Tour de Farm NJ - Sussex County
Leaving Ideal Farm, the last stop on our ride
I wrote back in August about the Tour de Farm NJ in Hunterdon County, NJ - the first of three cycling tours through farm country. I have to admit, that ride kicked my butt. I could barely move for the rest of the day after biking 38 miles. That's the longest I've ever ridden in consecutive miles in one trip.
The second cycling event, Tour de Farm NJ in Sussex County, NJ, held on September 6, did not disappoint. I even felt pretty good after 34 miles of riding. I even put on a pair of heels and went out for dinner after we got home and had a chance to shower. Not sure if I just knew what to expect this time, if I was more conditioned, or if 4 fewer miles made all the difference, but I weathered this one better than last time.
If you want to do Tour de Farm NJ this year, you haven't missed your chance. There's one more scheduled for September 19th in Warren County, NJ. Get details on their website.
Getting Started
We started out at Sussex County Fairgrounds. A great breakfast was served (although not in the most efficient way....many were still waiting in line for breakfast when we took off - a learning experience, no doubt). This event even featured Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guadagno, who kicked off the event after 8 year old Natalie Torres sang the national anthem. (Natalie was talented and adorable.) It was a bit more fanfare than I thought we needed, but it was a nice touch. The Lieutenant Governor even had her biking gear on, and I think went out on her bike for the tour too.
This event gave cycling routes for 15, 34 and 75 miles. We chose the middle route (see recorded map route below), which was hilly, but I think that it had fewer stretches of looooonnnngggg hills like the last course did. Probably made it more tolerable.
I liked this tour a bit better than the last because we visited more farms, and the farms had more of a variety. I didn't dislike the first trip by any means - I loved it, but just glad to see this was different than the last one and that we got to experience different types of farms. While Hunterdon County offered many dairy farmers, this one had more produce to offer. Unfortunately, the only vineyard on the trip, Ventimiglia Vineyards, was only part of the 75 mile trip. We could have gone afterward in the car, but decided to head home after the ride.
If you miss some of the participating farms because of the length of your ride, you can still go after the ride in your car. Just keep the wristband on.
The Farms
On the 34 mile route (in this order), we visited:
- Hillcrest Farm - They offered delicious apples and doughnuts. Even saw the milk truck being filled up.
- Glenmalure Farm - Named after a valley in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland, Glenmalure Farm had a great spread of different kinds of meatballs in heated dishes and meat for sale. I saw lots of people going back for seconds. They even had a cow that herded sheep. (See picture below.) You had to see it to believe it, but it's true.
- Everlasting Farm - Beautiful flowers from their farm were on hand.
- Churutabis Farm - They offered up some out-of-this world deviled eggs made from their organic, free-range chickens. Well, I don't think the chickens made the dish, but they provided the eggs. They also had meat for sale.
- Willow Brook Farm - Excellent bruschetta - a pepper version and a tomato version. They have a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) - check them out. CSAs are a great way to support your local farmers and get fresh produce delivered during the growing season.
- Hidden Pastures Farm - a "Fiber Farm" who has alpacas and yaks as well as some adorable fluffy rabbits. Even saw a very young yak. (And I got a great hat there.)
- Sunset View Farm - They had delicious produce available - fresh tomatoes, watermelon, grapes, blackberries, and more. Very nice and tasty.
- Ideal Farm - They also had refreshing watermelon and doughnuts on hand and we checked out their farm market, which had flowers/plants, jams, baked goods and more. They were getting their haunted house set up, so be sure to check them out in October.
Hillcrest Farms Apples
Lining up to taste delicious doughnuts and apples
Glenmalure Farm did a really nice job of putting different kinds of meatballs out in heated trays for people to enjoy.
Bidding us "Safe Home" in Irish from Glenmalure Farm - To learn how to pronounce it - click here.
Mamma yak with her baby at Hidden Pastures Farm. She was very protective.
What's interesting is that they don't sheer the animals on the Fiber Farm. They just brush the undercoats for the fibers.
Yaks at Hidden Pastures Fiber Farm. Apparently one of the yaks is in heat and hasn't left his sweetheart's side for weeks.
Insanely cute rabbits at Hidden Pastures
Quite a bounty at Willow Brook Farm
Delicious Bruschetta - A Pepper and a Tomato version (See the Recipes below) (Willow Brook)
Know before you go:
- Take lots of water with you and refill your bottles or your CamelBak along the way at the farms. They were generous in letting people refill their water, which was nice.
- Take cash - most of the farms don't take credit cards.
- Put the telephone number you'll get in the confirmation/reminder emails into your cell phone. If you need assistance, you can call the number and they'll come get you or assist as needed.
- Bring a portable charger for your phone if you think you'll run out of juice.
- Bring a cooler in your car for taking farm goods home with you - put some ice/ice pack in there to keep them cool if it's a long ride home.
