On Wednesday morning I woke up in my lakeside cottage and enjoyed a few cups of coffee and internet surfing before hopping on the bike to head over to Farm Sanctuary. This was set to be a pretty easy day and I was riding 11.5 miles with no gear on the bike. As I started making my way it became pretty clear that no matter what I do or where I go here in the Finger Lakes region I just cannot escape the hills. This entire 11.5 miles was a constant uphill battle and in some sort of twisted way I think I am starting to enjoy the climb even more than the flat stretches.

So finally I arrived at the Farm Sanctuary and I was greeted with absolute warmth and kindness. I conducted an interview prior to taking a tour of the farm and it went very well. After my series of questions caught on Camera I was taken on a tour of the farm and it was a very eye opening experience. I am not sure this is the time for me to dive into animal rights and factory farming but what I can tell you is that visiting the Farm Sanctuary opened my eyes to the fact that mass producing animals, keeping them in a state of confinement and force feeding them is happening far more than we know and it is wrong. It’s that simple.

Frankly I am not vegan nor vegetarian and I enjoy a beer and a burger as much as the next guy but after visiting the farm I now think long and hard when I am looking at my food options and making my decisions and if you don’t know where the food on your plate came from you should as well. Beyond animal rights there is entire plethora of environmental issues that are tied with factory farming. From poor waste management to transportation hazards these large factories farming operations are destroying our planet. The next time you go to the grocery store look at the labels and see where your products are coming from and please… if you have the choice BUY LOCAL and please do so regardless of the price differential. It’s an investment in your health, environment and local community.

After my interview with Gene Baur the founder of Farm Sanctuary I headed back to the cottage and enjoyed a glass of wine on the dock while staring at Lake Seneca. It was a beautiful place where bird watching is plentiful and the lakeside is decorated with beautiful farms and vineyards. In case you haven’t noticed Central New York has touched me. It’s much more than I had ever expected and I will always remember my time here.

The next morning I packed up my stuff and made sure to get the cottage clean and tidy as it was when I arrived. I then enjoyed a bit more quiet time on the lake and decided it was time to go. One of the things I have come to learn is that arriving and leaving places is always a very difficult task both emotionally and physically. There is always a major rain storm or a massive hill to climb and that proved to be true once again. With all of the gear I had to push the bike through mud and rocks straight uphill about a quarter mile. This was no easy chore. I then coasted 3 miles down route 14 back into Watkins Glen where I noticed I was going to be forced to climb out. Climbing route 414 South out of Watkins Glen was one of the hardest challenges on this entire journey. It was extremely steep and never ending. When I arrived at the top there were people in their cars looking and pointing at me with awe and as I screamed “I’ve got a feeling” by the Beatles I was overwhelmed with a great sense of victory. If this ride ended tomorrow I would be extremely proud of myself just for climbing that hill.

I arrived in Corning, NY and unfortunately had no place to stay and was forced to check into a hotel. This doesn’t sit well with me given the fact that hotels are certainly as wasteful as any operation here in America and as I write this blog I can hear children running down the hall getting ready to eat an unhealthy breakfast followed by parents who just want to cash in on the free meal. It breaks my heart.
I spent just a few hours exploring Corning and the people I met were all very kind and generous and beyond that the Market Street area is beautiful area. Perhaps one day I will return for a visit en route to the Lakes.

Until next time take care and take action!
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