Food and Sense of Place
It’s August and it’s the time for gardens overflowing with zucchini and tomatoes, and it’s when the countryside is dotted with small, local agricultural fairs. These fairs are the ones that steal my heart with their sincerity and root me in a local sense of place.

This month I can’t wait for the return of my favorite one: the Heath Fair. Below I'm going to share why as we explore this month’s theme about Food and a Sense of Place.

What are some favorite memories of yours about going to small and local fairs? Do you go to soak in the local agriculture as a seasonal celebration like we do?

The Big Deal about Small Town Fairs
A growing appreciation of local food and agriculture is no secret. It’s why farmers’ markets and farm-to-table dinners are so popular all over, and why these fairs are so beloved.

As tradition would have it, we sort of eat our way through the Heath Fair, our favorite small, local agricultural fair. Our neighbors the Hagers are always there, selling their exquisite maple cream-covered fried dough. We continue on for lemonade, kettle corn, and French fries, ending with the Volunteer Fire Department Chicken Dinner.

All thoughts of calories and troubles are cast to the side. Instead, we’re focused on the perfectly groomed sheep, the zucchini race (you have to see this to believe it), and the local music.

For just a moment, no matter what our background, politics, religion, or identity might be, the sharing together of something that is locally created is priceless.

Agricultural Fairs and Blue Ribbons
Strolling the grounds or taking in the exhibit halls is like getting a hit of sense of place “dopamine” (the chemical our brain creates when we have a pleasurable feeling.)

What I adore the most are the competition tables of carefully arranged flowers, vegetables, and baked goods, each one entered with hopes of winning the blue-ribbon prize. I love the earnestness of each entry that has been so lovingly crafted, the energy invested in each perfect collection.

My second love is the draft horse pull where we root for each team, just because they showed up to compete, carrying on an old farming tradition. They all should win a prize in my book.

It’s a moment where time stands still, even as it moves forward.

It all adds up to feeling a deep connection to place.

Try this:
1) Attend a fair: Find an old-fashioned agricultural fair in your own area and attend, or, if
you live in New England, attend the Heath Fair. They are celebrating their 103rd year on August 21st and 22nd.

2) Imagine a backstory. A fair can be full of stories, real or imagined. A favorite song that captures this kind of romance is the “Roseville Fair” by Bill Staines and sung here by young Nanci Griffith. ( Note: This article is dedicated to Nanci who passed away on August, 13th. She was such an inspiration to me musically, and will be watching over us now “From a Distance.”)

A favorite book of mine that beautifully describes the kinship between family and the land is called Five Thousand Days Like This One by Jane Brox. I often share passages from this book as writing prompts in my classes.

3) Can you recall a powerful food and sense of place moment in your life? What’s a specific, seasonal local treat you love? Do you have a story or some memories around a sense of place connection about local agriculture and food?

Share a your story below!