Farm deLight’s indoor vertical farm for micro cresses shows how a little goes a long way in Singapore’s urban farming efforts.
The aroma of freshly baked biscuits awakens the arid grounds of Khong Guan Biscuit Factory at Jalan Boon Lay. In the depths of the compound, a little sign points to Farm deLight at a wing that could be mistaken for being abandoned or disused. Up a little staircase and a clearing of racks, planter boxes and equipment still does not give hint to the contrary, until founder Edmund Wong opens the door to his 600sqm air-conditioned indoor farm. His racks of LED-lit plants are the signs of life we’re looking for. Here and in a small garden outdoors, he grows more than 20 types of micro cresses such as wood sorrel, lemon balm and marigold, as well as some flowers too.
His farm seems Lilliputian compared to others who are scaling heights in vertical indoor farming. In fact he says his farm will not factor much in Singapore’s goal of producing 30 per cent of its food by 2030, even if he will soon be growing leafy vegetables in a new 2-hectare plot of land in Neo Tiew Crescent. But his micro cresses have proved popular with fine dining chefs for a number of years now. Like the garnishes they are used for, the farm’s contributions are an unobtrusive yet vital part of the urban farming landscape.
DOWN TO EARTH
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Denne historien er fra July - August 2019-utgaven av WINE&DINE.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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New Blood
The next-generation is breathing new life into the forgotten art of spice-mixing, peppering the traditional trade with renewed ideas and fresh perspectives.
Sharing Is Caring
Compared to its flagship at Serene Centre, Fat Belly Social at Boon Tat Street is a classier and bolder affair, in more than one sense.
Nutmeg's Role In Singapore's History
From tales of it being used to ward off the plague in mid-1300s Europe to one of the ingredients in dessert, we have all known, tasted, or at least heard of nutmeg. But not many know of the spice’s role in Singapore’s history.
New And Improved
The ever-profound chef-owner Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida finds more room, three to be exact, to express a Ha Ri philosophy at Hashida Singapore’s new location at Amoy Street.
Pairing Spice-Driven Cuisines With Wine
Pairing spice-driven cuisines with wine has long been a challenge but with a little imagination, it doesn’t have to be.
Let Land Grow Wild
Niew Tai-Ran has worn many hats: aeronautical engineering major, investment banker, avid surfer, and, for the last 14 years, winemaker. Discover how this Malaysia-born, Singapore-native is championing the “do-nothing farming” philosophy at his vineyard in Oregon.
The South Asian Misnomer
Incredibly diverse and varied than most know, Indian food is far more intriguing than butter chicken or thosai. Here is a crash course on the extensive cuisine from region to region, recognisable for the seemingly infinite ways of using spices.
Keepers Of The Spice Trade
From its glory days along trade routes to pantry staples all over the world, spices have become so commonplace that we’ve taken them for granted. For these three trailblazers, however, spice is their livelihood and motivation: Langit Collective working with indigenous rural farming communities in Malaysia; IDH’s Sustainable Spice Initiative; and chef Nak’s one-woman mission to share forgotten Khmer cuisine.
Sugar, Spice And Everything Nice
Like food, spices bring vibrancy and variety to alcoholic beverages. Surfacing in unexpected ways on the palate, find everything from cumin to tamarind, cloves to cardamom enriching these drinks.
Building Blocks From The Archipelago
For the smorgasbord of dishes found in Indonesian cuisine, it is a little known secret that the modest bumbu, in all its variants, is the bedrock of such flavourful fare.
