Will Bike For Food!
Kate and John's Travels In Search Of Good Food and Beer
Filed Under : 
Always Room for Heirloom
Dec.11,2011
We started this trip to support small organic farms and that is what we have been doing. Through farmers' markets and farm visits, we have loved sharing our stories on FoodCyclist.com.
Though we've seen countless farms and farmers' markets, we still are amazed by the things we find. San Rafael was the home of one of the biggest farmers' markets that we have seen. It was this farmers' market that inspired a short bike trip to Petaluma.
California is so awesome that even the deer celebrate on a daily basis.
Our first stop was County Line Harvest, a vegetable farm 10 miles outside of Petaluma. They have two farms, this one up North and another further South. The two pieces of property allow for year-round production of organic vegetable goodness.
At County Line Harvest, Kate and I got our first chance to sleep in a yurt. A yurt is essentially a tent on steroids. They can range in size from 10' to 30' in diameter. The inside is pretty classy with a bed, a kitchen, lights, a heater, and a sunroof.
Our next stop was at Tara Firma Farms just down the road from County Line Harvest. Tara Firma welcomes farm visits and, if you are in the area, you should definitely take them up on it.
The farm tour starts with the baby chicks in the brooder. These cute little guys and gals are never given any vaccinations, drugs, or GMO feed. They grow up to be hearty, healthy, and delicious chickens for roasting.
Chickens spend all their time outside and on grass. No cages, no abuse, no drugs. Just happy healthy birds.
It's a beautiful sight to see all these happy chickens doing what chickens do best: eat grass and scratch at the earth.
King of the Coop. Heirloom breeds of chickens, pigs, and cows are par for the course on Tara Firma.
Kate makes friends with the goats on the farm.
Tara Firma Farms was a good look into the kind of farm I want when we settle down. With pastured pigs, chickens, cows, and a vegetable garden, they do it right when it comes to sustainable food.
All the pigs are raised on the farm. So are all of the chickens and cows. From birth on, the pigs are out in fresh air rooting around in the mud and enjoying the sunshine.
Pigs love when you scratch their bellies, we are told. Once you start scratching, they flop right over on their backs and, I swear, you can see them smile.
Tara Firma Farms has a great farm store! Not only do they sell their own produce and meat, but they sell food from neighboring farms and books on food education.
From Tara Firma, we went to the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company in Petaluma. RareSeeds.com
Baker Creek has 1,275 different kinds of heirloom seeds. The seeds that they save and sell are very important to ensure those species of plants do not go extinct in a world where Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are increasingly pervasive.
Our friend Kevin says that we "have totally drank the California cool-aid." The weather is great out here, the people are happy, sustainability is a real priority, and good food abounds. I would say that there's a good chance that Kate and I will end up being West Coast lifers.
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Trip Update
We are headed South from San Francisco toward Los Angeles and San Diego. Believe it or not, after years of planning, we are still up in the air as to what we are going to do after that. Stay tuned!
Last week, we rode to Petaluma, CA to visit one of my favorite breweries, Lagunitas. They did not disappoint as they took us on one of the most fun brewery tours we have been on.
A testament to how good the beer is, Lagunitas experienced 62% growth last year. That is a lot considering we are currently in a recession. To keep up with demand, they are expanding their brew house to increase production.
Our tour guide, Ryan, was full of fun facts about the history of Lagunitas and the making of their delicious beer. Here he is talking about the use of whole flower hops and how they get turned into pellets.
A fresh batch of beer "mashes in". Milled grains are mixed with hot water to break down the barley into simple sugars for the yeast to eat.
The young beer or "wort" is boiled in the boil kettle to clean out any impurities and off flavors.
After the grains have been filtered out and the young beer is cooled down, it travels to the fermenting tanks and yeast is added. The yeast particles are living organisms that eat sugars, poop alcohol, and farm carbon dioxide. They are what make beer the intoxicating, bubbly, and pallet-pleasing drink that it is.
Safety first as we head to the bottling line.
The beer is put in bottles for distribution across the United States.
I first tasted Lagunitas in New York City. 4,700 miles of bicycle riding later, it was good to experience it at the source.
This is what Santa's workshop would look like if he only delivered to craft beer enthusiasts on Christmas.
