Train-linked farm and sustainability campus

MOFGA Common Ground Education Center

About 2.4 miles straight-line from Unity Station; special trains serve the fair platform

Add the independent MOFGA campus for gardens, orchards, forest walks, sustainability programs, or the 50th Common Ground Country Fair reached by special B&ML trains.

The place

About MOFGA Common Ground Education Center

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association's Common Ground Education Center occupies more than 300 acres of farmland and forest in Unity. The campus supports year-round workshops, demonstrations, meetings, gardens, orchards, low-impact forestry, a library, the Hills to Sea Trail, and the annual Common Ground Country Fair.

Visitors are welcome year-round for scheduled events, demonstrations, outdoor exploration, and open space. The main grounds include a north and south orchard, gardens and high tunnels, woods, wetlands, a sugarbush, Russell's Poetry Grove near the railroad stop, and a segment of the 60-mile Hills to Sea Trail.

The 50th annual fair is September 25-27, 2026. MOFGA publishes 9 a.m.-6 p.m. hours Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, with more than 1,000 exhibitors and speakers. The detailed 2026 program is due in August; do not substitute last year's schedule.

The B&ML fair trains are a direct trip connection, but railroad tickets and fair admission are separate. MOFGA offers free fair admission to persons with disabilities and one attending person, while the railroad states that its historic cars are not wheelchair-accessible. A fair ticket benefit therefore does not make the train route accessible.

What stands out

Walk a living education campus

Use orchards, gardens, fields, forest, wetlands, and demonstrations to see organic agriculture and land stewardship outside the three-day fair.

Find the railroad-linked poetry grove

Russell's Poetry Grove sits in the woods near the railroad stop and connects the campus landscape to the train trip.

Build the fair as a two-ticket day

Reserve fair admission and the railroad separately, then follow the event's exact boarding, parking, animal, and arrival directions.

Check the access chain

MOFGA publishes meaningful fair access benefits, but the connecting historic train is not wheelchair-accessible; plan each segment independently.

Pair it with the train

Why it belongs in a Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad trip

The education center is about 2.4 straight-line miles from Unity Station. On ordinary days it is a short separate drive; during the September fair, special trains serve the fair platform from Unity and Thorndike under event-specific parking, animal, ticket, and access rules.

Before you go

Plan your visit

  • Year-round visitVisitors are welcome for events, demonstrations, open space, gardens, orchards, woods, and trails; check the event calendar before a facilities-dependent trip
  • 2026 fairSept. 25-27; Friday-Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; full program published in August
  • Fair admission$20 advance/$25 late adult; $17 advance/$20 late elder 65+ or youth 13-17; age 12 and under free; every free admission still needs a reserved ticket
  • Disability admissionFree daily for a person with a disability and one attending person; tickets still must be reserved
  • GroundsMore than 300 acres with gardens, orchards, forest demonstrations, wetlands, poetry grove, open space, and a Hills to Sea Trail segment
  • Rail connectionSpecial fair trains use separate train tickets and event parking; the historic railroad cars are not wheelchair-accessible
  • PetsPets are not allowed at the fair or in fair parking; service animals follow current event rules
  • FacilitiesRental information identifies an accessible Exhibition Hall ramp, seasonal comfort station, drinking water, and outdoor capacity, but event setup can change routes
  • WeatherMuch of the campus and fair is outdoors; bring weather protection and confirm any event-specific cancellation notice

Continue through Waldo County

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Useful answers

Frequently asked questions

Is the education center open only during the fair?

No. MOFGA welcomes visitors year-round for events, demonstrations, open space, gardens, orchards, woods, and trails.

When is the 2026 Common Ground Country Fair?

September 25-27, with 9 a.m.-6 p.m. hours Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

Does a B&ML train ticket include fair admission?

No. Train riders entering the fair need both a train ticket and valid fair admission.

Is fair admission free for children?

Children age 12 and under enter free, but MOFGA says a ticket still must be reserved.

What access benefit does the fair publish?

A person with a disability and one attending person receive free fair admission with reserved tickets. This does not override the railroad's statement that its historic cars are inaccessible to wheelchairs and walkers.

Can I bring a pet?

No. MOFGA prohibits pets on the fairgrounds and in fair parking. Check current service-animal procedures before arrival.

What can I see outside fair weekend?

Gardens, orchards, forest and climate demonstrations, wetlands, a sugarbush, Russell's Poetry Grove, open space, and a Hills to Sea Trail segment.

Trust and accuracy

Sources

Source checked 2026-08-15. This free guide has not yet been confirmed by the venue. Current hours, prices, services, and accessibility can change; confirm time-sensitive details directly.