This past weekend was the annual Common Ground Fair, held at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association grounds in Unity in the rolling fields of Waldo County. Unity is home to Unity College, focusing on sustainability science and sustainable agriculture, which shouldn’t come as a great surprise. It’s one of the places in Maine where you really can’t get there from here — and yet thousands of people do, from all over the country, every year, rain or shine.

Among them are people from the Mid-coast whose common interests — living lightly on the planet and sustainable living — outweighs the difficulty of making their way to this tiny out-of-the-way town.

Among them was Gold Star Honeybees, located on Whiskeag Road in Bath.

Gold Star has developed a type of hive called a top bar hive, which they say is more natural for the bees and encourages female development (an important thing for beekeeping, because females are the workers who bring back the pollen, look after the larvae, keeping the hive healthy and growing, and make the honey).

Bees are the newest, coolest pets because they can pollinate urban farms, too.

Gold Star Honeybees is planning a couple of intensive classes in the next two months. The first is at Salt Run Farm in Penobscot Oct. 5 and 6.

Tuition for “bee school” is $175 for both days. The course will be led by Christy Hemenway, author of “The Thinking Beekeeper,” which is also available at Gold Star Honeybees or by mail.

The second “bee school” is at Wiscasset Community Center, Nov. 23- 24. Tuition is $175, and organic breakfast and lunch is served. To sign up for a class or order a book or a hive, call 449-1121.

Maine Authors Publishing out of Rockland was also on hand, with book signings by a few featured authors over the course of the weekend, as well as information for Maine authors who would like to be published.

Maine Authors Publishing is a coop, in which the company handles some of the details, such as setting up book signings, typesetting and providing illustrations in some cases, while the author gets on with what he or she does best. Because they print in small batches, small publishing is a more sustainable choice. Books aren’t being printed that aren’t needed.

Maine Authors Publishing holds classes in editing and self-publishing, writing memoirs and independent publishing for Maine writers. Upcoming courses include a memoir writing course in Freeport, 6 to 8:15 p.m Oct. 17; and in Brunswick on from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 5. There will be a self-publishing class in Gardiner from 6 to 8:15 p.m. Oct. 10 and an editing class at Skidompha Library in Damariscotta from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 19. For more information about the courses or publishing with Maine Authors Publishing, call 594-0091.

Romney Ridge Farm was also at Common Ground.

This little sheep farm and yarn business, nestled not far off U.S. Route 1 in Woolwich, is Kelly Corbett’s brainchild. She raises her own sheep, dyes her own yarn, makes adorable needle felting kits and even claims that she can teach a rank amateur the basics of knitting.

This remains to be seen.

Romney Ridge yarns are washed in Waldoboro and spun using oldfashioned techniques in Harmony, Maine, and at the Green Mountain Spinnery in Vermont. They are then returned to the farm to be dyed. Corbett also publishes an annual calendar and notecards featuring her Romney sheep.

She is hoping to put together a knitting circle before the season gets too far along; check the website at www.romneyridgefarm.com for more information.

Shift Sustainable Home Goods is a shop on Maine Street in Brunswick. They are winding down their business at the moment, which is a real shame, because the store features things the sustainable buyer can’t get anywhere else. Imagine using a completely reusable piece of beeswax to cover a bowl, or wrap a loaf of homemade bread to keep it fresh.

Need more information about setting up a wormery for winter composting? Or about making your own yogurt? Got a fruit fly problem and don’t want to use chemicals in your kitchen? Need to dry your herbs and the outdoor weather isn’t cooperating? Want a water bottle made from old-fashioned glass covered protectively in soft plastic? This is the place to go.

In years past, the store has offered a number of classes, including a popular fermentation class. Given the situation, it’s unclear whether the courses will take place this year. For more information, call them at 729-4050.

The Mid-coast may be second only to Unity in terms of sustainable living.

But if you missed the Common Ground Fair, you can still visit your neighbors who were there.

ghamilton@timesrecord.com