The Common Ground Fair

In the last weekend of September, fifty thousand people descend on a small organic farm in Unity, Maine to celebrate rural living, local crafts, sustainable lifestyles and local farming.

Hand made ladders: more bars in more places.

Curing a deer hide in preparation for tanning a hide with mayonnaise. He got the half moon on his left index finger from a casual, "slaughtering a chicken."

Chop Chop, these axes were used to shape beams.

This guy is the real deal. The Maine Guide badge denotes his title and his Maine Hunting shoes complement his Johnson Woolmills digs.

Chestnuts roasting on the opening fire.

The Maine Hunting Shoe was all over the place. I want a pair!

Well loved.

This guy has probably slept outside a night or two; all wool and leather, a pair of Quoddys and a bow drill.

This team makes barns and other structures without nails, using only hand cut beams.

This single beveled broad axe is used for putting the finishing touches on each beam.

Hand-made snowshoes and canoe paddles.

I want one so badly.

I love the Common Ground Fair because it reminds me of a life without computers and iPhones.

Here are some more links,
Common Ground Fair (Picasa),
Common Ground Fair.

The Fat of The Land

I am interested in basing a brand around a blog. At the heart of a brand lies a core philosophy that defines purpose and product. Most brands rely on physical products as the primary means to convey their ideals. For example, a Submariner conveys Rolex's message of supreme quality, heritage, and exclusivity. A Prius conveys Toyota's commitment to protecting the environment and creating quality automobiles. Toyota and Rolex first built quality products and then established brands around these products.

Technology is changing this paradigm. Now, a brand can define itself through online content such as photos, editorials or selection of other quality content. In other words, a brand can now establish itself and gain traction before selling its first product. Hypebeast could leverage their online following and authority on streetwear to create a collaboration with Nike or Adidas on a limited edition sneaker. Will Common Projects collaborate with Selectism?

For the last few months I have been toying around the idea of starting a blog(and hopefully a brand) with my friend Edge. Based around self reliance, a connection to nature, rustication and exploration, we call our collection of photos and writings The Fat of The Land.

Rusticate, Verb

Rusticate- Verb: OED
1. intr. To go or retire into the country; to stay or sojourn in the country; to assume rural manners, to live a country life.
2. trans. a. To dismiss or ‘send down’ from a university for a specified time, as a punishment.
b. To remove or send (one) into, settle (one) in, the country. Also refl.

Example: Disenchanted with the grind of urban life, James rusticated, selling his belongings and moving to the backwoods of Maine.