Why is the Common Ground Fair held only once a year?

And for only three days?

OK, if you work on the Fair, three days is plenty.

For for the part-time outdoorsman or the small-time food producer, this fair is the most exciting and educational event in New England.

This year the fair is scheduled for Sept. 22-24.

It is held in Unity, which is due east of Waterville.

I mention this because last year I traveled to Union, which is due northwest of Rockland.

(The easily correctable mistake did enable me to take a picturesque ride north on Route 131, through Searsmont and other unheralded communities).

In fact, I hadn't been to the Fair since the early '90s when it was held in Windsor.

These were my favorite exhibits:

1. Wood stoves. There are always dozens of vendors showing the new versions of stoves.

Last year the big curiosity was a mammoth 6-foot by 6-foot wood-burning stove that operates outside the house.

The heat generated is (somehow) blown into the residence, reportedly heating large rooms as evenly as with systems of steam or electricity.

It might take 10 cords to get through the winter, but if you've got access to firewood it sounds like a plan.

2. Solar power. This is a glorious idea, though there aren't many high-visibility examples of it being deployed on a sustainable basis.

Take the last week. It rained for seven days.

What happens then?

Still, I go back to my original thought: Wouldn't it be great to get energy from that (oft elusive) sun.

3. The booths: The Fair is not overtly commercial, but there are many small businesses selling products.

I bought six bars of soap, which qualifies me as one of the least impulsive spenders of the weekend.

Also, the political booths project ideas that are rarely encountered in other venues.

Where else are you going to see a dozen volunteers manning a booth whose theme is the accusation that Nestle and other multinationals are draining Maine of its fresh water (for Poland Spring, Avian etc.)?

Very thought provoking.

4. The collegiality of the crowd. In an era of rising prices and intrusive marketing campaigns, it's a treat to attend an event where visitors are paying homage to the earth and its preservation - not the dollar or the career or the starter mansion.

Yes, the Fair is a great resource.

I just wish it lasted more than three days.

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