Perfect for family trips — experience seasonal fruit picking at leisure farms

By Chi Bing-hui, compiled and reported

Taiwan is bountiful year-round, producing a wide variety of delicious fruits across all seasons, which are beloved by people both domestically and internationally. Family trips are ideal for fruit-picking activities. The Council of Agriculture’s Agri-Travel Network has planned a series of fruit-picking tours, allowing both adults and children to personally experience the joy of harvesting fruit-laden trees.

In addition to dragon fruit, longan, and red dates being in season now, Country Leisure Farm in Neihu District, Taipei City, offers dragon fruit picking, as well as various DIY and farming experience activities. Zhuolan Taishan Xiang Creative Farm in Yilan grows cherry tomatoes year-round, known for their excellent quality and high sweetness. Wen Shan Leisure Farm, not far from downtown Taichung, not only allows visitors to feed goats and make traditional toys through DIY activities, but is also a great place to pick longan this season. For red date picking, head to the leisure farms in Gongguan Township, Miaoli County, where there are also many restaurants serving red date-based dishes, offering healthy and nourishing meals.

Besides fruit picking, it is also the harvest season for green bamboo shoots, figs, red-heart guavas, and pearl guavas. There are various farms across Taiwan where the public can come and pick these fruits. Through these experience activities, visitors can gain a deeper appreciation for Taiwan’s beauty. Don’t miss the tail end of summer vacation — plan a family trip now. To learn more about fruit-picking travel information, visit the Agri-Travel Network’s seasonal feature “Seasonal Fruit Picking Fun” (http://ezgo.coa.gov.tw/suggest_dispatch.php?issue=44)