Dongchang Farm in Hoengseong-gun and Samyang Round Hill in Pyeongchang-gun
Join existing sites including Montorrang, Happy Meadow and Sheep Farm
Renovations expected to evoke Swiss Graubünden and Salzburg landscapes
Two farms in Gangwon Province — Dongchang Farm in Hoengseong-gun and Samyang Round Hill in Pyeongchang-gun — have been selected in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' 2027 open call for its free-range ecological livestock farm development project.
With national government funding secured, the farms are set for renovations evoking the pastoral landscapes of Switzerland's Graubünden, featured in "Heidi, Girl of the Alps," and Austria's Salzburg, the backdrop of "The Sound of Music."
Gangwon Province Governor U Sang-ho said early in his tenure that he intended to transform Gangwon Province into a destination comparable to the Alps.
The free-range ecological livestock farm program — two of the four sites selected nationwide this round are in Gangwon Province — aims to build a sustainable livestock foundation by promoting the development and use of grasslands on idle mountain, agricultural and other land, and by raising public awareness of eco-friendly and animal welfare-oriented farming.
Gangwon Province already operates 17 of the 61 designated free-range ecological livestock farms nationwide, the largest share at 27.9 percent. Existing flagship sites include the Sheep Farm on Daegwallyeong in Pyeongchang, Happy Meadow Farm in Chuncheon and Montorrang Mountain Goat Farm in Taebaek.
The province plans to invest 400 million won ($294,000) in Dongchang Farm in Hoengseong-gun and 100 million won in the more established Samyang Round Hill in Pyeongchang-gun, covering grassland development, fencing installation and other work needed to bring both sites up to the program's standards.
abc@heraldcorp.com
