Made in Maine kicks off the 18th season with a visit to
the Common Ground Fair in Unity, which just celebrated its
29th year in September 2005. Fair Director Barbara Luce gives
us a guided tour of the fair and explains the role of the
fair’s sponsor, MOFGA -- the Maine Organic Farmers
and Gardener’s Association. Lou McNally also introduces
viewers to organic farming and foods made from organic produce.
Made in Maine takes a closer look at some of the fair's
exhibitors, including Two Loons Farm, an organic dairy in Vassalboro where Colby College graduates Spencer Aitel (Class
of '77) and his partner, Paige Tyson ('76), have been farming
organically on 350 acres since the early 1980’s. Organic
Jersey milk from their farm is used in Stonyfield Yogurt,
and Johnny's Selected Seeds purchases some of their rye,
oat and wheat seeds.
Viewers also learn about native Maine-grown grain at
the Webb Family Farm in Pittston, where three generations
of the Webb family -- Don, Kathy, their two daughters and
Don's father, plus a stable of Belgian workhorses -- are
actively growing wheat, spelt, and oats. Rather than selling
wholesale to a mill, the Webbs decided to add value to their
grain through a range of products that they market themselves.
At Grandy Oats Granola, which operates
out of an historic former dairy barn in Brownfield,
owners Nat Pierce (who bought the business in 1996) and Aaron
Anker (who came aboard in 2000) use locally grown grains
and all-Maine ingredients while at the same time directing
some of their labor and profits toward socially responsible
causes.
