Maine and the Athens Country Fair

Shaping our journey was a special map from Maine Fiberarts--144 studios and farms to visit.  Our copy was included with our registration for the Knitting Retreat at Medomak Camp.  It was a great tool as we planned this weekend as we drove to camp.  I think it was the first time Maine Fiberarts put this together.  According to their website it's already been a big hit with visitors.  I hope they do it again next summer.

"A Good Ole Country Fair," in Athens, Maine, was our first stop.  Though we'd missed the Spinner's Showcase" on Saturday, we definitely got our money's worth ($2.00 each and last copy of the program) the next day when we met two local exhibitors.  Leah O'Donnell talked spinning with Ron, gave him spin-tips, and a gift of white merino roving from one of her Falklands sheep.  Because her husband was a native, they'd retired to Maine from Rhode Island. Somewhat similar to our return to New York City.

Mary Ann Anton, showing me her handknit, prize-winning sweater spun from wool from her flock, filled me in on local environmental politics.  Now down to 6 sheep from the 40 she once had, she explained how arthritis had taken its toll along with the demands of dairy farming.  Athens, founded in 1804, has a major struggle in trying to prevent debris from other states being burned here by an out-of-town company.  Turns into hazardous waste and trucked into Massachusetts.  A moratorium has stopped this for the moment but the fight continues.   

Leah and Mary Ann were the first Mainers to tell us about Common Ground Country Fair, put on by the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association. It came up because they'd like the Athens fair to focus in a similar way on local agriculture and products.

Two teens came by, looked at the spinning wheels, "What's that for?"  I walked around the fiber displays with them, explained the connection to knitting and crochet.  It would have been good to have knitters there as sheep and wool fairs always do; my own knitting was in the car.  After we watched the Tractor Pull, we felt a little sad for the local people. The tractor event was orignially a competition around the strength of oxen, not tractors. Children's Arm Wrestling?  Maybe we're just too urban to understand.

The Bakery at Notre Dame was not on the Fiberarts map. We saw a sign for it, noticed it was on "Shaker Hill Road." It was a beautiful campus-- must have been a Shaker village at one time, judging from the dormitory-style buildings that looked like ones we've seen at Shaker sites.  Operated by York County Shelter Programs, in addition to making  breads, pastries, pies also provides meals for two free-meals kitchens (Mon-Fri), and three meals a day for the Family and Adult Shelter residents, while running a vocational training program for Shelter clients. Bought a tasty berry pie...another time we'll go back, take photos, find out its history. 

Comments

[Susan aka SAZ]

I don't know - county fairs in California just aren't like they are on the East Coast. We're lacking something here. Have never seen quilts at our fair or any fiber arts!

[Susan aka SAZ]

Hi Naomi - Thanks for you sweet comments on my blog. And I just noticed I'm added to your blog list - Double Thanks!!

RE: those thoughts about moms - I've been reading your blog for awhile - seems to me you're a great mom....