Common Ground Fair promises education, fun and a little magic

UNITY – The Common Ground Fair, gearing up for its 28th year this September, is known by many names: the alternative fair, the organic fair, the green fair, the healthy fair, even the hippie fair.

But for those who annually swell the tiny town of Unity’s population from 1,893 to 60,000, it is just pure magic.

Whether it’s learning how to build a better chicken coop, participating in a manure pitch contest or hearing about the latest in homeopathic medicine, there is something for everyone at Common Ground. Music is nonstop, the aromas of healthful, Maine-grown food fill the air, and the children’s activity area bubbles over with the sound of laughter.

The celebration of rural living is held on the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association’s 230-acre site, which is dedicated to organic farming and gardening, protecting the environment and overall healthy living. It will run from Friday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 26, celebrating lifestyles that are pure and healthy.

“If there’s one lesson we all should have learned in the full generation since the first Earth Day, it’s that everything is connected,” Russell Libby, executive director of MOFGA, said. “As organic farmers and gardeners, we see the results of action – or inaction -in the quality of the food we harvest.

“Maine has a realistic chance of being the first state to make a real commitment to the kind of local, organic agriculture we’ve been building for the past 30 years.”

During the three-day fair, more than 20,000 people a day will trek to Unity to experience the event, which is staffed by more than 1,000 volunteers.

The fair provides an opportunity to learn, discuss and observe organic farming, alternative lifestyles and sustainable agriculture. There also are craftspeople, food vendors and folk artists, and everything must be made or grown in Maine. The political action tent and workshops are always popular, as are the livestock areas and the huge farmers market.

Some workshops could have been held in the 1800s, as they espouse traditional farming or living methods, while others embrace new technology.

Fair director Barbara Luce said Monday that some of the changes that fair-goers will find this year are a revamping of the agricultural equipment area, expansion of the livestock area, a new livestock speakers tent, expansion of the entire fair area and the addition of some outdoor tables and chairs for resting.

Maine has 250 certified organic farmers, and at least that many grow organically but do not seek certification. Fair organizers say the Common Ground Fair can provide balance in a world of complex issues, as exhibited by the variety in this year’s three keynote speakers.

They are Jason Kafka, local farmer from Charleston; Lynn Miller of Kansas, publisher of Small Farmer’s Journal; and Percy Schmeiser, a canola farmer from Saskatchewan, Canada, who was sued by Monsanto after his farm was contaminated with genetically engineered canola.

More information on events, schedules and activities can be found at www.mofga.org.