Dairy and Eggs in Taitung
PhotoSlow Food Taitung
ArticleSlow Food Taitung
Date：2025.12.03
The Friendly World of Dairy and Eggs in Slow Food Taitung: Poultry Farming Practices Based on the "Indivisibility of Body and Land
The Slow Food community in Taitung has forged a path for dairy and egg products that diverges sharply from commercialization. Instead of pursuing large-scale production, they reinterpret the local philosophy of "Indivisibility of Body and Land" (Shen Tu Bu Er) through small-scale, eco-friendly home farming. Behind these dairy and egg products are stories of farmers attempting to live in harmony with the land.
Home-raised Eggs: Free-range Grazing on Spacious Land
At the "Gong Nong Gong Shi" (Communal Farming and Dining) farm in Ruiyuan Village, Luye Township, over thirty chickens of various breeds roam freely. These include Silkies, Japanese Bantams, Black Feathered chickens, and colored egg layers. They are not confined to narrow cages; instead, they exhibit natural behaviors—pecking, crowing, and dust bathing—on spacious land. This method of rearing is, in itself, a form of resistance against industrial poultry farming. The partners at "Gong Nong Gong Shi" hold the concept of "Indivisibility of Body and Land" at their core, emphasizing growing their own vegetables and raising their own poultry. Every egg comes from these chickens raised in a friendly environment. The egg liquid presents a full, vibrant color, distinctly different from commercially sold cage-laid eggs. When these eggs are used to make wild vegetable quiches (savory pies) and mixed with fresh cream, they emit a rich, milky, and eggy aroma—this is the flavor real food should have, not the taste piled up by industrial feed. The production of these home-raised eggs is not aimed at the mass market at all; they are supplied exclusively for the partners of the farm and booked guests. This small-scale production model reflects a critical choice: preferring to satisfy a pursuit of quality within a small circle rather than compromising rearing methods for the sake of quantity. While Taiwan's egg industry faces land scarcity and cost pressures, these small-scale farmers have found another possibility by redefining the relationship between yield and quality. Goose Eggs: Guards and Gifts of the Farm The flock of geese at the "Gong Nong Gong Shi" farm plays multiple roles. They are not just egg producers but also the farm's security guards, protecting the grounds with their alertness and honking. This multi-functional animal role is rare in modern agriculture—where we are accustomed to animals having a singular function—but traditional agriculture and friendly farming allow animals to play diverse roles on the farm. The "Goose Treasures" of the farm occasionally lay eggs. Compared to the regular supply of chicken eggs, the appearance of goose eggs is far more precious. A record mentioning "the geese laid 6 eggs" reflects a family-scale natural production rather than artificially controlled commercial breeding. Goose eggs, with their thick whites and rich yolks, were often used in traditional diets for special dishes, but are now rare in modern Taiwan. Maintaining the goose flock and egg production is, to some extent, preserving the diverse possibilities of traditional diet. Chulu Fresh Milk: The Dilemma and Choice of Taitung’s Local Dairy Industry The chefs at "Gong Nong Gong Shi" use Chulu Fresh Milk to brew Moon Peach (Alpinia zerumbet) Milk Tea. This is an example of a modern Slow Food creative beverage, combining the traditional aroma of Moon Peach with the local dairy industry of Taitung. As a representative commercial dairy product in the Taitung area, Chulu Fresh Milk embodies the changing story of Taiwan's dairy industry. Unlike the home-raised chicken and goose eggs, fresh milk is a commercial product. However, it is noteworthy that Slow Food chefs choose to use a local brand like Chulu rather than industrial giants. This reflects support and trust in local industries. As a representative ranch in Taitung, Chulu Dairy has also faced challenges in recent years to meet high standards such as the EAST label (Environment, Animal Welfare, Social Responsibility, Traditional Wisdom), which poses a high threshold for small dairy farms. The Moon Peach Milk Tea made with Chulu Fresh Milk integrates Taitung's ranches, wild mountain spices, and modern beverage creativity, showcasing how local ingredients can find new life in a new culinary context. The Practical Dilemma of "Indivisibility of Body and Land" The Taitung Slow Food community's approach to dairy and eggs stands in stark contrast to the mainstream industrial livestock farming in Taiwan. Home-raising, small-scale production, and eco-friendly environments—practices that should be the basic ethics of animal husbandry—have now become "premium" and "alternative" choices in modern times. The practice at the "Gong Nong Gong Shi" farm illustrates a reality: "Indivisibility of Body and Land" is not just a slogan; it requires time, space, patience, and a dedication to quality. The thirty-plus chickens roaming freely on spacious land, and every egg they lay, bear the cost and value of this choice. These home-produced egg products have a low degree of commodification, mainly supplying a small community and guests. This means they will not appear on the shelves of convenience stores, nor will they participate in large-scale market competition. But precisely because of this, they retain what food should originally look like—real food, not commodified products. Connection and Outlook When these home-raised eggs are used to make wild vegetable quiches, when goose eggs appear occasionally as rare gifts, and when Chulu Fresh Milk is transformed into Moon Peach Milk Tea, the Taitung Slow Food community is carrying out a quiet revolution. Through everyday ingredients like dairy and eggs, they are redefining the meanings of "quality," "local," and "sustainability." This is not nostalgia for the past, but an imagination for the future—in an era where industrial agriculture has penetrated every corner, insisting on friendly farming, small-scale production, and the philosophy of the indivisibility of body and land proves that another kind of agriculture and diet is possible. Every egg and every liter of fresh milk tells a story of how humans, animals, and the land can live together in harmony.
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