Shan Shui Organic Rice Farm Introduction
Yuanli Township in Miaoli County serves as the granary of Miaoli, with a rice cultivation area covering an extensive 3,000 hectares. The organic rice field, established as a hope station by the Mountain Water Rice Company in 2004, primarily aims to promote organic rice cultivation and educate the public about the hard work needed to produce rice, encouraging appreciation for it. The Mountain Water Organic Rice Field was set up to promote organic rice farming in the Yuanli area of Miaoli starting in 2004. In 2006, the Guan Shu Educational Foundation officially joined this hope project, responsible for promoting environmental education. It aims to foster a friendly relationship with the land and respect for all lives through a classroom that seemingly floats on the rice waves, while also caring for farmers' lives and engaging in creative activities to support the idea of "eating Taiwanese rice, loving Taiwan's mountains and waters." The "Organic Rice Field" is adjacent to the Mountain Water Rice Company, centered around the "classroom floating on rice waves," surrounded by a restored old granary exhibition of ancient agricultural tools, a DIY classroom, organic rice fields, and an organic vegetable garden. The rice fields adopt an organic farming method known as "duck-rice coexistence," where cute little ducks assist in farming, providing everyone an opportunity to get close to the rice field ecology. Nearby is the organic vegetable garden, allowing visitors to play in the mud and personally experience the joys and hardships of organic planting. Additionally, the indoor area includes interactive explanatory displays, a "Rice Play Café" offering various healthy rice dishes, and a souvenir sales area. The "Organic Rice Field" is a natural learning center promoting organic farming and environmental education, embodying the spirit of "100% Rice Playism." Through creative and engaging experiential activities, both children and adults can embark on their learning journey with joy and laughter. The "Organic Rice Field" invites everyone to participate in harvesting and transplanting rice, becoming modern farmers for a day and experiencing the flavor of hard work and sweat. Emphasizing organic cultivation, the area adopts the duck-rice cultivation method, allowing little ducks to assist in farming. Watching the yellow ducklings weave between the seedlings brings smiles to both adults and children. The buildings are designed with several areas, with a multifunctional classroom serving as the main venue for DIY activities, while the exhibition area is used for displays and explanations related to rice. There’s also a restaurant offering organic rice dishes and a sales area featuring various adorable souvenirs. However, since it promotes "100% Rice Playism," the most exciting aspect here is not the physical facilities, but the various experiential activities and guided tours based on seasonal changes and the rice growth process. These include being a farmer for a day, field experiences, harvesting, transplanting, as well as DIY activities like stone painting, eco-friendly soap making, and creating biological kaleidoscopes. Under the lively guidance of young instructors, visitors are offered a fun way to engage with the organic rice fields and gain a deeper understanding of rural culture through these experiences.
