Anticipation builds for Slow Food Cycle, Pemberton’s moveable feast
This year, the pedal-powered street festival Slow Food Cycle moves registration into downtown Pemberton, outside the Pharmasave, for ease of parking, from 8:30am.
A potato pancake breakfast will be served at the Lillooet River Lodge from 8am (for more info call 604 966 8246, 1428 Pemberton Farm Road)), a salmon BBQ dinner served at the Pemberton Valley Vineyard after the ride (reservations suggested, call 604 894 5857, 1427 Collins Road), and “Augustfest”, the post-ride beergarden at Pioneer Park raising funds for the community kitchen will whet whistles.
The Pemberton Valley’s Slow Food Cycle Sunday is the original back-to-the-land bike ride through beautiful Pemberton Meadows farmland. Riders meet local growers and sample fresh produce with the successful formula of pedaling, snacking, socializing and slowing down.
Maps collected at the registration in downtown Pemberton in front of the Pharmasave will guide cyclists to prime locations along a 26-kilometre (16-mile) stretch (one-way): bite into juicy beef burgers at Pemberton Natural Beef, marvel at the potato creations at Helmer’s Organic farm, nibble ice cream sandwiches at Shaw Creek farms and sip award-winning organic Pemberton potato Schramm vodka at Across the Creek Organic Farm.
The Worldwatch Institute reports that the average food item eaten in North America has traveled 2500-4000km from farm to table, but this 50 km bike ride will take riders straight to the farm-gate. Fill your boots…along with your panniers, bike baskets and milk crates at this al fresco farm-to-farm fete.
Over 2300 riders and more than 25 local producers took part in the fourth Slow Food Cycle in the summer of 2008. Unfortunately summer forest fires cancelled the 2009 event, though the popular event is set to return Sunday, August 15, 2010. Participation is free and no pre-registration is required. Bring your own bike. (If you want to rent, plan well in advance.) And cash. (No ATMS installed field-side.)
Locavore chefs, Araxi’s James Walt and the Whistler Cooks Catering team under Grant Cousar, will close the distance between field and fork even tighter on Saturday, August 14, with a Farm to Fork benefit dinner for the Slow Food Cycle at Pemberton Valley Farms. Limited tickets available.
Potato Nation 