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Farm to Fork Fondo – Hudson Valley Gives Back to Orange County

Farm to Fork Fondo – Hudson Valley came to Warwick, NY, on June 11 bringing with it a celebration of food, fitness, and community. Despite the 90 degree weather, about 500 cyclists took to the country roads of Orange County and surrounding areas to sample what farmers had to offer

The event, which was hosted by Pennings Farm, featured aid stations at seven local farms where riders sampled the farms’ food. “We’re very happy to host the Farm to Fork Fondo.” Said Steve Pennings, owner of Pennings Farm. “Wrenegade Sports’ organization skills are second to none and we can’t wait to do it again next year.”

Along with uniting farmers and cyclists, the event aimed to give back to the community. “Part of our mission is to support our host communities and we were happy to highlight the great work that many local organizations are doing.” said Tyler Wren, Founder and Director of the Farm to Fork Fondo series. Proceeds from the event’s pick-a-prize mega-raffle were donated to local causes through a volunteer team competition. Clubs and organizations from the community picked local causes and volunteered at each aid station giving cyclists water and food prepared by the farmers. At the finish line, participants voted which volunteer team cheered them on the most.

This year, over $3,000 were donated to local causes. “We were thrilled to involve and benefit two additional community groups in this year’s Farm to Fork Fondo – Hudson Valley.” said Wren. The Volunteer Competition cash prizes were raised through donations from both participant and sponsors along with raffle ticket sales. The Vernon Township Women’s Club won this year’s competition and received $900 to use in their efforts to impact the community in positive ways. The Vernon Township Women’s Club gives more than $2,400 in scholarship each year along with donating food and clothing to women and children in need. The Orange County Bicycling Club and The North Face store tied for second place, each winning $600. Since it's start in 2015, the Farm to Fork Fondo – Hudson Valley event has donated more than $10,000 to Orange County.

The Farm to Fork Fondo has also had a large economic impact on Orange County in previous years. Last year’s event had an economic impact of more than $500,000 spent by participants in Orange County. This year’s event saw participants from 21 states and four countries including Morocco and Japan. While the economic impact of this year's event is not yet determined, Wrenegade Sports and Orange County Tourism are working together to publish a report on the impact this year's event had on Orange County’s economy.

About Farm to Fork Fondo

Farm to Fork Fondo is a series of non-competitive cycling events in iconic farmland regions throughout the Northeastern United States. The mission of the Farm to Fork Fondo series is to highlight and support the symbiotic relationship between cyclists, farmers and beautiful landscapes. Ride options range from 10 to 100 miles, and include several on-farm aid stations where participants sample chef-prepared treats made from each farm’s ingredients.

For more information, visit FarmForkFondo.com.

Farm to Fork Fondo partners include Colavita, Bianchi, Elite Performance Team, Maple Hill Creamery, GU Energy Labs, Vittoria, Stages, Silca, Stans No Tubes, Bar Mitts, Tetra Bike, Drink Maple, Ride With GPS, Velofix, CyclOps, Pactimo, and Rudy Project.