4th annual Tour de Farms this Saturday

The Massachusetts Avenue Project and GO Bike Buffalo are proudly hosting the 4th annual Tour de Farms this Saturday September 15th, 2012, a celebration of local food and sustainable transportation. The event is being sponsored by Independent Health, Accent Stripe, Quaker Crossing and The Buffalo News

Three years ago, the Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP)--in an effort to highlight locally grown food and the important rural-urban connection --started something that they may not have known would become such a growing tradition: the Tour de Farms. Not only does it demonstrate local, sustainable food production in Buffalo and Western New York, the event is in itself a demonstration of sustainable transportation in the form of a mass bicycle ride.

After a light breakfast and check-in at parking lot M1 of Buffalo State, riders will make their way to gardens and farms throughout the city, stopping at MAP's Growing Green Urban Farm, the Trinity-Tupper Community Garden, EAT Market in the Niagara Food Terminal and taking a break at the half-way point: Bipperts Farm in Elma. There they will be joined by some riders for the second half of the Tour, which will end at Oles Family Farm in Alden. At the Oles Farm riders will enjoy the delicious feast that is the Local Food Celebration, drink Flying Bison beer and will be once again entertained by the Outer Circle Orchestra.

GO Bike Buffalo will be providing support during the ride again this year as well as providing free bike tune-ups for riders before the ride.   Tune-ups will take place this Friday, September 14^th from 7 to 9pm at the GO Bike Community Workshop, 98 Colvin Ave., where there will also be in-person registration and early check-ins.

You can register for the ride here, and you can get more information (like the schedule and route map) through the MAP or GO Bike Buffalo websites. There are options for the full ride (32 miles), a half-ride (16 miles), or the Local Food Celebration only. GO Bike Buffalo members, as well as teams of 10 or more, receive discounts on registration.

The Massachusetts Avenue Project is dedicated to helping everyone have access to fresh healthy food, providing enriching and economic opportunities to at-risk youth and promoting our local food system.

GO Bike Buffalo is working to foster bicycle culture and improve the local conditions for bicycling by creating healthy, environmentally sustainable, community-friendly transportation options region wide.

We hope you'll come on this scenic ride emphasizing the importance of sustainable transportation and supporting our local food systems as we travel from urban farm to rural farm by bicycle!