Another Great Year in the Common Kitchen!
Another Great Year in the Common Kitchen!
By Bill Whitman
It was another fantastic year in the kitchen. Records were broken, new systems tried and gems discovered. On Saturday night, we served 531 meals to 531 tired volunteers who had been making the Fair great for 20,000-plus fairgoers.
This year, we tried a new solicitation system. The more meals we serve, the more food we need, and I no longer have time to call enough donors to supply the kitchen. So each coordinator did a piece of the list. When we get the coordination down, I think it’ll work well.
Also this year, our crew took over the pre-fair setup meals and post-fair breakdown meals. Pre-fair meals were handled in an exceptional manner by Patty Hamilton, her family and friends (of which I’m proud to be one). Patty served gourmet meals to the staff and setup crew, and everyone raved about the food. If you were there, you know what I mean. If you weren’t – there’s next year. I served the post-fair meals. Patty also does breakfast during the fair, and lunch and dinner are served by Kim Bolshaw on Friday, Barbara McLennan on Saturday, and Madeline Cantwell on Sunday. It’s the best food on the fairgrounds. Between setup and breakdown, we served almost 4000 meals.
A word about our capabilities: We serve meat-based, vegetarian and vegan selections at every meal. However, if you have special dietary needs, please come to the Fair prepared, as the kitchen generally cannot stop to make a meal for one person. The kitchen is stretched to capacity now, and next year we will be making changes so that we can be more flexible about when we can serve meals. We’ve heard your suggestions and will respond.
If you have other suggestions or would like to donate food or cash to the kitchen, email me at [email protected] For those in far-flung places such as tickets and parking, let your coordinators know what you want to eat. We can provide a better variety of food (dessert, for example), but you have to let your coordinator know.
We had a record number of donations this year, and again, thanks to Patty’s creative mind, expanded our solicitation to include such groups as Organic Valley, Associated Buyers and Horizon. Next year – Newman’s Own! If you have suggestions about places we can ask or want to work with us, email me at the above address.
Thanks to the 2004 Common Kitchen Donors
Al’s Concessions
Steve Aucoin
Aunt Betty’s Garden
Associated Buyers
Avena Botanicals
Avant Gardens
Barnes Farm
Belfast Co-op
Beech Hill Farm
Better Living Center
Big Sky Bakery
Bird Haven Farm
Black Bear Food Guild
Blessed Maine Herb Farm
Blue Hill Co-op
Blueberry Ledge Farm
The Boardworks
Kim Bolshaw
Borealis Breads
Broken Acres Farm
Buckwheat Blossom Farm
Caldwell Farm
Madeline Cantwell
Carding Brook Farm
Montana Channing
Chase Farm
Checkerberry Farm
Sally Christi
Thomas Colpitt Farm
Curra Farm
Dandelion Spring Farm
Darthia Farm
Day’s Meadow Farm
Dilly Dally Organic Farm
F & A Farm
Fiddler’s Green Farm
Fireflower Farm
Flatbreads Restaurant
Flying Pond Farm
Four Seasons Farm
4M Productions
Goldfish Bowl Farm
The Good Food Store
Good Tern Co-op
Goranson Farm
Grandy Oats Granola
Rosie Guest
Patty Hamilton
Hamilton Farm
Hampden Natural Foods
Happy Town Farm
Harvestime Natural Foods
Hidden Valley Farm
Highland Blueberry Farm
David Hilton
Hoof n’ Paw Farm
Horsepower Farm
Horizon Dairy
Indian Point Gardens
Jack Kertesz
King Hill Farm
Donya Klie
Lazy C Farm
Little Falls Farm
Little Garlic Girl Farm
Little River Flower Farm
Lupine Farm
Barbara McLellan
Maine Coast Sea Vegetables
Maine Maple Products
Luce’s Maple Syrup
Meadowsweet Farm
Meadowwood Farm
Mooar Hill Farm
Moon Hill Farm
Morgans Mills
Morning Dew Natural Foods
The Morris Farm
Mother’s Mountain Mustard
Mysty Mountain Farm
Nature’s Choice
Neighborly Farms
Neverdone Farm
New Leaf Farm
The New School
Nezinscot Farm
Wini Noyes
Oakland Farm
O’Donnell’s Farm
O’Naturals Restaurant
Organic Valley
Oyster Creek Mushrooms
The Painted Pepper Farm
Pat n’ Mike’s Garden
Peacemeal Farm
Phoenix Farm
Pineland Farms
Poverty Hill Rabbits
Diana Prizio
Red Hill Natural Foods
Ricker Apple Farm
Ridgeside Farm
Rising Tide Co-op
Riverside Farm
Round Rock Farm
Sand Hill Farm
Sue Sargent
Sea Smoke Farm
Sewall’s Orchard
Shalom Orchard
Shoreroad Farm
Tin Smith
Sparrow Farm
Springer Farm
Spruce Bush Farm
Standard Baking Co.
Staples Blueberry Farm
Steeplebush Farm
Stone Ridge Gardens
The Store/Ampersand
Peggy Strong
Swan’s Honey
Sue Szwed
Tide Mill Farm
Two Loons Farm
Uncas Farm
Under the Sun Farm
Unity Buying Club
Webb Farm
Whitehill Farm
White’s Orchard
Whole Grocer
Willow Pond Farm
Wind and Sun Farm
Wintergreen Herbs
Woodcock Farm
