For 50 years, the Common Ground Country Fair has been more than an annual event. It has been a gathering place for a movement rooted in organic agriculture, food justice, environmental stewardship, and the belief that communities can build healthier futures together. One of the most visible and enduring expressions of that movement has been the Fair’s posters.
From the beginning, Common Ground Country Fair posters were never just about announcing dates and locations. They were calls to action that reflected shared values of care for the soil, respect for labor, mutual aid, creativity, and joy. Long before sustainability entered everyday language, these images captured a community already imagining and practicing another way of living with the land.
Seen together, the posters trace the evolution of Maine’s organic movement. They mark moments of urgency and hope, resistance and celebration, continuity and change. As farming practices evolved, environmental concerns intensified, and new generations joined the work, the posters responded, grounded in a consistent vision of cooperation and care.
The artists behind these posters were not working apart from the movement. Many were farmers, activists, craftspeople, or deeply connected to MOFGA and the Fair community. Each poster reflects both an individual artistic voice and a collective story shaped by shared values and relationships.
To honor this legacy, MOFGA is presenting a traveling exhibition of all 50 Fair posters as part of the Fair’s 50th anniversary celebration. The exhibition will be on view at the Maine State House in Augusta from June through August 2026, before moving to Waterville Creates in September 2026. The Waterville opening will be celebrated with a First Friday Block Party on September 4, inviting the community to gather, reflect, and celebrate together.
Bringing all 50 posters together allows us to see a history often experienced one Fair at a time. Anchored by a companion publication, the exhibition extends the reach of the Fair beyond the fairgrounds, inviting new audiences to engage with the ideas and values that have sustained the Fair for five decades.
At a moment when food systems, climate resilience, and community connection feel increasingly fragile, these posters remind us that lasting change is built through persistence, creativity, and care. As the Common Ground Country Fair marks its 50th year, this exhibition affirms that its greatest legacy is not only what has been grown or taught, but the movement it continues to nourish — one that will carry forward on common ground for generations to come.
Stay tuned for more details by keeping an eye on MOFGA’s events calendar, or sign up for our newsletter.