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John Ewing / Staff Photographer
Those are the ingredients of the Tour de Farms, an annual celebration of cycling, Maine farms and locally grown food. This year's event will take place on Sunday, starting at the Morris Farm in Wiscasset.
Participants will choose one of four bicycle rides that range in length from eight miles to 100 miles. All of the rides take them through rolling farmland on the midcoast, where they stop at farms along the way. At the rest stops, their choices range from relaxing under a shady tree with a cool drink and homemade baked goods to taking a farm tour to see the animals and crops.
They can also shop at farm stands for fresh produce, which is delivered back to the starting point so participants don't have to lug their purchases around on their bikes.
After the ride, everyone will return to the Morris Farm off Route 27, which hosts the annual event, for a barbecue featuring local foods.
The menu this year includes hamburgers, lamb kabobs, farm- fresh salads and homemade ice cream.
"It's a very yummy ride and a lot of fun," said Jeffrey Miller, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and a past participant.
The event, now in its ninth year, includes some changes and additions, said Bo Gallup, executive director of the Morris Farm, a nonprofit organization. The mission of the 60-acre working farm is to support and promote local agriculture through education, demonstrations and community involvement. Tour de Farms participants can tour Morris Farm and take hayrides there.
Gallup said one big change this year is that the Tour de Farms is a benefit for an organization called FARMS, which stands for Focus on Agriculture in Rural Maine Schools.
The organization educates students about nutrition and the role of farms in providing healthy food, and assists schools in buying local produce for their school lunch programs.
Amy Winston, a co-founder of FARMS, said the group has worked out an agreement with School Union 74 in Lincoln County for a pilot project to serve local foods such as fruits and vegetables in school lunches for 15 weeks starting this fall. The district serves Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Newcastle, Nobleboro and South Bristol.
Funds raised by Tour de Farms will go toward the $5,000 that FARMS still needs for the project, Gallup and Winston said.
The cost of the ride, with barbecue included, is $40 for adults and $18 for riders 18 and under. For those attending only the barbecue, which will begin at 3:30 p.m., the cost is $15.
The event is designed for all ages and athletic abilities.
It includes a 100-mile ride, known as a century ride, for serious cyclists; a 50-mile ride; and an eight-mile ride designed for families.
Also new this year is a 20-mile intermediate ride, Gallup said. The rides begin at varying times.
Sharon Miller of Newcastle said she may do the 20-mile loop this year while her husband, David, does the century.
Miller, who helps organize the event, said one reason she enjoys the Tour de Farms is "I'm a nurse and I like the tie between healthy eating and exercise."
She said the rides are beautiful because they go through hilly farmland, past blueberry barrens and along rivers.
"I think it brings a focus to the importance of keeping some land in agricultural use," she said. "It can be an eye-opening experience for people."
Jan Goranson, an owner of the Goranson Farm in Dresden, said farmers enjoy the event.
"It's great to have the people biking stop and relax on our farm," said Goranson, who said the farm has been a stop on the Tour de Farms for years. The farm will be one of those supplying food to School Union 74 this fall.
At her farm, Goranson said, riders rest, buy baked goods and produce at the farm store, and take tours to see the pigs and chickens and greenhouses.
Some cyclists already know the farmers from buying their produce...
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