By Will Bonsall MOFGA is celebrating its 50th year at a tumultuous time in our nation’s history. I am mindful that the organic movement was born out of tumultuous times. The year 1971 found us in a soul-wrenching war in Vietnam, a growth-thwarting oil crisis and a number of challenges to democratic institutions. So, what has
By Tim King In 1972 Ken and Roberta Horn, who were farming 140 acres near Plymouth, Maine, became the first of thousands of farms to be certified organic by MOFGA over the next half century. There were 26 more certifications granted by MOFGA that year. The number nearly doubled, to 47, the following year. That
Friday morning setup at the Common Ground Fair is my most favorite part of the entire weekend. The sun is rising high enough in the sky to dry the last of the dew. Farmers are spreading out their harvest while vendors are adjusting their wares. The smell of food is wafting through the crisp air.
Growing up in Maine with a potter for a mother meant that every year I attended the Common Ground Country Fair. Those were my favorite vending days. I’d get to explore the Fair for the weekend and watch my mother do some amazing trades with other artisans. I’d hop from booth to booth wishing I
I learned to bake bread at the fair! I was the only non-affiliated volunteer with the Maine Grain Alliance the first year they started baking bread for the Common Kitchen. It was an amazing group of experienced home and professional bakers from all walks of life, who were so welcoming to a newbie like me
It was Friday, September 22, 2006 and my sweetheart Hans and I drove from Brooklin to Unity to camp out overnight in the south parking lot before heading into the fairgrounds the next morning. We were in our old Toyota Tacoma and had fitted the back with a small mattress and camp stove, and after
This story appeared in the 2020-2021 winter issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener in response to the theme, “The Fair.” My favorite volunteer gig for the Fair is what I call “the Rose Gate Wrangler.” I got up very early: When the sheep bells started ringing really loud and the rooster started crowing,
This story appeared in the 2020-2021 winter issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener in response to the theme, “The Fair.” My wife and I built a straw bale home in 2007, and we met our builder at the Fair in the Energy and Shelter Area. That was a really great experience. We developed
This story appeared in the 2020-2021 winter issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener in response to the theme, “The Fair.” I’ve been farming in Maine since 1981. I actually moved back to the East Coast around that time and came to the 1981 Common Ground Fair, which was held in Windsor. It was
This story appeared in the 2020-2021 winter issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener in response to the theme, “The Fair.” The first time I went to the Fair was in ’79 or ’78. Mort Mather, who was a deeply involved member and founder of a lot of wonderful things at MOFGA, was running a station with an old carnival
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