Shop local! Eat Oregon-grown foods! Conserve on energy! Good adages to live by, but how? This summer, you’re looking for something fun to do (and eat!), consider a trip down Peoria Road. A longtime a favorite drive of mine, this gently winding road curves past immaculate farms on the way to Harrisburg. It’s perfect for bicycles and motorcycles - just watch out for the tractors and combines. I’ve met the nicest people by taking a few minutes to stop and support the local bakeries, flower stands and nurseries.

To drive the length of Peoria Road, turn south off Highway 34 a mile east of Corvallis. The entire length of the Road is less than 22 miles, and a bevy of home-grown businesses thrive along the way. Just a mile down the road you will drive past the OSU World Plant Center and the Blue Heron Nursery, both closed to the public. Yet it’s your first glimpse of the world of horticulture and agriculture that dominates the livelihood of people in this area. At 3.7 miles is Peoria Gardens, a wholesale-only plant business founded in 1984 by Tom Verhoeven. The business distributes its plants through western Oregon to Washington, from Ashland, Oregon to Centralia, Washington. Kind and approachable, Verhoeven truly cares about the welfare of his community, as demonstrated by his company’s generosity toward local nonprofit organizations.

Moving along, in spring and early summer, you may buy flowers from a small stand at the intersection of Peoria and Oakville Roads. The money exchange is on the honor system, with a box to deposit the correct amount for the generous bunch of daffodils, tulips, irises, or whatever is in season. Another flower stand is just a mile and a half down the road on the east side. Stems and Stuff is a business owned by Donna Coons, a member of the Oak Park Farms Century Farm family, established in 1850. Donna also hosts fabulous seasonal sales of folk art and home décor.

One of my favorite places to stop for the past 12 years is Gindhart’s Nursery. Started by Madora Gindhart in 1942, her son Bob took over the business in 1970 after returning home from military service. Today Bob and his wife Myra, whose mother ran Schuster’s Nursery in Crawfordsville, have a wide variety of plants, from your favorite garden vegetables to gorgeous hanging geranium and fuchsia baskets, succulents, water plants, cacti galore and my favorites - datura and passion flower. Myra notes the excellent quality of their plants and that the prices on the trees are “better than everybody”. Shopper Shirley O’Donnell of Albany said this was her first time visiting Gindhart’s and she found it an “amazing place.”

The small town of Peoria has an interesting history, yet that’s a story for another day. At 10.2 miles you will see the Oxbow Orchard, located near a historic oxbow of the Willamette River. Blueberries are the product you will be seeking at this location.

Another delectable delight is a stop at the Country Bakery, located 15.2 miles along our route. When I drove into her parking lot on a late Friday afternoon, I had to search for a spot to park among the other seven vehicles, all people buying home-baked goodies. Loretta Birky founded her bakery business in 1992 as a way to earn a summer income when not teaching at the Lake Creek Mennonite School next door.

The first two years she sold her scrumptious pies and other baked goods at the Farmers’ Market, later moving the homemade bakery to her home. With the help of both her family and her faith, she built her bakery into the destination it is today. Loretta was able to take a brief break while I visited and told me that she rises at midnight on Friday and Saturday mornings to make her baked goods. Today Loretta sells locally made quilts, crocheted baby blankets, books, jam, eggs, and much more than just her to-die-for sticky buns, sour cream twists and maple rings.

The final stop is just a half-mile further down the Road at the corner of Peoria and Lake Creek Roads. Horse Creek Farms, run by Aart and Sheri Falk sells home-grown peaches, corn, tomatoes and a variety of other garden products from a roadside stand.

At the end of Peoria Road is Harrisburg, a friendly town of 3,400 residents where you can stop and enjoy a lunch of American, Italian, Mexican or Thai themed food. Only in the U.S. can you find that combination of dining choices in a small agricultural community!