Farm Cycle 2023

Benefiting the Iowa City Bike Library. Join us for a day of bicycling local farms, food, and ferments.

This year there is one route option: the 37-mile Kale-Yeah! Route (click “Show all routes on map”). The Kale-Yeah Route is 30-miles of pavement + 7-miles of gravel, and includes three farm stops and four featured chefs. There is an optional Cherry Tomato “bailout” option (you’ll miss a Farm Stop and one chef) and  it shaves off 7 miles for a total of 30 miles (there is still 4-miles of gravel). There are two optional Beet-it-Up Routes that add extra miles, gravel, and level B roads–TBA.

FEATURED FARMS, FOOD, AND FERMENTS!

1. Bike Library Check-in w/ coffee by Wake Up Iowa
2. Wilson’s Orchard Cider Barn and Beverage Processing Facility w/ Chefs Wendy Zimmerman & Dan Knowles
   
3. Bountiful Harvest w/ Chef Brittni Leupold
4. Wilson’s Orchard Farm Market for pizza!
5. End at the Green House
   

CHECK-IN at 1222 S. Gilbert Court 9:30 am – 10:30 AM

Each farm tour will be paired with a local chef serving up seasonal food. Ingredients come from they farms we visit. There are a few changes for 2023.

• This year there is only one route: the Kale-Yeah! Route. The route is 30 miles of pavement + 7 miles of gravel for a total of 37 miles. View the route HERE
• Important: we will not be signing the route this year! You will need to download the map and we will have paper copies available at Check-in
• We are asking for an additional $10 suggested donation to get your shirt screenprinted
• Because so much food was leftover at the start and the end in previous years, we are only offering food at the Farm Stops
• There will be drinks and possibly light bites at the start and end–TBD.
  

What to bring:

1. At least a week before the ride, if not sooner, come see us at the shop to discuss TIRE & TIRE PRESSURE section–and join us for a Friday Night Shop “training” Ride to get used to gravel.
2. mess kit with plate/bowl, utensil, & cup (in addition to your h2o bottle)
   
3. water bottle
4. fix-a-flat kit (self-supported tour)
5. download the route map
   
6. bring a used t-shirt to check-in or the Post Ride Fiesta for screenprinting; Sara Montgomery original TBA
   

Post Ride Fiesta at The Green House

• All screenprinted shirts can be picked up at the Green House.
• Silent Aution
• Drink specials

The Bike Library’s mission is to get more people in Johnson County biking. If you love what the Bike Library does, please consider making a scholarship donation in addition to your ticket so we can offer Farm Cycle scholarships and continue to fulfill our mission of getting more people in Johnson County on bicycles. 

What you get: A full day of biking the farms and enjoying local food prepared by chefs at each farm stop. Brunch/lunch from four chefs, three farm tours, water, and beverages. Bike out to the farms, meet your local farmers and take a tour, eat and drink delicious local food and craft beverages al fresco. Student ticket prices available. Need a scholarship or want to inquire about family discounts? Shoot us an email! info@bikelibrary.org

Your charitable contribution less the fair market value of $60 per ticket may be tax-deductible as allowed by law. Bike Library Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. This celebration aims to contribute momentum to the community bike culture and the local food movement. Thank you for your support and for helping us in our mission to get more people in Johnson County on bicycles. 

A note to parents: these routes are not planned with children in mind. This might be a great day to get a sitter. We will be riding on the street, and getting out into the county with larger vehicles. The routes are high mileage and we don’t recommend this as a first long ride for kiddos.