Common Ground Fair

Today was our first day at the fair, which is sponsored by MOFGA - the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association. It is considered one of the best agricultural fairs in the East, maybe in the country, attended by 10's of thousands of people, yet with a home-spun flavor. Lots of exhibits, demonstrations, workshops, crafts, music, food booths, etc. No midway, no rides, nothing like that. And the theme is "alternative," - ways to grow, market and consume food that are earth-friendly, small-scale, non-chemical, energy-saving, healthy, etc.

We met our friends, Phil and Deborah McKean, who summer in Cushing, ME and are at Pilgrim Place, Claremont, CA the rest of the year, a retirement community esp. for clergy, missionaries, teachers, etc. Phil qualifies in all three categories. My friendship with the McKeans goes back to 1964 in Providence, RI, where I was a chaplain at Brown University and a graduate student in Religious Studies, and Phil was an assistant minister at Central Congregational Church and a graduate student in Anthropology. A long friendship! Whenever we're together we always talk about important things and laugh a lot. 

Today we met at noon, bought fish tacos, and sat at a picnic table, talking and eating. Then we watched the amazing demonstrations of sheep dogs corralling small herds of sheep, goats and ducks - immensely entertaining. They always bring a group of children out to see if they can manage the animals as well as the dogs, and of course they never can, but it's fun to see them try. After that we got an early supper and had a bit more time together at one of the performance tents where there was a place to sit. It was good fair weather - if anything a bit on the cool side. After P&D left, Ellen and I looked around a bit more and left at about. 6p.m. We'll go back tomorrow and probably Sunday too. There is a lot to see! 

                   Phil and Deborah McKean

                              Herding sheep and goats....

                                ....and ducks.

               A satirical exhibit devoted to stamping out big $$ from politics. 

                              And six very content piglets