I am writing this at the end of a perfect Vermont summer day. Bright, clear sunshine. I think the high was about 74 degrees. Little breeze, not much humidity. We’ve got people here on inn-to-inn bicycling trips and I’ve just been thinking about how perfect the bicycling can be in this part of the state. So I thought I’d share the details about a fantastic event that will be happening in September for the third year, Le Tour de Farms. Plenty of time to plan in case you’d like to come participate.

This event is run as a collaborative event supporting Rural Vermont,  The Addison County Relocalization Network (ACoRN) and The Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition. The Boston Globe has just named it as one of their chosen events for a fun-filled summer.

More importantly, this event is a whole lot of fun. This year it will be on Sunday September 19th. Basically the idea is to ride your bicycle from farm to farm, sampling local foods along the way. It begins and ends here in Shoreham on our village green. At the start the riders gather on the green, where there are muffins and coffee available. There you also collect your route map, and there are routes of varying lengths, ranging from 10 – 30 miles. The start times are slightly staggered, to try and avoid too many people on the road all at once, and so that first farm doesn’t end up with 500 people there all at the same time. Next, you ride. At your own pace, stop, start, make yourself happy. The routes take you past up to about 20 different stops where you can see working farms of all types in action, sample food and drinks, and take in our gorgeous scenery. The rides all end back here in Shoreham where the Shoreham Apple Fest will be underway. The Apple Fest just began last year, so it is still a work in progress, but it will involve live music, games for kids, massage for riders, crafts and foods for sale.

The event will happen rain or shine, but we can cross our fingers for a day a little like today, where Addison County will show off all its glory and a lot of people will feel proud to live here, or jealous of those of us who do.