Common Ground Country Fair Promises No Genetically Engineered Foods For Sale

Since it began in 1977, Fair food vendors have supported Maine's organic farmers by purchasing locally grown, organic ingredients for almost everything they sell. Almost all of the food served at Common Ground is grown or raised organically, and most comes from Maine's own organic farms. The only exception to the organic rule is poultry, which at the very least, must be raised on grain certified to be free of genetically modified organisms. Poultry will be organic at the 2001 Fair.

Siting concerns about adverse environmental and human health effects of GMOs, MOFGA has stepped up its opposition to the use of GMOs in conventional agriculture. MOFGA has joined many public advocacy groups in bringing a law suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, calling for a total ban on certain genetically engineered plants. Fair coordinators feel that requiring all food sold at Common Ground to be GMO-free is an excellent way of getting out the message about the genetic engineering industry.

MOFGA recently published a special edition of its newspaper The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener summarizing the global trends and dangers of genetic engineering and conventional agribusiness. The publication is written in lay terms and is available free to the public. The issue also is posted on MOFGA's website-www.mofga.org.

This year's Common Ground Country Fair offers extensive presentations and information about genetic engineering. On Saturday at 11:00 on the Common, MOFGA's Board Secretary CR Lawn will deliver a keynote address entitled, Mow Me Less: Tales of a GE-Resistant Lawn.2 After the keynote, the MOFGA Puppet Theater will present The Fishy Tomato, written for young and old alike with food for thought about genetically engineered food. The show will take place in the Youth Enterprise Zone at 1:00 p.m. A panel discussion with scientists and anti-genetic engineering activists will follow. The citizens group, Maine Right to Know, will have information booths set up around the grounds all weekend providing information about a 2001 State ballot initiative requiring all commercial foods containing genetically modified organisms to be labeled as such.

Each year, Fair coordinators tighten the food guidelines, while acknowledging that some limitations still exist in the modern-day food distribution system. While food vendors have found it challenging to secure all of their necessary ingredients, they also have found delicious recipes with slight twists on every day food items. Whether a fairgoers is a "meat and potatoes" consumer or a sworn vegetarian, there is something delicious to eat at Common Ground. The varied and delicious treats served up at Common Ground are testaments to what Maine farmers are capable of doing within the somewhat challenging confines of the northeast bioregion.

The Common Ground Country Fair will take place at MOFGA's year-round education center in Unity, Maine. The dates for this year's Fair are September 22, 23 & 24. The complete Fairbook with articles, a schedule of events and a directory of participants in posted on MOFGA's website- www.mofga.org.

Editor's Notes:

1. For more information contact MOFGA at 207-568-4142 and ask for:
Heather Spalding, Common Ground Country Fair Director
Russell Libby, MOFGA's Executive Director
Susan Pierce, MOFGA's Special Events Director

