Visit some of Washington's 33,000 farms

More than 33,000 farms call Washington home, nestled in mountain valleys, sprawled across rolling hills, tucked into pockets of land between cities, sprinkled hither and thither on Puget Sound islands.

With the sun finally shining and markets bursting with fresh produce, the time is ripe to visit a farm, ranch, orchard or dairy, sample the abundance and learn more about where your food grows. Some offer scheduled tours. With an appointment, others will show you around the barnyard and fields (dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes).

Many offer farm stands or shops during the summer months, an ideal way to supplement camping meals, a picnic lunch or a road trip with fruit, fresh sausage, preserves, salad greens and more.

Here's a sampling of interesting spots along popular vacation routes as well as a handful within an hour's drive of Seattle. For more ideas, ask at your neighborhood farmers market, call your local Slow Food group or visit Puget Sound Fresh at www.pugetsoundfresh.org for profiles of these and other farms.

Within an hour of Seattle

21 Acres Farm (13701 N.E. 171st St., Woodinville, 206-442-2061, www.21acres.org): This nonprofit farm is home to livestock, acres of produce destined for local farmers markets, more than 80 community growing plots, walking trails and fields used to demonstrate sustainable and organic farming practices. The farm hosts a tour at 11 a.m. the first Saturday of the month through October. The Aug. 2 tour will include presentations from Sammamish Valley 4-H groups. Call ahead to schedule tours other days.

Langley Fine Gardens (10012 S.W. 268th, Vashon, 206-463-3516, e-mail preferred at Langley900 @aol.com): Matt and Leda Langley lead a farm tour and heirloom- tomato day 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 17. Pack a picnic lunch and visit the farm store, which has more than 30 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, 25 varieties of heirloom cooking greens and lettuces, 15 types of potatoes and four colors of carrots. Find more information about the tour and other island farms at www.stov.us/at/agroIntro.html.

Full Circle Farm (31904 N.E. Eighth St., Carnation, 425-333-4579 or fullcirclefarm.com): Watch biodiesel- fueled tractors at work on this 260-acre certified organic farm which grows more than 125 varieties of fruit, vegetables and herbs and features a heritage-foods garden. This Saturday also is the first installment of the Helping Hands Project, in which volunteers can try their hand at a variety of farming tasks at several local farms, beginning with Full Circle. Call Tim Bernthal at 206-783-3088 or Mark McIntyre at 206-632-0606 for more information or visit www.cascadeharvest.org (click on Helping Hands). If you'd rather stroll and enjoy, call ahead for an appointment.

River Valley Ranch (34920 S.E. Fall City-Snoqualmie Road, Fall City, 425-222-5277, rivervalleycheese.com): Meet a variety of goats, water buffalo, yaks, sheep and cows, all of which contribute their milk toward the ranch's artisan cheeses. Call to schedule a tour, which often includes a chance to bottle-feed the livestock.

"We have lots of bottle-feeding opportunities, lots of yak kisses," said owner Julie Steil.

En route to Vancouver, B.C.

Bellewood Acres (231 Ten Mile Road, Lynden, 360-398-9187, open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, www.bellewoodapples.com): See 22,000 apple trees in the shadow of Mount Baker. Wander the farm and explore the packing line, juice line and cooler.

En route to camping spots along scenic Highway 20

Skagit River Ranch (28778 Utopia Road, Sedro-Woolley, 360-856-0722, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, www.skagitriverranch.com): This ranch in the Skagit Valley sells organic beef, chicken, pork and eggs. Eiko Vojkovich, who owns the farm with her husband, George, says many folks stop by wanting to know where their food comes from — and to savor it.

"A lot of people are on the way to camping trips on Highway 20, and they stop by and buy sausages and a burger so they can cook out," she said. "They're all frozen, so they throw them in the cooler and go."

Cascadian FARM Home Farm (55749 Highway 20, Rockport, 360-853-8173, open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily in summer, www.cascadianfarm.com/products/homefarm): This 27-acre berry farm on the Skagit River features fresh organic berries, homemade ice cream, pickles and salsas.

En route to the Olympic Peninsula

Nash's Organic Produce (1865 E. Anderson Road, Sequim, 360-683-4642, www.nashsorganicproduce.com): Call ahead for tours of this sprawling farm, located in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley, which has sold produce (including its famous sweet carrots) at the Port Angeles Farmers Market since 1979. If you just want a taste, visit the farm store on site 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Nash's also holds an annual farm day Oct. 4 with a petting zoo, pumpkin sculpture, wagon rides and more.

Sequim Lavender Festival: If you're heading west July 18-20, you're in time for the festival, featuring nearly 30 fragrant farms, abloom with 144 varieties of the purple flowers, and a street fair to boot. Visit www.lavenderfestival.com or call 360-681-3035 or 877-681-3035.

Mt. Townsend Creamery (338 Sherman St., Port Townsend, 360-379-0895, www.mttownsendcreamery.com): See how the creamery's award-winning artisanal cheeses are crafted and visit the creamery store Saturdays and Sundays starting this weekend.

En route to Eastern/

Central Washington

Thompson's Farm (9535 Old Naches Highway, Naches, 509-653-2589, www.thompsonsfarm.com): This family-owned (since 1898) orchard grows more than 35 varieties of fruit including cherries, peaches, apples and pears. Call ahead for the U-Pick schedule or to arrange a traipse through the orchards.

The family also runs a farm store with fruit, cider, vinegars, honey, jams and jellies along Highway 12 in Naches, with a soda fountain where you can grab a cherry soda or a root-beer float (509-653-2848). Don't worry about the address, Nancy Thompson says: "Naches is so small that as you pass it you'll only pass about 10 buildings. My husband [that's John] says it's the kind of town Norman Rockwell would paint."

En route to coastal beaches

Pacific Coast Cranberry Museum & Self-Guided Farm Tour (2907 Pioneer Road, Long Beach, 360-642-5553, open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, www.cranberrymuseum.com): Visit the bogs where these tart berries grow and learn how different varieties are cultivated.

Post summer

Farm tours and harvest festivals abound in the fall if you don't make it out this summer. Learn more about the Sept. 27 King County/Washington State University Extension annual Harvest Celebration Farm Tour at king.wsu.edu/foodandfarms/HarvestCelebration.html or the Oct. 4 Skagit Valley Farm Tour at www.festivaloffamilyfarms.com. Or, call your favorite farms to see if they offer harvest celebrations of their own.

Karen Gaudette: 206-515-5618

or kgaudette@seattletimes.com