Farms we'll visit:
o Appel farms: Family-owned cheese shop and dairy offering a varied selection of handcrafted cheese, including gouda, feta, and farmstead Swiss.
o Oak meadow Farms: Pasture-based, regenerative livestock farm selling beef, pork, chicken, and eggs.
o Boxx Berry Farm: Farm store featuring fresh vegetables, berries, and flowers with u-pick berries and flowers.
o Twin Sisters Creamery: Family-owned and run creamery and blue cheese manufacturing facility with a total of 70 different cheese varietals
Tour details & logistics:
o Tour begins and ends at Appel Farms Cheese Market in Ferndale. Plenty of parking will be available.
o Each farm stop will be about 25 minutes. Farmers/market staff will share their story, provide a behind-the-scenes tour of their operation and offer a tasting of their product or a gift certificate.
o Tour is 17.7 miles round-trip.
o Tour is appropriate for teens and adults (teens under 18 must be accompanied by an adult)
o Babies and toddlers in bikeseats can ride along for free
Focus of tour:
o Meet & greet with local food producers
o Compare methodologies between two local cheese-makers
o Witness regenerative livestock practices
o Learn about Whatcom County’s prolific berry production
o Experience Ferndale’s scenic byways