Fort Collins, Colo - July 11, 2009 - String music and a Bluegrass band. Pastries, eggs and local delicacies. The first annual Kickstands and Cornstalks bicycle tour is about the food, the farmers, the people and the vehicle that the movement is taking place on- a bicycle. From 7:30am to 4:30 pm, hundreds of cyclists will pedal to the produce that Northern Colorado farms cultivate and harvest every summer.

We're taking the locavore lifestyle to the next level and creating a "bikeavore nation" as Happy Heart Farmer, Dennis Stenson likes to call it. It's a culture of people that are so closely connected to their food, physically and otherwise, that they can ride their bicycle to load up on the freshest produce available.

The tour is a 40 mile bicycle ride of four farms and one community garden area created to build awareness of local organic agriculture, community and bicycling in Northern Colorado.It is a rare opportunity to experience the modern manifestation of Colorado's rural history.

During the tour riders will enjoy fresh, local, organic food, visit the farms where it's grown, meet the farmers that grow it and raise money for the Gardens on Spring Creek.

This is a particularly timely ride as so many of our local farmers have been impacted by the unusual weather of this spring. It is an opportunity for consumers to see the true processes and elements that the farmers endure to bring food to the table.

The tour will begin at the Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins with a string band duo by Last Transit and breakfast by Udi's Bakery in Boulder and coffee from Mugs. From there, riders will visit Wolfmoon Farm, Grant Family Farms, Colona Community Farm and Happy Heart Farm. Along the journey, riders will enjoy a lunch of Grant Family Farms produce prepared by Tasty Harmony and entertainment by Blue Grama bluegrass band and games resourcefully created by ReSource of Fort Collins. They'll end the day with the richness of Taft Hill Dairy milk with Mary's Mountain Cookies.

Twenty percent of the profits from the tour will benefit The Gardens on Spring Creek.

Thanks to the Sponsors
Grant Family Farms, Happy Heart Farm, Taft Hill Dairy, Colona Community Farm, Wolfmoon Farm, Fort Collins Nursery, Become Fit, ReSource, The Redirect Guide, KUNC, Fort Collins Cycling Festival, Zero Hero, Spoons, Rob's Bike Courier Service, Mugs, the Fort Collins Food Cooperative and Mary's Mountain Cookies.

Technical support will be provided by the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-op, and Support Vehicles provided by The Cycologist and Brave New Wheel.

Registration for the event ends July 5.