3. The following is a list of Food Vendors at this year's Fair.

• 4M Productions, Michael Mayo, 323 Main St, Thomaston 04861, 354-8781
• Al's Italian Sausage, Alex Baumhoff, 90 Dunn Rd, Norway 04268, 527-2283
• Alejandro's Fajitas, Alex Baumhoff, 90 Dunn Rd, Norway 04268, 527-2283
• Aucoin's Concessions, Kathy & Steve Aucoin, RR 2 Box 780, Litchfield 04350, 933-2163
• Blue Ox Catering, Thomas St. John, PO Box 263, Millinocket 04462, 723-6936
• Bombay Mahal, Raj Sharma, 99 Maine St, Brunswick 04011, 729-5260
• Common Tater, Jeff Richardson, 3 Penny Rd, Freedom 04941, 568-3696
• Crisci Enterprises, Sal Crisci, RR6 Box 1075, Augusta 04330, 624-8046
• Crossroads Smoke House And Poultry, Adrian Basford, 1 Coles Corner Rd, Winterport 04496, 223- 5331
• Finest Fried Maine Seafood, Chuck Huus, 287 Mt Pleasant Rd, Union 04862, 785-4832
• Good & Hearty Foods, Jim & Helen Howard, RFD 2 Box 520, Clinton 04927, 873-5817
• Hi Bombay Inc., Jagdeep Singh, One Pleasant St, Portland 04101, 772-8767
• Izzy's Cheesecake, David Izenstatt, 1 Industrial Way, Portland 04103, 797-9990
• Jim's Pig Pen, Jim Wentworth, RR 2 Box 2100, Winslow 04902, 873-2682
• John's Ice Cream Factory, John Ascrizzi, PO Box 290, Liberty 04949, 589-3700
• Jyang-Lee Kitchens, Angela & Fred Fagin, PO Box 247, Coopers Mills 04341, 549-4507
• KCH Enterprises, Heather Harris, PO Box 202, Newcastle 04553, 586-6246
• Mess 'O Mussells , Lora Lovejoy & Ned Lightner, 32 Church St, Belfast 04915, 622-3030
• Millie's Gardens, Mildred MacComb, RR 4 Box 389, Gardiner 04345, 737-2535
• Morgan's Mills, Richard Morgan, 168 Payson Rd, Union 04862, 785-4900
• Noodles And More, Jeff Richardson, 3 Penny Rd, Freedom 04941, 568-3696
• Noon Family Sheep Farm, Jean & Bill Noon, RR 1 Box 630, Springvale 04083, 324-3733
• Orrs Island Chowder Co., Roger Michaud, PO Box 84, Orrs Island 04066, 833-5131
• PBJ Express, Julie Blakney, 64 Horn Hill Rd, Fairfield 04937, 873-8547
• Peace Action Maine, Sally Breen, 48 Lantern Ln, Windham 04062, 885-7708
• Pie Cones, Frances Walker, PO Box 52, Freedom 04941, 382-6267
• Reggie's Oasis Of Fruit Drinks, Reginald Andrews, PO Box 81, Liberty 04949, 589-4495
• Sagadahoc MOFGA - Puffin Hill Farm, David Puff, HC 33 Box 281, Arrowsic 04530, 286-0222
• Shivanarth Farm, David Gardner, PO Box 253, Washington 04574, 845-2814 Three Leaf Foods, Jody Plummer, 7 Candlewick Ln, Cumberland 04021, 829-9110
• Tuva Old World Bakery, Greg Larsen, PO Box 144, Lincolnville Ctr 04850, 763-4349
• Wassookeag School, Brian Keyte, 612 N Dexter Rd, Dexter 04930, 924-7132

The following is a list of the basic guidelines that food vendors at the Common Ground Country Fair must meet:

1. Food production practices must meet State of Maine labeling statutes and MOFGA's certification standards for organic.
2. Dairy products must be produced organically and must be from Maine sources whenever possible.
3. Beef, lamb and pork must be raised organically and must be from Maine sources.
4. All vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains must be grown organically regardless of origin.
5. All poultry (and eggs) must be raised naturally in Maine. Feed for poultry must be organic due to the prevalence of genetically engineered soy and corn in conventional poultry feeds.
6. At least 50% by weight of the finished product (including condiments) must be from Maine, either grown organically (vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains), raised organically (beef, lamb, pork, dairy products), raised naturally (poultry, eggs) or caught (fish). Any ingredients not from Maine must be third-party certified organic.
7. All meats must be USDA inspected.
8. All seafood must be caught in open Maine waters. Farm-raised finned fish is not allowed.
9. The Steering Committee recommends herbal teas, grain beverages, fruit juices, and cider. The Common Ground Country Fair (CGCF) does not permit Food Area vendors to sell drinks or food containing caffeine.
10. Acceptable sweeteners include Maine honey, maple syrup and barley malt. The CGCF prohibits the use of white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup, Sucanat, or fructose in food sold in the Food Area.
11. The Steering Committee requires whole-grain flours. The CGCF prohibits the use of bleached or bromated white flour. Fifty percent of all flour must be from Maine. Up to 50% of the wheat flour may be unbleached, organically grown, white flour.
12. Food Area vendors must use unprocessed sea or earth salt, and limit the use of salt and related ingredients.
13. Food must not contain chemical additives.
14. The CGCF limits the number of vendors who sell fried foods.
Fried food vendors may use only olive, peanut, sesame, canola, soybean, corn, or high-oleic safflower oils. The CGCF prohibits the use of margarine, or oils with hydrogenation, additives, and preservatives. Oils must be expeller-pressed (cold-pressed) and low in unsaturated fat. Canola, soybean and corn oils must be organic, due to the prevalence of genetically engineered crops in the commercial marketplace.
15. Any commercially prepared ingredients, including condiments, also must meet these guidelines.
16. Vendors must purchase everything through Maine wholesalers, retailers, farms, or other approved sources. Food Area Coordinators require vendors to keep receipts of all transactions in case questions arise.
17. Microwave ovens are not permitted.

The Fair Steering Committee continually strives for stricter guidelines that will support local, organic food production. Some of the guidelines listed above will be tightened for the 2001 Fair.