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MOFGA welcomed 64,162 attendees to the Common Ground Country Fair this year. This makes 2023 the third largest fair since its founding in 1977. In an incredible feat, the Common Kitchen served over 6,000 meals to hungry volunteers. On Friday, MOFGA welcomed 72 school buses with 2,815 students and 892 teachers/chaperones. In addition to a

The National podcast FoodPrint recently released a new episode featuring MOFGA staff Sarah Alexander, executive director and Caleb Goossen, organic crop and conservation specialist. The episode, titled PFAS: The ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Your Food, features the discovery of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on Maine farmland and the work being done in the state to

If you’ve been to the Fair before, you’re quite likely familiar with the traffic situation. That is, the long line of cars that wends its way along the back roads to the fairgrounds. While the scenery along the drive is beautiful, and spending more time anticipating the sights, smells and sounds of the Fair can

When it comes to capturing the essence of the Common Ground Country Fair, longtime MOFGA volunteer and former board member Eli Berry does it well in his essay in “The Organic Farming Revolution: Past, Present, Future.” He writes: Each year at fair time, a family reunion of a kind takes place among visitors, participants, and

The fall issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, MOFGA’s quarterly publication, is now available! In it, you’ll find information on growing beets in your garden, potluck recipe ideas, tips for managing browntail moth, and more. Other topics include farm equipment for livestock, DNA fingerprinting for apple variety detection, and PFAS contamination in compost.

Did you know that each year over 2,000 volunteers contribute their time and energy to make the three days of the Common Ground Country Fair possible? We rely on volunteers to direct traffic, greet fairgoers, sort compost and recycling, entertain children and perform countless other tasks that make the Fair a success. The Fair couldn’t

The 2023 Common Ground Country Fair schedule is now available online! Every year the Common Ground Country Fair hosts over 700 scheduled events ranging from educational talks about farming and gardening to livestock demonstrations to yoga classes to performances by Maine-based entertainers. This year we are excited to offer many of the staples of the

MOFGA is pleased to announce the keynote speaker lineup for the 2023 Common Ground Country Fair. Each day of the Fair, keynote speeches are presented from 11 a.m. to noon on the common. First up, on Friday, September 22, is Ryan Parker, farmer, writer, and FoodCorps Impact and Partnerships Lead, Maine. Parker’s keynote “Kids Learn

Tickets are on sale now for the 47th annual Common Ground Country Fair at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center in Unity, Maine. The fair, the premier event of MOFGA, will take place on September 22, 23 and 24.  MOFGA’s annual celebration of rural living offers something for everyone. This year, MOFGA is excited to welcome

MOFGA is astounded by Governor Mills’ last minute veto of a bill (LD 398) that would ensure a farmworker’s right to minimum wage. Under current federal and Maine law, farmworkers are ensured of only $7.25 per hour (the federal minimum wage — unchanged since July of 2009), no overtime and no protected right to engage