After a two-year hiatus, the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) will again host Bike the Barns, its recreational bicycle tour of North Country farms, local food businesses and agricultural landscapes, on Saturday, October 8th.
The one-day bike ride will start and finish at The Hub on the Hill, a food processing and distribution hub and retail store in Essex, and include farm tours at Reber Rock Farm and Echo Farm, also in Essex, and Juniper Hill Farm in Wadhams. Supported by BikeADK, a Saranac Lake-based company that specializes in regional bicycle events, Bike the Barns will feature additional points of interest, a finish line celebration with local food and live music, and other opportunities to engage with the Adirondack North Country’s local food movement.
The main route for this year’s event will take riders along 25-30 miles of rural roads with views of the Adirondack High Peaks, Lake Champlain and the farms, forests and brilliant fall foliage of the Champlain Valley. Riders will have the opportunity to tour and meet farmers from Reber Rock Farm, a 125-acre draft powered family farm that specializes in pastured-raised organic meats; Echo Farm, a 170-acre diversified, regenerative farm and catering operation; and Juniper Hill Farm, an organic farm that produces fresh vegetables for local restaurants and grocers, farmers’ markets and community supported agriculture (CSA) shareholders. Bike the Barns participants will also learn from Hub on the Hill staff about the variety of services the Hub provides for local farmers and consumers, including value-added food processing, packing, distribution and marketing.
The $75 registration fee for Bike the Barns includes a clearly marked route, mechanical support, farm tours, additional points of interest, a local food meal and an event t-shirt. Registration costs will jump to $85 on June 1st and $95 on August 23rd. Supporters who do not wish to ride are invited to enjoy the finish-line celebration at a reduced rate.
For more information about Bike the Barns and to register, click here. Questions may be directed to ANCA at localfoodsystems@adirondack.org or (518) 891-6200 or Doug Haney of BikeADK at doug@bikeadk.org or (518) 524-4674.
Photo of Bike the Barns participants cycle past farm fields and mountain views provided.
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