maxed out on dishwashing, however, and are hoping to come up with a big dishwasher (Hobart).

So, now to the important part of this message. Everyone this year was more generous than ever. Having more certified growers means that individual growers don’t get hit up for donations so hard. So thanks to all for their generosity. If I missed anybody in the list below, thanks to you too!

For the 2001 Fair, we’d like to get more variety in fruit. Also, we need eggs. If a lot of people gave us just five dozen each, we’d be all set; we need about 75 dozen total. Feel free to contact MOFGA to offer help.

--Bill Whitman

Donors to the 2000 Common Ground Common Kitchen

Transcripts and Videos of Keynote Address by CR Lawn Available

Thanks to the Advance Sale Ticket Outlets

Allan's Natural Foods - Sanford
Alternative Natural Food Markets - Bar Harbor
Apple Valley Books - Winthrop
Austin's Fine Food & Wines - Auburn
Bath Iron Works - Recreation Association - Wiscasset
Beech Hill Farm - Mt Desert
Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad - Unity
Belfast Co-Op - Belfast
Bicycle Bob's Bicycle Outlet - Portsmouth, NH
Blue Hill Co-Op - Blue Hill
Bookmarc's - Bangor
Books Etc. - Portland
Books-n-Things - Bethel
Books-n-Things - Oxford
Creative Resource Center - Portland
Endless Herbs & Natural Foods - Newport
Fare Share Coop Store - Norway
Fertile Mind Book Shop - Belfast
Good Food Store - Bethel
Good Tern Co-Op - Rockland
Gulf Of Maine Books - Brunswick
Hampden Natural Foods - Hampden
Hancock County Organic Growers - Blue Hill
Happy Town Farm - Orland
Harbour Books - Yarmouth
Harvest Time Natural Foods - Augusta
Hussey's General Store - Windsor
John Edwards Whole Foods Market - Ellsworth
Liberty Graphics - Liberty
Liberty Graphics Outlet Store - Belfast
Liberty Graphics Outlet Store - Boothbay Harbor
Lois' Natural Marketplace - Scarborough
Maine Audubon Society Store - Falmouth
Maine Coast Book Shop - Damariscotta
Maine Made Shop - Augusta
Mainescape - Blue Hill
Morning Dew Natural Foods - Bridgton
Morning Glory Natural Foods - Brunswick
Morning Glory Natural Foods - Bath
Mr. Paperback - Belfast
Mr. Paperback - Caribou
Mr. Paperback - Rockland
Mr. Paperback - Ellsworth
Mr. Paperback - Brewer
Mr. Paperback - Newport
Mr. Paperback - Dover-Foxcroft
Mr. Paperback - Skowhegan
Mr. Paperback - Augusta
Mr. Paperback - Waterville
Natural Grocer - Gorham
Natural Living Center - Brewer
Natural Living Center - Bangor
Nature's Choice - Camden
Nature's Pantry - Calais
New Morning Natural Foods - Kennebunk
New Morning Natural Foods - Biddeford
Nezinscot Farm - Turner
Northern Sky Toyz - Portland
Patchwork Organic Gardens - Brunswick
Red Hill Natural Foods - Rumford
Rising Tide Co-Op - Damariscotta
River City Gallery - Bangor
Ron's Variety - Waterville
Royal River Natural Foods - Freeport
Royal River Natural Foods - Yarmouth
Scribner's Hardware - Rangeley
Silo Seven Bookstore - Bangor
Skillin's Greenhouse - Brunswick
Skillin's Greenhouse - Falmouth
Spice Of Life - Skowhegan
Spruce Bush Farm - Jefferson
Sunflours - Kingfield
Sunshine Grainery - Kennebunk
The Berry Basket - Norridgewock
The Bookworm - Gorham
The Feed Store - Rockland
The Green Store - Belfast
The Morris Farm Trust - Wiscasset
The Reading Corner - Rockland
The Village Center - Vinalhaven
The Well Tempered Kitchen - Waldoboro
The Whole Grocer - Portland
Thyme Square - Winthrop
Tom's Of Maine - Kennebunk
Uncas Farms Natural & Organic Food Market - Whitefield
Unity Co-Op - Unity
Unity College - Unity
Wooly Works - Alfred

