In 1975, the government began a program to mentor aspiring young people who had just returned from the Americas with professional training in dairy farming. They chose a site in Miaoli County on a hillside called the Nine-Story Nest that was home to acacia forests. They named the site the "Central Youth Dairy Farm," making it a demonstration area for dairy farming in Taiwan. This farm was the predecessor of today’s Flying Cow Ranch. The ranch is backed by the hills of Huoyan Mountain. If you climb the mountain and look west, you may be able to see the Taiwan Strait in the distance. You can also see an ancient route that in the old days was used to transport salt. In 1985, the Central Youth Dairy Farm was transformed into a leisure ranch, its beauty enhanced by incorporating Japanese and American design and landscaping influences. The main natural resources of the ranch are dairy cows and butterflies. The name “flying cow” and the logo blend these two themes. The colors reflect the sky, grassland and milk. It was officially opened to the public in 1995, and since then has provided visitors with a recreational venue with a rural atmosphere.
Flying Cow Ranch has its own herd of cattle, and the related waste products are used to enrich the soil of the ranch’s organic vegetable gardens. The gardens cover more than 3 hectares, and are free of water and air pollution. The leafy vegetables and herbs that are harvested are used by the park’s restaurants. The feeding and management of the farm’s cattle provide wonderful educational opportunities. Visitors can fully experience the life of dairy farmers, learn about the ecology of dairy cows, and have an opportunity to experience the production process of milk.