After the tour, we went back to the Beer Loft Man Cave Bar Room Place in the brewery. We got to sample some more of Lagunitas' stock before heading off for the day.
Thank you to our tour guide Ryan and all the folks at Lagunitas for doing what you do best.
Happy December! 6 months on the road for us! We have family flying out to meet us in San Francisco! Quite excited!
Meet Ollie. Ollie used to belong to a homeless man who gave Ollie up to a shelter when he could no longer care for him. Ollie was sick, Ollie was weak and, I can imagine, Ollie was sad. Then a knight in shining armor came along and rescued Ollie. This man signed up to be a foster parent for dogs in need. He took Ollie into his care, nursed him back to health, and when the shelter called and said they had a family that might be interested in adoption, he told them it would not be necessary. Now Ollie is happy, healthy, and very much loved.
This would not be the last time this wonderful man would take into his care a stray or two, nurse them back to health, and do his best to make them feel happy, healthy, and very much loved. It is the same man who drove over 400 miles round trip when Kate was sick. The same man who brought us to see a doctor, and fed us well to bring up our strength.
That man is Kevin Crafts. A long time friend of the family, Kevin has watched Kate grow up through the years, and has supported our idea from day one. As a professional Food Stylist and writer, Kevin makes food beautiful for a living. So when we told him we were going to ride to support family farmers all over the world, he told us he loved the idea. He is based out of the San Francisco area, though he frequently travels for work. His food is not only delicious, but it photographs beautifully. He has worked on and written many books featured in William Sonoma, one my favorites being Ebelskivers
Kevin is now in Connecticut for the week with family, while Kate and I get to stick around and dog-sit Ollie for a week. Our lives have been wrapped up in cooking food, going for walks with the dog to buy groceries, cooking more food, and enjoying some time to ourselves.
When I first arrived with my long shaggy hair, Ollie hated me. I mean, fiercely hated me. It was weird. I had done nothing to this dog, yet every time I would walk into the room, he would start to growl at me. Once I got my hair cut and started taking him for walks, it was a completely different story. With Kevin gone for the week, Ollie will not leave my side. He sleeps on my feet when I am sitting on the couch and has made himself at home next to the bed Kate and I sleep in. If he is not hanging out with me, he’s with Kate. It is a good way to live.
We are however missing life on the road. The time off is great, but we are travelers at heart. We were thinking of staying in San Francisco for the whole month of December, but now we are not so sure. We will have to see what develops, and what last minute things get thrown our way. For now, Kate is on the mend, we are relaxed, and Ollie is about as good as it gets as far as roommates.
This Thanksgiving, take a moment to stop and really appreciate what you have in life, the things you have worked for, the people who have helped you, and those who inspire you. There are good times and there are bad times. Work hard to make it through the bad times, and stop, appreciate, and celebrate the good ones.
Thank you Kevin!
Having crossed the Appalachian Mountain Range, the Snowy Mountain Range, The Rocky Mountain Range, and The Cascade Mountain Range, the Coastal Mountain Range was a piece of cake. However the Coastal Mountain Range yielded one of the biggest rewards we have received on this trip so far, and that is the Pacific Ocean.
So excited to be here!
It has been a dream riding South along the Pacific Coastline toward San Francisco. The rainy weather that most people complain about stayed at bay for a good portion of the time. Of our days spent on the Coast, only two were really effected by rain which in this region is unheard of!
There are beautiful vistas around every turn on highway 101 through Oregon and California, and Highway 1 in California. Though we did come to dread the sign “Scenic Vista Ahead” because it usually meant climbing another hill. For some reason, you cannot have a scenic over-look without a hill. Go figure!
The Coast was some of the hilliest riding we have done yet. Not to say it was not enjoyable, just challenging. With those hills came the reward of a screaming decent through fresh ocean air, while enjoying a glance down the coastline, followed by the slow trudge up the next hill which built anticipation for the next “Scenic Vista”.
One observation Kate and I made early on is that we’ve never really seen the sun set over the ocean before. Hailing from the East Coast, the only time we would see the sun on the horizon was at dawn. Now we cannot get enough of sunsets over the ocean. The vast Pacific, cutting its laser level line across the horizon, produces dramatic sunsets that would make the coldest of hearts stand still in awe and wonder.
