This article is from the summer 2024 edition of Coast Life magazine.
What is a slow food cycle? imagine a fully family-friendly, bike-based, farm, cidery and distillery tour! The concept originated in Pemberton, and has since spread to Agassiz, Chilliwack and now our very own Gibsons! Get pumped up for the second annual Sunshine Coast Slow Food Cycle happening on Sunday, July 28, 2024.
Transportation Choices (TraC) event organizer Heather Anderson says the motivation behind the Slow Food Cycle is to, “have an event where you can cycle in a really calm and relaxed manner, develop a sense of community and help promote the value of local food (slow food). It gives farms exposure for where people can buy fresh produce, and gives you the opportunity to meet the real farmers behind your food!”
My family and I attended last year’s inaugural event. The maximum distance between vendors at either end of the route was 5km. Setting off from Persephone Brewing, we rode about 15km around the circuit on our cargo ebikes. We tried waffles from The Shortcut at Gibsons Heritage Farm, and fresh grilled mushrooms from Walker Creek Farm, where we learned about ideal mushroom growing conditions. We toured Grounded Acres Organic farm, fed kale to chickens and learned about organic farming and crop rotation. We stopped for cider and sliders at Sunday Cider and Smitty’s Food Truck. We rounded out the day with amazing BBQ pork pizzas from Shady Hazel Farms (who sadly have a conflict this year, and won’t be participating), a delicious lavender gin cocktail at One Foot Crow distillery, and cheese and olive samples from Fromagerie De Baie.
More than 300 cyclists cruised in the 2023 event—double the number TraC had anticipated. An estimated 15 per cent of participants came from off-Coast.
Now that’s a significant tourism bite!
TraC hopes to keep that momentum rolling this year, with an improved format (more snack stations en route), streamlined online registration and waiver signing (with a discount for TraC members, and the ability to start from any point), and a few new venues.
So come and spend a leisurely day with your friends and loved ones on July 28th. From 11am to 4pm, slowly cycle between farms, cideries and distilleries, explore farm tours, meet your farmers, learn about farming, and sample all the local fare our Coast has to offer. Plus, there’s lots for kids to do including a scavenger hunt, garden maze and meeting animals. A gentle reminder this event is on an “open course,” and all the usual rules of the road are in effect. Please show respect and share the road with our auto neighbours!
Shift gears after the ride and join the afterparty at Persephone Brewing from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Brothers in Farms takes the stage at 5 p.m.
Registration for 2024 opened May 20. With an attendance cap of 500, you’ll want to register early to avoid disappointment! Last year sold out!
TraC would like to thank the Sunshine Coast Credit Union and Elphi Cycles for their sponsorship. For more information, or to volunteer please contact TraC at [email protected]. or check out transportationchoices.ca/slow-food-cycle-2024.