Exhibition Hall Winners

MOFGA Chapter Award - Waldo County Organic Growers

Farm Exhibit Award - The Farmer's Wife, Ron & Nancy Agnew of Exeter

Most Educational Exhibit Award - Oyster Creek Mushroom Company, Dan & Candace Heydon of Damariscotta

Children's Apple Pie Contest
Cassandra Gauvin of Levant (maple sweetened)
Emma Moody & Annie Agnew of Corinth (no sweetener)

Biggest Pumpkin - 68#
Andrew de Bethune of St. Albans

Biggest Zucchini - 19#
Susanne Grosjean of Franklin

Biggest Beet
Anu Dudley of Freedom

Fleece Show Winners

White Medium
1st - Val Weiland
2nd - Rae Reimer
3rd - Joe Miller

White Coarse
No awards in this category.

White Long
1st - Val Weiland
2nd - Elaine Cloutier
3rd - Joe Miller

White Other
No awards in this category. Colored Fine
1st - Joe Miller
2nd - Lynn Terranova
3rd - Robin Hansen

Colored Medium
1st - Val Weiland
2nd - Pam Child
3rd - Pam Child
4th - Lindy Gallup

Colored Coarse
No awards in this category.

Colored Long
1st - Elaine Cloutier
2nd - Elaine Cloutier
3rd - Jane Brackett
4th - Elain Cloutier

Colored Other
1st - Lyn Terranova
2nd - Diana Laing
3rd - Diana Laing
4th - Lindy Gallup

Harry S. Truman Manure Toss - Winners Report

Event: 12 & Under - 25 lb. 10-foot toss
1st - Chloe McCleode from Old Town - 3.4 lbs
2nd - Erin Haggerty from Orono - 3.2 lbs
3rd - Mike LaRouche from Clinton - 2.8 lbs

Event: Women's 25 lb. 15-foot toss
1st - Amanda Hines from Limestone - 7.25 lbs
2nd - Sally Lincoln from North Fellisbury - 6.75 lbs
3rd - Kathy Johnson - 5.25 lbs

Event: Men's 25 lb. 15-foot toss
1st - Bill MacDonald from Winthrop - 13.25 lbs
2nd - Tom Faber - 10.25 lbs
3rd - Zack Sawyer - 8.75 lbs

Event: 12 & Under Throw for Distance
1st - Mike LaRouche from Clinton - 31 feet 6 inches
2nd - Jason Cowles - 15 feet 11 inches
3rd - Renee Tyler - 14 feet 1 inch

Event: Women's Throw for Distance
1st - Sarah Fiske - 30 feet 8 inches
2nd - Sarah Wolcheski - 25 feet 1 inch
3rd - Michelle Berlan from Randolph - 22 feet 9 inches

Event: Men's Throw for Distance
1st - Bob Salesi from Penobscot - 54 feet 6 inches
2nd - Pat Duffy from Andover, MA - 40 feet
3rd - Rick Hesslein from Brownfield - 36 feet

Draft Horse Show Results

Judge: Jim Bunn from Garland

Exhibitors:
Cathy, Ben and Pete Stratton from Augusta
Evelyn Pike from Chichester, NH
Bonni Spicer from Phippsburg
Bob Crichton from Berwick
Don Nickerson from Brooks
David Stevens from South Unity

Class 1 - Jr. Showmanship
No entries.

Class 2 - Gelding under 1700 lbs
1st - Tony-Stratton
2nd - Sonny-Stratton

Class 3 - Geldings over 1700 lbs
1st - Prince-Stratton

Class 4 - Grand Champion Gelding
Prince-Stratton
Reserve Champion Gelding - Sonny-Stratton

Class 5 - Stallions
1st - Lord Leonett Don-Spicer

Class 6 - Grand Champion Stallion
Lord Leonett Don-Spicer

Class 7 - Brood Mare & Foal
1st - Lenore and Loretta-Stevens

Class 8 - Mares 2 years & under
No entries.

