Farm to Forest Bike Ride

In celebration of the natural beauty and importance of farms and forests along with the trails that connect them, the Clayton Farmer's Market is hosting the Farm to Forest Bike Ride for Women on Saturday, June 22.

In collabortion with Mesa Cycles and Great Rivers Greenway, the ride begins at the Farmer's Market and meanders liesurely on desgnated trails and roads through a tree-lined landscape to Forest Park. After a cruise through the Park, the group heads back to the Market for a fun morning; complete with "mini-massages" for the participants by A Healing Place!

Farms and Forests have long held important ecological relationships with each other and when those relationships are sustained  in ways where both benefit and remain viable everyone reaps the rewards.

I read somewhere that before 1950 about 70% of the food consumed by St. Louisans came from the surrounding farms which have since become suburban communities that we know as Chesterfield, Maryland Heights and so on.

Add that for a while in the 1980's-1990's St Louis was rated as one of the worst cities for suburban sprawl by environmental groups--the  dire picture that was painted of vanishing farmland and natrual areas around cities--could be discouraging.

But when a friend, who was a real estate developer, told me that there were actually more large trees in West St. Louis County than before (when it was farmland), as a result of this sprawl, I began to consider other possiblities. 

That's when I discovered the term "Urban Forest" of which St. Louis has a very good one that includes many municipalities like Clayton (22 years!) which have "Tree City" designation by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Add the growing numbers of small family farms in and around urban areas, plus organizations like Great Rivers Greenway that build walking and biking trails, and the relationship between Farms and Forests becomes "green" with possiblities again. 

The perfect place to experience this greening is at the Clayton Farmer's Market or others like it in your area.  So, join us Saturday, June 22 for the Farm to Forest Bike Ride or stop by to watch the fun.

Some cool websites:  American Forests and the Arbor Day Foundation
http://www.americanforests.org/our-programs/urbanforests/
http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/map.cfm

THIS WEEK'S MARKET FUN:
Farm to Forest Bike Ride:
Saturday June 22, 2013 at 8:00am
Women's Bike Ride Begins at the Clayton Farmer's Market;Meanders Liesurely to Forest Park and Back--about 12 miles Ride is Led by Mesa Cycles Features Great Rivers Greenway Trails

Market Music: The Lulus    
Children's Activity: St. Louis Artist Guild Messy Art for KidsCentrue Bank Culinary Tent: Chef Callaghan Carter from Bixby's
Mini Massages for Cyclists offered by A Healing Place
Market Coupons for Participants

Event Sponsors: Clayton Farmer's Market, Mesa Cycles, Great Rivers Greenway, A Healing Place, and Straub's Grocers 

www.claytonfarmersmarket.com