On Jan. 14, 2021, at the annual meeting of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), the organization kicked off a year-long celebration of MOFGA’s 50th anniversary by unveiling the 2021 Common Ground Country Fair poster. The design, featuring a bountiful tree, showcases fruits and vegetables that are available at the height of Maine’s growing season. Artist Kathryn Cody Russell of Limington, Maine, created this creative and celebratory design for the 45th Common Ground Country Fair, to be held on September 24, 25 and 26, 2021.

In addition to the poster, which celebrates MOFGA’s 50th anniversary, several other activities are underway to take place throughout the year. These include revisiting some favorite Common Ground Country Fair T-shirt designs, a celebration in August to mark the anniversary of MOFGA’s first meeting, a book that will be co-published with Down East Books, and celebrations throughout the year.

Sarah Alexander, MOFGA’s executive director, says, “One unique aspect of the MOFGA community is our willingness to share stories and resources with each other. In the coming year we plan to take a look back through the archives, from that first meeting of a small, curious and determined group in 1971 to the present. And we also intend to look forward and imagine how we want to shape the next 50 years.”

Members of the community who would like to share stories about MOFGA or the Common Ground Country Fair can do so at the organization’s website: www.mofga.org

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association is a broad-based community that educates about ad advocates for organic agriculture, illuminating its interdependence with a healthy environment, local food production, and thriving communities.