Urban farming is fast catching on in housing estates, changing the way many live and eat.
By Romesh Navaratnarajah
Across Singapore, urban farms growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables such as bitter gourd, cucumber, papaya and tomato are sprouting up in HDB towns, landed housing estates and even new condominium developments.
Aside from being a great stress reliever, starting a farm allows residents to grow their own, fresh food.
Eng Ting Ting, an urban farming specialist and co-founder of Pocket Greens, said more Singaporeans are becoming aware of and concerned about the food they’re eating, and are converting ornamental plots into edible ones.
It isn’t just retirees who are interested in the practice of growing food. These days, younger working adults in their 20s and 30s are also getting their hands into the soil, noted Eng.
Fostering kampung spirit
The farm-to-table movement in Singapore can be traced back to 2005, when the National Parks Board (NParks) launched the Community In Bloom (CIB) programme at Mayfair Park Estate in Upper Bukit Timah, to foster a community spirit among residents.
“With more initiatives from NParks working hand in hand with town councils in recent years, we are beginning to see more rooftop and idle spaces being converted into urban farms,” said Eng.
The CIB initiative has since grown to over 850 community gardens, and engages more than 20,000 residents. This year, NParks also launched the inaugural Community Garden Edibles Competition for passionate gardeners, to look for the heaviest or longest fruits and vegetables in Singapore.
While many urban farmers agree that local and foreign produce can be bought conveniently and cheaply at local supermarkets, they still challenge the freshness and nutritional content of commercially grown food.
“The majority of these fruits and vegetables were harvested and kept in cold storage months before arriving in Singapore. Most of the nutrients would have been lost within days. Hence, growing our own food will provide us the best freshness and nutrients we can get.
“We also know that commercially grown food is laden with harmful pesticides, additives and chemicals. Herbs that we buy from the market do not last very long and mostly end up in the bin after a few days in the fridge.
“By growing your own produce, you will have a fresh supply. You only use what you need and don’t introduce any harmful chemicals to the plants. It also gives a sense of achievement,” Eng noted.
Look locally
Food security is another reason urban farming is gaining momentum here. Ivy Singh-Lim, the owner of Bollywood Veggies, a 10 acre organic farm in Kranji, stated that Singapore imports 95 percent of its food.
“It appears that food is easily available, but if other countries restrict exports to prevent domestic food prices from rising, our food supply will be threatened and this will cause a lot of unhappiness,” she said.
According to Singh-Lim, any space in the home can be used to grow edible plants. She has identified about 20 plants, such as pandan, lemongrass and figs, that can be grown in pots and containers.
Eng says starting an edible garden at home can be as easy as buying some potted herbs, or growing vegetable seedlings in pots, which won’t cost more than $50. “We usually encourage most people to start small and keep it simple.”
Pocket Greens also provides workshops to participants who are interested in gardening as a hobby, and who want to know how to take care of their plants and manage pests.
“In our workshops, we advocate that no space is too small to start a garden. You can do it indoors, outdoors, and even vertically. You just need some imagination, creativity, and the right know how to make the garden successful.
“For apartment dwellers who are lucky enough to receive full sun, they can grow a large variety of vegetables, herbs and even small fruit trees in containers. For those with no space or sunlight, they can still grow microgreens like sunflower and pea shoots. Microgreens grow very quickly and some can be harvested within a week, so it is perfect for busy people,” said Eng.
Condo farming
The agricultural company has even worked with several property developers on a few events, conducting workshops and giving green talks at projects which have achieved TOP.
Eng believes that with increasing interest in urban farming, home builders will look into providing such facilities to attract more buyers.
For instance, Tree House, an award-winning private condo by City Developments (CDL), already has the world’s largest vertical garden.
Moreover, upcoming executive condominiums (ECs) such as Lush Acres, also by CDL, and Lake Life, which is being developed by an Evia Real Estate-led consortium, will offer resident farming.
The urban farm at Lake Life in Jurong will be built on four plots of land spanning 8,000 sq ft.
“We will provide the initial seedlings and fertiliser, and will work with the landscaper to ensure the first vegetables take root.
“To support this initiative, we will conduct educational talks with residents on how to ensure their greens continue to flourish, and we hope by then, the residents can set up their own Gardening Club,” said Vincent Ong, Managing Director of Evia Real Estate.
Future looks green
Looking ahead, Eng reckons the majority of developments in Singapore will have land allocated for urban farms.
“In the near future, we won’t be surprised if such plots become as common as gymnasiums and swimming pools.
“Urban farming is here to stay. More unused land in the city will be set aside for growing food so we do not rely heavily on imported herbs and vegetables. There will also be more emphasis on promoting local produce consumption, cutting down food waste and reducing carbon footprint,” added Eng.
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