Class 9 - Mares 3 years & over
1st - Princess-Stratton
2nd - Misty-Stratton

Class 10 - Grand Champion Mare
Princess-Stratton

Class 11 - Bred, Raised & Owned By Exhibitor
1st - Princess-Stratton
2nd - Misty-Stratton

Class 12 - Best Footed Horse
1st - Lord Leonett Don-Spicer
2nd - Princess-Stratton
3rd - Misty-Stratton

Class 13 - Best Horse Of Show
Lord Leonett Don-Spicer

Class 14 - Mules
1st - Crichton
2nd - Jill-Pike
3rd - Jack-Pike

Class 15 - Donkeys
1st - Shamus-Rowe
2nd - Twilight-Wallace
3rd - Woody-Rowe
4th - Shannon-Rowe
5th - Prince-Rudy

Class 16 - Bareback Riding 1st - Sonny-Stratton
2nd - Prince-Stratton
3rd - Lord Leonett Don-Spicer
4th - Misty-Stratton

Class 17 - Cart - Mules
1st - Crichton
2nd - Jack & Jill-Pike

Class 18 - Cart
1st - Misty-Stratton

Class 19 - Pair In Harness 1st - Sonny & Tony-Stratton
2nd - Crichton
3rd - Misty & Prince-Stratton
4th - Jack & Jill-Pike

Class 20 - Pair Scooting
1st - Fred & Rick-Nickerson
2nd - Sonny & Tony-Stratton
3rd - Crichton
4th - Jack & Jill-Pike
5th - Misty & Prince-Stratton

Class 21 - Single Twitching
1st - Misty-Stratton
2nd - Sonny-Stratton
3rd - Jack-Pike
4th - Tony-Stratton
5th - Crichton
6th - Rick-Nickerson

Class 22 - Teamster Of The Day
Cathy Stratton

Oxen Pull

5K Foot Race

First overall male winner was Shaun Keenan of Somerville in 17:43 and first female overall finisher was Tamika Davis of Worcester, Mass., in 21:29. The 2nd place overall winners were Andrew Crawford of Burlington, Vt., a mere 2 seconds behind the winner, in 17:45, and Beth Allen of Farmington in 22:23.

The MOFGA winners were Marada Cook of Grande Isle in 24:44 and Bill MacDonald of Winthrop in 21:49.

The various age group winners and 2nd place finishers were as follows:

Male/Female:

1st Place 19 & under
Joseph Haman, 17, Fort Kent, 21:26/Christie Mosley, 15, Hampden, 24:55

2nd Place 19 & under
Leo Trudel, 15, St. Francis, 22:08/JJ Trudel, 17, St. Francis, 31:06

1st Place 20-29
Joe Dana, 24, Indian Island, 18:18/Mary Phillips-Sandy, 23, Waterville, 25:18

2nd Place 20-29
Keith Bowles, 21, Waterville, 18:54/Mary O'Malley, 25, Castine, 25:45

1st Place 30-39
Ludo Bruyere, 31, Augusta, 18:01/Jennifer Dickerson,32, Clive, Iowa, 24:15

2nd Place 30-39
Gary LaFreniere, 39, Belgrade, 18:42/Amy Nason, 34, Gray, 25:02

1st Place 40-49
Tom Menendez, 47, Lewiston, 18:40/Loretta Wilber,42, Pittsfield 23:49

2nd Place 40-49
Ethan Whittaker,42, Wiscasset, 40:42/Ellen Spring, 47, Thomaston 27:11

1st Place 50-59
Paul Baillagereon, 51, Augusta, 20:23/Eva Warren,55, Waterville, 28:05

2nd Place 50-59
Arthur Robinson, 50, Augusta, 20:34/Mary Whitney,53, Newport, 29:47

1st Place 60-69
Bob Gillespie, 62, Benton, 27:41/Jackie Dunbar, 60, Bucksport, 31:14

1st Place 70 +
Keith Curtis, 70, Waterville, 24:56

Apply to Participate in the 2001 Fair

Agricultural Booths: exhibits of food or fiber, and products related to their production.

Agricultural Demonstrations: educational talks, demonstrations and displays about food production and preservation.

Animal Products: livestock owners demonstrate and sell the useful and beautiful products of their animals. Animals on display as part of the educational exhibits include llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, rabbits, cows, and other farmyard friends.

