Kid Friendly, Dog Friendly, Heart Friendly - The Orono Farmer's Market

Ah, harvest time.
Fresh vegetables, fruit and bread.  What better way to start a late summer Saturday INORONO.

Since 1994 the Orono Farmer's Market has been bringing local residents together to visit, to chat and shop for our families.  Located in the University Steam Plant Parking Lot generally between Graduation and Homecoming, and in the Downtown Parking Lot, generally from Mid October until May, the market is THE place to go for fresh products!  With thirty-three members, all who come do so with products they produce.  From Apples to Zucchini, Cheese to Sausage, Beef to Wheat Grass, you can find a wide assortment of delicious, fresh and AWESOME food products.

Of course, some of the products are season-specific but even in the dead of winter, there are root crops, meats, cider, and maple syrup.  Many are "organic" and all will leave you wanting more.

September though, is the best!  Fresh sweet corn, blueberries, and apples.  It doesn't get any better.

So come visit if you haven't already discovered it.
Tuesdays 2p-5:30p June-October
Saturdays 8a-1p April-November

For more information on the Orono Farmer's Market please visit their website at www.oronofarmersmarket.org

The Orono Farmer's Market - INORONO

Festival of Fun INORONO

For the 34th consecutive year, the Orono Parks & Recreation Department have successfully hosted the Orono Village Festival Day.  Originally a Spring event, the Festival Day was moved to "late summer" about nine years ago as a means to welcome everyone in town back.  By welcome back they mean welcome the school kids back for a new school year, welcome new and returning University students, welcome new and returning faculty and welcome Alumni who might be bringing their own kids to Orono.

The 2011 Orono Village Festival was sponsored by Parks & Rec, Key Club, the Bear Brew Pub, the Thai Orchid, Verve and Pat's Pizza but was supplemented by a large contingent of dedicated volunteers from the Police Department, the Public Works and lots of others.  As in past years the day kicked off with the Daughters of Isabella's annual breakfast at the Fire Station followed by a road race. Soon Mill Street began filling up with folks coming to listen to live music and visit the booths of vendors of local art and crafts, food and drink along with fundraisers for local churches, Orono High School and various local organizations and political causes.

But really, it's all about the children.

Face painting, a bounce house and lots of games kept the kids, big and small alike, busy for hours.  There were lots of hugs, smiles, handshakes and laughter as the Community came together on a beautiful late summer day to celebrate in our Village and our community.

So if you missed it, remember the Orono Village Festival will be back for it's 35th year next year, right after school starts, downtown in the village, with open arms to all who want to share and participate; yet another great happening -- INORONO!

The Store &

Tucked into our Orono Downtown district is a little coffee shop (and much more, hence, the ampersand) that has been the source of many Orono residents' and visitors' caffeine fix since 1973.  Since 1995 however, the quiet, magician behind the curtain - John Bradson, and his sometimes excitable and always gregarious, partner (in life and business) Roberta have served as proprietors at The Store - Ampersand at 22 Mill Street.  The Store is my personal Saturday morning coffee and read-the-paper routine and has been for years.

While the huge chocolate chip cookies have topped the list of the single best selling item for most of the sixteen years John and Roberta have been at the helm, recently the pumpkin chocolate chip and the "everything" cookie, a confectionary concoction of an oatmeal cookie with cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips and nuts, have made inroads at becoming the #1 item.  Muffins, muffins, muffins are my #1 purchase.  As with all the baked goods, The Store uses soy-based shortening and milk, organic ingredients as much as possible and never uses high-fructose corn syrup.  The muffins are a meal of themselves and I highly recommend all varieties and suggest you eat them upside down, leaving the crown for last.

Coffee, though, is the main stay of most who come through the door, either on the run or to sit and savor for a few minutes.  Coffee is sold by the bean, ground or brewed.  You can have it plain or fancy and if you buy a Store coffee mug you can come in for a free cup on Wednesdays.  Free Coffee Wednesday in your Store mug has been going on for twenty four years and Roberta laughs when she remarks that she is certain there are still a handful of patrons who are using the very same mug first purchased in 1987.  It is not unusual for well over two-hundred cups to be consumed on Wednesdays.

The Store is a popular outlet for beer and wine and features imported and craft beers along with wine you won't see in the big stores and always at prices below the suggested retail price.

Catering to local students, university students (the free campus shuttle stops at the front door), alumni, campus visitors and us "townies," The Store & is a great little, locally owned and operated establishment where you can get organic vegetables, t-shirts, cards, blankets, yogurt-covered raisins AND your caffeine fix, along with many other items you probably cannot find at the big box stores in Bangor.

So when you are INORONO, shop local, sit and enjoy and if she doesn't have what you're looking for, ask!  The Store & is another example of what makes living INORONO special.

Blog and Photos by Steve Foster.