In its first 10 years the Tour de Farms has been centered around Shoreham/Orwell and then Bristol/Monkton/New Haven. ACORN (Addison County Relocalization Network), which organizes the annual biking farm tour, recently announced that the 11th Annual Tour de Farms will visit farms in the Vergennes area. It’s slated for Sept. 16. The new venue and the later date will allow the Tour to link up with growing local food celebration — that afternoon the Eat on the Green Food and Music Festival will take place in downtown Vergennes.
The 2018 tour, which will take place Sunday, Sept. 16, will feature a 30-mile route with six farm stops and a shorter, kid-friendly 10-mile route for those who prefer a more relaxed adventure. The 30-mile route leaves from Vergennes Union High School between 8:30-9:30 a.m., and a 10-mile route departs between 10 and 10:30 a.m.
The Tour de Farms links two great activities that center on health: outdoor exercise and healthy local foods.
Over 30 local farms, food businesses and restaurants will be participating. Sample everything from organic fruit smoothies to pulled pork to maple scones.
So far, the 2018 farm stops include:
•           Boundbrook Farm
•           Flower Power VT
•           Adam’s Berry Farm
•           Philo Ridge Farm
•           Kimball Brook Farm
•           Nea Tocht Farm
The terrain includes small hills with some short, steep rises. Mountain bikes or road bikes with wide tires are strongly recommended due to loose gravel. Participants will be sharing the road with cars. ACORN recommends the Tour for children over 14 years old, children younger than 14 should be experienced road riders and must be accompanied by an adult. A map of the final route will be provided at registration on Sept. 16.
The second annual Eat on the Green Food and Music Festival ditches the bike but keeps the local food. At this event, from noon to 6 p.m. on the City Green, participants will be invited to sample delicious bites from our area’s popular restaurants and eateries. Enjoy live bands and a cash bar hosted by Bar Antidote, and the kids can take part in fun activities. Admission for this event has not yet been released.
The Tour de Farms was featured in Outside Magazine in 2015 when listing Middlebury as one of the 16 best places to live in the U.S. and the 2016 Tour was highlighted in “The Local Motive” series on Vermont PBS.
The Tour is limited to 500 riders. The price for a ticket to ride starts at adults $50 / kids under age 18 $25 through June 17 and go up incrementally to adults $75 / kids $50 on the day of the event. Head online to acornvt.org/tourdefarms for full details and to purchase tickets. Online registration ends Sept 10.