A frequent warning as we rode down the Coast. We like to live life in the danger zone.
As often as it was sunny, it was foggy. Sometimes we got a little rain, but for the most part the riding was very enjoyable.
Saw Face Rock off the coast of Oregon. The water is freezing! Only a couple of seconds and you are numb to the bone.
Seagulls over the water. When we started to see seagulls while riding over the Coastal Mountain Range, we knew we were close.
Seagulls weren't the only birds we saw cruising the waves. Pelicans are a common sight out here. We've seen them gliding in formation up the curls of countless looming waves.
Sunsets over the Pacific are breathtaking. This picture is from Patrick's Point State Park in California.
A dog left his print on the beach.
We have had a lot of fun with the sunsets.
Relentlessly crashing on rocks or gently rolling on soft sandy beaches, the Pacific Ocean never takes a break.
Right place at the right time. I have no idea who this person is, but I have to thank her for making this photo one of my favorites. This was at Gold Beach, OR.
This is Buffy, the Australian, one of the many great people we have met along the coast.
One of our stops was at Valley Flora Farm in Langlois, OR. Thanks to Zoe, Danny, and Cleo for showing us around the farm and Langlois. We had a great rest day in the rain with them.
The Sea Lion Caves are the largest sea caves in the world. All the sea lions were outside, but the caves were still really cool.
Wonderful colors on the beach.
A bright spot in one of our rainy days, we realized that the road we were on was dedicated to our armed forces.
Swinging in off of the coastline, Kate and I rode through some seriously tall redwood trees.
Spent some time on Avenue of the Giants through Humboldt State Park.
With all the redwood trees comes a lot of roadside redwood art. Bears, Eagles, and Big Foot all waved hello as we rode along.
We said we were looking for a place to live. How about under the trunk of a tree?
Paul Bunyan and his trusty blue ox Babe.
Riding the Coast has been life-changing.
We made it safe and sound to San Francisco.
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Trip Update:
Kate and I had a slightly unfortunate change of plans. Kate came down with a somewhat serious stomach bug and we had to call in the cavalry. Our dear friend Kevin drove up to Fort Bragg where we were held up in a motel to rescue us. We were less than 200 miles from San Francisco. But when the body says stop, you stop.
Kate is back to 100% health now and we’re planning on making up those miles in the weeks to come. We missed a lot having not ridden through Petaluma, Napa, and Sonoma. That, and I really hate that we had to get into a car.
San Francisco is a wonderful city. We have been doing some exploring already. There are farmers’ markets everyday of the week if you know where to look. Local food is a lifestyle here, not a novelty. That being said, I have been stuffing my face like a madman trying to make up a little of the weight I lost before family comes to visit. I am dreading the inevitable, “You’re too thin. You haven’t been eating enough.”
It has been great to spend time with Kevin, rest up, and gain some insider knowledge on the cycling areas we missed. With fresh legs, no stomach virus, and a good game plan, we are looking forward to cycling around California wine country.
We are currently making our way down the Pacific Coast, but we cannot forget the great experiences we have had before we got here. Two days riding before we saw the great Pacific Ocean, we were in Portland, Oregon. It is said Portland is “where young people go to retire.” As we neared Oregon, we were told that Portland is a mecca of food, beer, and cycling. When we arrived, we found that all of the rumors were true.
We set ourselves up for a whirl-wind tour of Portland: Doughnuts, food trucks, beer, and, to top it all off, a farmers’ market.
When we're riding our bike we burn between 4,000 and 8,000 calories a day. We do our best to eat right, but sometimes, we have to treat ourselves. With that mindset, we made our way to VooDoo Doughnuts.
There's pure magic in the maple-bacon doughnut. It is one of their flagship doughnuts and, yes, it was amazing. Even I, a true believer in the powers of bacon, was a little skeptical at first. Once I bit in however, I was in maple-bacon heaven.
I had been craving a good sour beer for months. There's not a lot of good beer in the middle of America (although there is some if you know where to look). If good beer is hard to find, a good sour beer is ever harder. We had heard from miles away that if we went to Cascade Barrel House, we wouldn't be disappointed. Let me tell you, if you're a sour beer fan, this place is a destination worth planning an entire vacation around.
