Casco Bay Soap Co.

My friend Angela and I went to The Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine on Friday.  It is an amazing, 3 day fair put on by The Maine Organic Farmer And Gardeners Association (  http://www.mofga.org/ ).   Full of soo much to see, do, learn, eat!  Livestock, Herbs, Health & Healing, Food,  Fleece, Farmers Market, Farm & Homestead, Youth Tent, Exhibition Hall, Environment, Entertainment and soo much more!  I knew about 7 or 8 vendors selling their amazing crafts, giving talks or selling food. Here are some pictures from the fair...

Every year they have a new poster, this one is just beautiful! Garlic scapes!

Here is a shot of the fairgrounds before it got too busy....it was an overcast day, but a comfortable fall day.

And here we move into the craft area...pretty wooden spoons!

Fun pottery/clay slabs with old fashioned carvings.

 Here we are visiting our friend Jinger of Yo Mammas Apron Strings.  

She makes very cute and fun retro aprons.  Jinger made me a special Casco Bay Soap Co. apron last year.

(Again, very dark in the tent, maybe I need to learn how to use my camera better!) This is Jeff, he is a wood turner.  Makes amazing bowls (I have one), rolling pins and here you see some people crouching in the foreground spinning the tops he makes.

 Inside the big crafts tent was a bit dim, but here we are stopping to see our friend Sara who makes Deliha Pottery.  I LOVE her style.  I have 2 mugs that I enjoy drinking my nightly tea from.  :)

Again, dim inside the tent, but these folks are our market friends Charlie & Terrill and they make up Tandem Glass.  I have a beautiful white glass bowl that they made.  The have gorgeous items!

Evelyn selling her beautiful wood burning and painted artwork.  Her little girl is hiding behind her!  Soo cute!

Inside the Youth tent...we know this lad!  Well, we know him, but we don't think he knows us.  He is part of Swallowtail Farm Kids!  Swallowtail Farm is in Whitefield and our friend Lauren vends with us at the Brunswick Winter Market and her kids are very involved in the farm.  Here they have made soda pop!  A crowded table prevented us from getting close, but they were selling Rootbeer, Sarsaparilla and Elderberry Pop that they made!  I am sure they sold out!

 These girls were selling cute felted acorns and dolls, I just loved them!

 And in the foodie section of the fair I found this farmer roasting her peppers! Soo cool!

 And packaged up ready to take home!  I wish I bought some...

Cool vertical planting idea.

Learn about Maine apples....

 Our Freeport Farmers Market friend Lucy, selling Lucy's Granola!!

Time for lunch!  I choose a grilled cheese and Angela enjoyed some Indian food.  There was Wood Fired Pizza, Soups, Sandwiches, Smoothies, Ice Cream, Hot Chai, Potato Chips, Fish Tacos, you name it!

 And of course, I checked out the soaps and bought some too.  I do enjoy homemade soap and admire all these soap makers selling their handmade soaps.

 And over in another area, there were spinners, just sitting and spinning their fleece in the middle of the fair!

 Johnny's Selected Seeds has a massive display at the Fair. Here are some of their gardens.

Learn about compost with worms (I think it is a very cool thing)!

 Oh, and this is fun (but hard to see) they bake beans in a beanhole.  Digging a hole in the ground, staring a good hot fire and lower a bean pot down into the ground, covering it with soil and cooking the beans for hours. When they are ready, folks line up for a bowl of beans!  Fun!  I want to do this in my backyard! 

And HOW COOL!

 Here they are busy rolling out the pretzels, getting ready for the crowds!

And over in the livestock area, Scottish Highland Cows!

And a "Wee one too!

We had a great time at the Fair!  I plan to go back next year and bring my childhood friend, she is looking forward to it!