Cyclists pedal to push the organic life

A pair of cyclists rolled into Sedalia on Wednesday as part of their tour circling the globe to promote healthful living and raise money for Farm Aid.

John and Kate Suscovich set off from New York City in early June to embark on a 24,000-mile bicycle trek that will take them across four continents over the next two years.

After traveling about 1,700 miles in the past two months, the pair plans to ride to Colorado, Seattle and Los Angeles before continuing their trip through New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia and Europe.

Along the way, the couple has stopped to tour and work at microbreweries and small organic family farms, learning about sustainable living and getting an idea of where they might like to eventually set up their own farm.

“We’re visiting sustainable farms to kind of learn about food ourselves and share what we learn with people following us on our website

(foodcyclist.com),” John said. “We feel that education is very important to connect the farmers with the people who don’t necessarily know how the food is being produced.”

“Both of us have really become enamored with the whole slow food movement,” Kate said. “We will eventually be setting up some sort of farm, and this little adventure is kind of given us an opportunity to create a mosaic of what we want our life to look like.”

“We get a little taste of everywhere and we’ll figure out where we’re going to land,” John added.

Through the trip, they are also seeking to raise money for Farm Aid, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping raise awareness, access and funding for family farms. Their goal is to raise $24,000 over the next two years — $1 for every mile they intend to ride.

John and Kate Suscovich visited Sedalia on Wednesday after traveling more than 50 miles along the Katy Trail that morning. When they arrived at the Comfort Inn Sedalia Station and told the staff about their adventure, the hotel offered a free room.

“We gave them our website and they looked into what we were doing and really loved the idea,” John said. “They support Farm Aid as well, and they wanted to do something to get us out of the heat and give us a good night’s rest.”

The night’s rest was a welcome break for the Suscoviches, who have been cycling from 30 to 60 miles per day throughout the extended heat wave, typically traveling three or four consecutive days before taking a day off.

But between the hospitality of the people they’ve encountered along the way and the support their tour has attracted online, they said the start of their expedition has already been an “incredibly rewarding” experience.

“People have only been incredibly generous and open and trusting. It’s nice, because it’s reciprocated,” Kate said.

“We get emails and Twitter messages and Facebook messages from people riding their bikes more because we’ve been an inspiration, people who have lost weight, people who are joining CSAs (community supported agriculture),” John said. “Even if the donations aren’t quite where we would like to see them yet, the fact that we’re helping change people’s lives means way more than any monetary value.”

The couple planned to head out this morning for Warrensburg. From there, they will travel to Shawnee, Kan., where they plan to stay with family of friends before attending the Farm Aid 2011 concert Aug. 13 in Kansas City.

To follow the Suscoviches’ travels or make a donation to Farm Aid through their effort, visit foodcyclist.com.