Traditionally, Belgian brewers allowed wild yeast to enter the brew naturally through the barrels – an unpredictable process that many modern brewers avoid. Because of the uncertainty involved in using wild yeast, the sour beer brewing process is extremely unpredictable. The beer takes months to ferment and can take years to mature.
Barrel aging isn't limited to sour beer. These barrels belong to Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland. Hopworks brews all organic beer. HUB is another brewery that puts sustainability and bicycling at the forefront of their philosophy.
Oak barrels are not the only thing you can put beer through at Hopworks Brewery. 'Tis the season for pumpkin beer and you can't get more pumpkin than this!
Cheers to HUB for making Organic Beer that is delicious. Their reputation spreads far beyond Portland. We were told that we wouldn't be getting the full experience in Portland if we missed Hopworks and we weren't disappointed.
Part of the reason that Kate and I are visiting breweries is to experience beer where it is most fresh. There are not many people in the world who can say that they have experienced as much good beer as we have right at the source. A good example of fresh beer is getting a pour right from the fermenter at HUB in Portland.
This post wouldn't be complete without a nod to Hair of the Dog brewery. Their beer was recommended to us by a friend at 99 Bottles in Federal Way, WA. We're glad we followed his recommendation because Adam and Fred (two of the flagship beers at Hair of the Dog) really left an impression.
We capped off our stay in Portland with a visit to the farmers' market at Portland University. The colors were changing on the trees, there were pumpkins lining every other farm stand, hot cider was easy to find, and we discovered these gems at one growers stand.
We stayed with friends, Ben & Katie, in Portland. We were handed off to these two by previous hosts who thought our mutual love of beer and great food would bond us. We had a blast with these two and graciously accepted any and all advice they gave us about enjoying the city.
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TRIP UPDATE:
Kate and I are in California, slowly making our way to San Francisco. We have visited a number of farms and breweries in the last couple days, and have countless scenic vistas. We thought there would be more connectivity once we hit California but it seems we are finding ourselves occasionally back in the “wild”.
We are very excited about the farms, breweries, and wineries to come. We have a boat load of great photos from the coast that we are eager to share with all of you.
5 months on the road! We cannot believe it.
This post, bunny approved...
Riding down the coast, our last video from Oregon!
Sunset from the deck of John's Apartment
After saying goodbye to the San Juan Islands (for now), we made our way South to Seattle. On the way, we met up with Warmshowers Host Rick who took us to his favorite brewery. Skookum Brewery is located down a long driveway, almost in the middle of the woods, in Arlington Washington. Skookum is the kind of place that you would call “my brewery”. Started by former contractors, Ron Walcher and Jackie Jenkins, the “oak clad, copper banded fermenting vessels, mashtun, and brew kettle give a traditional look but still have all the modern brewing technologies.”
The beer at Skookum holds up to some of the best we have had. If you find yourself North of Seattle, it’s a must if you’re in the area when they are open.
Rick and us at Skookum
Getting into Seattle, Kate and I met up with another Warmshowers host, John. The view from his back deck was breath-taking, as shown in the sunset picture up above. We tried to make the best of our short time there. With so much to see in a big city, we stayed local to the Fremont area.
Kate snuggles up to the larger than life Fremont Troll. He is holding an actual Volkswagen Beetle in his hand.
There were two things that we had to do while in Fremont: 1. Visit Theo Chocolate, 2. Visit Fremont Brewing.
Lucille Ball ready for work at Theo Chocolate. With our friend Meg, we went on an hour and a half tour of Theo which of course including a lot of chocolate tasting. The name "Theo" comes from Theobroma, literally translated into "Food of the Gods", is the scientific name for the cocoa trees. Sidenote: Dogfish Head Craft Beer has a Theobroma Chocolate Beer
On the tour we learned the history of Theo, how the beans are sourced and processed, and how their delicious chocolate is made.
Theo is the only “bean to bar” organic and fair trade certified true chocolate maker in the United States! That is why we have such an interest in them. What does that mean though? Being organic means all of their ingredients are sustainably sourced. Being fair trade certified means all their ingredients are produced ethically and the farmers can take their livelihoods to the next level of sophistication Finally, “bean to bar” refers to the processing of the cocoa beans which go from raw material to finished product all on premises.
Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery's brewmaster, states in his book "The Brewmasters Table" that chocolate actually pairs better with beer then wine. Theo knew of this wonderful marriage and created a chocolate and beer pairing kit to take home.
After we left Theo, we took a stroll down by the water, headed East to Fremont Brewing. It was there we met up with our host John and enjoyed a couple pints of well crafted beer. The guys and gals at Fremont Brewing put the same care and effort into their beer that the folks at Theo put into their Chocolate. Founder Matt Lincecum tells the story of their first beer in this video.
Because Beer Matters
After we left Seattle, we rode down to 99 Bottles in Federal Way to give a talk on our trip. The owner, Craig, had heard of our trip on the Howard Stern Show and wrote to us through our website. He said, “If you’re coming through town we’d love to do a beer tasting, and feature you trip and what you are doing.” When the time came, Craig and his wife Tiffany held a great event featuring New Belgium Beer (a brewery we visited and loved in Fort Collins, CO) and opened up the floor to let us talk about Farm Aid and our travels.
The support shown by them was overwhelming and the reception by the people attending was a ton of fun. The venue was a beer lovers dream, and the event was decidedly a big success.
99 Bottles has over 1,000 beers from all over the World
Thank You to Tiffany & Craig, two people who truly appreciate finely crafted beer. (Craig never smiles for pictures, but always when he's talking about beer.)
On our way South, we had yet another memorable stop. This time it was cookies that called. And not just any cookies… These were hand-made, fresh, made with real butter, mostly organic, and delicious cookies from The Main Street Cookie Company.
Started by the Zambutos in 2005, they harnessed Joycelyn’s creative cookie baking powers and built a cookie company.
Touring cyclists need carbs! We got the cookie hookup and it kept us going through the day.
Welcome to Cookie Heaven. Thanks Joycelyn!
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Give A Bike
With all the people we have met along our travels, there has been no shortage of inspiration. It’s challenging lifestyle, but we constantly find reasons to keep going and to keep smiles on our faces. I have mentioned these two crazy people before and it’s about time I mentioned them again.
Adam & Christy Coppola have bicycled all 48 continental United States this year. No small feat for sure. We have now met up with them three times on their journey, twice while on ours. The most recent was in Castle Rock, Washington, right before we dropped into Oregon.
It takes a certain kind of person to spend that much time on a bike...
Christy’s writing has been an insightful look into what life on the bike has been for them, while Adam’s photography is unequivocally some of the best I have seen… Ever. Together, the two of them paint a beautiful picture of what it is to bike tour, and they do it all for a great cause.
The increasing quality of my photography has been greatly influenced by the guidance, tips, and suggestions I have received by Adam. If you think my stuff is at all good, please check out their blog.
Their trip is starting to wind down. Having ridden through the 48 conjoined states, they are taking time in Alaska and Hawaii before heading home to Connecticut.
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Trip Update:
Kate and I are on the Oregon Coast. We will be in California in a couple of days with San Francisco in our sights for the end of November. After almost 6 months on the road and approaching the 5000 mile mark, we will take some time to write, process photos, and take advantage of what San Francisco has to offer. But not before we visit some more great farms, breweries, and restaurants first.
It’s going to be an exciting and busy month for us. The weather has been good so far (though I fear to write that too soon). The hills have been taxing on the legs as we head South down the West Coast, but the views make up for it. There’s something about seeing the powerful beauty of the Pacific to lighten our spirits and give strength to our legs. Cannot wait to get those photos up to share.
That said, we are getting back into camping mode after spending some time in the pulchritudinous (thank you, thesaurus.com) cities of Seattle and Portland. It is likely we will go a few days with scare power and WiFi. Bear with us.
Besides the scenery, we have really enjoyed the people out here. There is a lot of work and a lot of effort being put into food and drink because it matters. It matters to each of us personally (we cannot function without eating), it matters to local communities, and it matters to us as a global community. Sustainable food is not something that is elitist and “kitchy”. Local and sustainable food is where our food system is heading, slowly but surely, and largely because of the folks we feature on our site. Of that, I am certain.
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