Submission by Kevin Barton:
The Massachusetts Avenue Project’s 2nd Annual Tour de Farms is taking place Saturday September 11th from 7:30am-6pm. MAP’s Tour de Farms is a 30 Mile bicycle tour of urban and rural farms celebrating local food and the amazing bounty of Western New York. Biking is a great way to see the natural landscape, and this ride specifically emphasizes the urban and rural connection that is so important to the vitality of our local food system.
The ride will begin at Top’s on Grant Street. Registration will begin at 7:30AM with riders departing at 8:30AM. The tour will include stops at the MAP Farm, Cold Springs Farm, Wilson Street Farm and Curtis Urban Farm Foundation (CUFF) while in the city. Each of these stops will feature the amazing work in Urban Agriculture that is taking place right here in Buffalo. Additionally the ride will stop at Bipperts Farm in Elma, NY. For those riders who may be interested in a shorter ride, we are offering a 16 mile half ride that will leave from Bipperts. Kick-off for the half ride will begin at 10:30AM on Sept 11.
Our final stop will be at Oles Farm in Alden, NY where The Local Food Celebration begins at 2:30PM and ends at 6PM. This celebration will feature a lip-smacking feast of local produce, BBQ and Flying Bison Beer. The Outer Circle Orchestra will be performing during the celebration! Tickets for only the Local Food Celebration at Oles Farm are also available. Tickets can be purchased at 271 Grant Street or at the event. If you would like to register for the ride or get more information on the Local Food Celebration, please go to www.mass-ave.org. Riders will be provided transportation for themselves and their bikes from Oles Farm back to Tops on Grant and Bipperts Farm at 6PM.
Green Options Buffalo will be supporting the ride again this year as well as providing free bike tune-ups for riders. Tune-ups will take place Friday September 10 at 7PM at the Community Bicycle Workshop on 98 Colvin Ave.
MAP’s Tour de Farms benefits the Massachusetts Avenue Project.
MAP is an organization dedicated to increasing awareness about food and health issues as well as increasing access to locally grown, sustainable food. In addition to their Growing Green Program, urban farm and aquaponics system, MAP also has a Mobile Market that increases access to healthy foods in multiple neighborhoods throughout Buffalo at affordable prices. To learn more about MAP and this event, please visit their website listed above. Sponsors for the event include:
Independent Health
Globe Market
Senator Antione Thompson
First Hand Learning
Sargent and Collins, LLP
Jaekle, Fleischman & Mugel, LLP
Amy’s Place
UB Campus Dining and Shops
Green Options Buffalo
Flying Bison
Oles Farm
Singer Farms
TOPS Friendly Markets