Tourist farms give us an invaluable opportunity to see how animals are raised. The best of these places don’t just let you see the animals though, but also educate and entertain, or allow you to interact with the animals.

The finest example in Taiwan must be Nantou’s Ching Ching Farm (清境農場). The sheep show is great and, while the animals may take center stage, there’s an awful lot more to see and do. Rhinoceros Beetle Farm (獨角仙農場) in Chiayi features a great variety of animals, and there’s interaction too; you can ride a pony or feed baby cows with milk from a baby’s bottle. There are lots of other animals you can pet, feed or play with.

Fully Green Farm (綠盈農場), located very near Rhino Beetle Farm in Chiayi (嘉義) County, isn’t quite on that level, but it’s still a good day out for families with young children. The main attractions are the cows. There’s a fair sized herd, of which three or four seem always to be on show and you are able to get close enough to pet them and have your photo taken.

This being Taiwan, food inevitably plays a roll. The farm sells its special, supposedly extra-milky ice cream. I tried some; it tasted much like any other ice cream. You’ll also find all manner of milk-flavored foods in the gift shop, right along with all the cow-themed souvenirs and knick knacks.

To add to the family friendly atmosphere, there’s a play pool with little paddle boats, and also an arts and crafts area. It might not look like much, but this area is the best part of the farm. Not only is it a good opportunity for kids to be creative, but it’s also great to see families being able to share a fun activity together.

Fully Green Farm has other animals such as ponies, pigs, birds, and rabbits that you can feed with carrots. The ponies are allowed out to run around a field, and I’ve definitely seen animals kept in worse conditions, but it would be a nicer place to visit if the animal enclosures were bigger, and better maintained.

Despite these deficiencies, Fully Green Farm has enough to offer to be a nice day out for a young family.

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