FARM TOUR If you’ve never seen (or petted) an alpaca, now is the time.

Now is also the time for the annual, free-of-charge Harvest Celebration Farm Tour. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 4, city slickers can visit any of 21 King County farms to experience a wondrous variety of “vigorous organic vegetables” and cloven-hoofed creatures. Several local farmers keep alpacas (which resemble mini-llamas) on the premisesfor laughs, of course, but also because their wool is very warm. In fact, according to Jennifer Waller of the WSU Cooperative Extension, alpacas are no laughing matter. “I actually met some when I went to look at some of the farms,” she said recently. “They were just unbelievably gentle.”

In other Farm Tour news: Jubilee Farm is hosting a U-Pick pumpkin patch, while Whistling Train is selling pork shares. One concept organizers are pushing this year is CSAcommunity-supported agriculture. “I have a deposit on a quarter of a pig,” says Waller. Though reluctant to specify which quarter of the pig she would receive, Waller did seem content with the arrangement: “I will get to choose what kind of cuts I want.” You, too, can own a quarter of a pig and help out farmers in the bargain; to invest in local agriculture or just to check out the farm tour, visit www.metrokc.gov/wsu-ce/farmtour, or call 206-205-3206. NEAL SCHINDLER

nschindler@seattleweekly.com