Children's Area: activities from paper-making to parades, sing-a-longs to stilt-walking. Parent/child area; the Fair does not provide child care. Composting & Recycling: the Zero Garbage Project volunteers meticulously separate all garbage generated at the Fair and reduce discards to an absolute minimum.

Country Store: purchase Fair memorabilia, such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, aprons, tote bags, caps and nightshirts. Crafts: exhibitors are selected based on their skill, quality, ingenuity, representation of New England traditions and use of Maine's natural resources.

Energy & Shelter: demonstrations and exhibits about old and new technologies used to heat and cool buildings and supply them with light; presentations about developments in sustainable transportation and fuel efficiency.

Entertainment: Maine entertainers from drummers to jugglers, Morris dancers to fiddlers and contra dancers perform all over the fairgrounds. Environmental Concerns: Maine-based organizations focus on environmental, wildlife, and marine concerns.

Exhibition Hall: Maine farmers, gardeners, and crafters display the fruits of their labor, from antique squash varieties and giant pumpkins to wooden toys and fancy work.

Farmers' Market: Maine farmers sell organic produce and products from their own farms.

Fiddle Contest: Fiddlers come from near and far and perform old country jigs, reels and waltz tunes for cash prizes.

Fleece Show and Sale: fleeces of all varieties for sale each day, scheduled demonstrations about selecting fleeces to suit specific needs, as well as fleece washing techniques. An educational show takes place at 10 am on Saturday.

Folk Arts: demonstrations of the arts and skills used for survival in the past, and for pleasure now.

Food: the reason many people come to the Fair. Great, delicious, nutritious and extraordinary -- featuring Maine organic ingredients.

Foot Race: a 5K event open to all ages. Racers get a Fair T-shirt and admission to the Fair.

Harry S. Truman Manure Pitch-off: fairgoers can compete for distance and accuracy in this popular event.

Herb Talks: herbalists explain how to grow, prepare, preserve and use herbs. Information Booth: offering information about Fair vendors, exhibitors, building locations, presentations, contests and anything else relating to the Fair.

Livestock: talk to farm animal owners, and watch demonstrations and shows, such as Oxen Scooting Contests, the Donkey, Mule and Pony Show (Friday), the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Show (Saturday), and the Draft Horse Show (Sunday). See a great variety of domestic fowl in the Poultry Barn, and lots of rabbits in the Rabbit Tent. Pigs, sheep, goats and other farm critters are on display too.

Low-Impact Forestry: logging and forestry groups discuss sustainable forestry practices in Maine, and offer hands-on workshops and demonstrations in MOFGA's woodlot.

Maine Businesses: owners of Maine's environmentally-friendly, small businesses, media outlets and cottage industries sell their goods and educate fairgoers about their manufacturing processes.

MOFGA Booth: learn about MOFGA's goals and philosophy, organic certification program, journeyperson and apprenticeship programs, agricultural policy initiatives, fundraising efforts, and membership benefits.

Native American Arts & Education: demonstrations and sales of Native American art by Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot artisans. Public Policy Teach-In: Experts in agricultural policy initiatives sit on a panel and discuss pressing issues relating to farming, gardening and large-scale agribusiness.

Recycling and Composting: Fair volunteers sort through the entire Fair waste stream separating out recyclable and compostable materials. The Fair has a goal of Zero Garbage Generation. Our best recovery rate thus far is 93.4%.

Sheep Dog Demonstrations: border collies herd sheep and work through impressive routines. David Kennard explains how important herding dogs are to sheep owners. Audience participation is encouraged and is very entertaining.

Social and Political Action Area: local organizations provide information on issues of peace and justice, social equality, civil/human rights and environmental politics.

Stoneworkers: the Maine Stoneworkers Guild demonstrates the art of stone cutting and carving, workshops are scheduled for fairgoers young and old. Wednesday Spinners: expert fiber spinners demonstrate traditional and modern spinning techniques using a variety of fibers, plus dyeing and weaving.

Whole Life Tent: presentations and workshops on physical, mental and spiritual health.

Youth Enterprise Zone: entrepreneurial kids flex their business skills, selling products and services that meet the guidelines of other areas.