Hundreds of farms dot Boulder County, some dating as far back as the Colorado gold rush of the 1860s, with over 130,000 total agricultural acres and over 1,000 farms. From foothills, mesas and buttes to wooded creeks and stretches of prairie, each farm has a unique feel.
In 1967, Boulder became the first city in the United States to tax itself for funds to be used for acquiring and managing open space. County residents also approved the use of public lands for agriculture, and today some 25,000 acres of Boulder County’s public lands are leased to farmers.
Boulder Bike Tours’ “Bike-to-Farm Tour” offers a unique way to visit some of those farms—by bicycle. Boulder, a mecca for cycling aficionados, offers excellent cycling routes that pass by farms, orchards and wildlife sanctuaries. The rural areas in the county include wildlife habitats for eagles, hawks, songbirds, prairie dogs and many other wild animals, some of which are almost always observed on the tours.
The Golden Hoof, a 2,000-acre regenerative slow food farm in Boulder, is the featured farm on tour this summer. This holistically managed farm uses regenerative, eco-friendly methods to create healthy, resilient soils resulting in high-quality nutrient-dense produce and meat.
Founder Herschel Goldberg has lived in Boulder since 1969 and worked and volunteered with the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance to assist this region’s land management agencies and to build and maintain trails and provide support to trail users of all types.
“We had an unbelievable experience with Hersch and company!” a recent Trip Advisor review read. “We explored so many amazing little countryside farms and then we landed at the cutest little farmers market with homemade wines, veggies, etc., where we enjoyed brick oven pizza right there on the property, compliments of Herschel! A free-spirited group of bike riders…. Herschel was fun, informative and really made this experience for us.”
The company offers various types of tours, but launched the farm tours in 2010. Cyclists ride some 12 miles, then tour a farm and enjoy a meal right where the food was grown and harvested. Boulder Bike Tours seek out local farmers who like sharing their history and individual stories about their crops and visions.
The tours run in the summer and autumn, during the growing and harvesting seasons. Crops grown in this region include chilies, greens, beans, beets, carrots, lettuces, sweet corn, garlic, kale, onions, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and more. Each year riders encounter more and more pastures filled with sheep, goats and mobile chicken houses supplying quality food to local markets, restaurants and CSA customers.
Many growers employ permaculture, which is a practice of creating a habitat within the farm ecosystem that allows nature to do the work of managing pests and improving soil fertility. When touring one of the permaculture farms, guests can get their hands dirty and experience the future of organic farming.
For the farm tours, Boulder Bike Tours books private groups only at this time, and require a minimum of 10 people. Tours, which run about three hours, include seasoned local guides, scenic rides on bike paths and country roads, a harvest-fresh meal at the farm and education about organic growers. Dates are from June through October. Bike rentals are included and can be reserved (including e-bikes). Participants’ ages range from 10 to 70s.
