During these COVID times where we all itch to travel but are confined in Singapore, where better to have a staycation than in the 'rural countryside' of Lim Chu Kang? So, together with two of my friends, we stayed at Oasis Living Lab for 9 days (thankfully, with a weekend break at home). While we're nowhere near professional urban farmers, there are definitely many lessons we learnt from this short journey. So here's my take on urban farming in Singapore and why we should all start farming, or at least grow some veggies:
1) Farming connects the grower back to nature's roots
Honestly, I can't remember the last time I touched soil before staying at the farm. Despite my parents growing a plethora of plants in my backyard, I rarely got involved. My life revolved too much around the Internet (which I'm certain applies to most of you too) and I looked at environmental issues through the lens of a pragmatic Singaporean: I care about the climate crisis because it will affect the future of humanity, more specifically, the lives of the people I care about.
In this highly manicured shiny metropolis, I grew numb to the endless sight of destruction for the next multi-million condominium project. In this highly manicured shiny metropolis, the omnipresence of greenery masks the disconnect between development and nature. In this highly manicured shiny metropolis, I forgot how intriguing it feels to lose myself in nature.
Sowing the seeds into the soil, observing the seed germinate and sprout, watering the plants daily; these actions helped me to notice the marvel of nature once more. Watching your efforts pay off when your plants grow healthily is akin to achieving that A in your exams after years of hardwork, but without the stress.
Sounds like I'm romanticising it? Perhaps. But you never know till you try it. So get started!
Our seedlings!
2) Farming is still a largely menial task
While the media likes to throw around the term 'high-tech urban farming' to align with Singapore's appearance as a technology trailblazer, there's a limited extent to what technology can do in farming (for now, at least). The two main aspects where technology is employed is during seed sowing (putting the seeds into the seed tray) and irrigation. Besides these, most of the processes are still done by hand.
This means that transplanting the seedlings, harvesting, and packing the vegetables are all still done by hand. Who then does this labour? Foreign workers, of course. Will any Singaporean want to work at an isolated corner of Singapore where the nearest bus stop is 30 minutes walk away? I highly doubt so.
Engaging in these laborious and mundane tasks, I can tell you that it really isn't easy doing the same thing over and over again. Spending the whole day in an air-con room packing vegetables might not sound too bad, but the boredom gets to you very quickly. Imagine staring at nothing but vegetables for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. This brings me to my next point:
3) Respect the people who put in their effort to produce our food
It might sound cliche, but the farmers repeat the same menial tasks everyday without fail only for us to selectively pick 'better-looking' food with our large expendable income. However, the farmers' motivation is simply to earn more money and give their family a better life.
The modern global supply chain makes is so easy for consumers to 'pick and choose' whatever product they want whenever they want without thinking of the time and resources spent. This promotes unsustainable and incessant consumerism, where we throw away what we don't need because it's too convenient to purchase a new item from an e-commerce site or a supermarket.
So, the next time you want to purchase a shirt from an e-commerce platform or pick the 'most beautiful and undamaged' vegetable, ask yourself this: where does it come from and who made it? I'm not saying you should totally abstain from buying luxuries. We all need the occasional treat for ourselves or for our loved ones. Rather, I'm saying that we should think about the origin and process of obtaining these items. See where this idea takes you!
4) Treasure the privilege we have
Personally, I think the only reason why we lead drastically different lives from foreign workers is because we are lucky enough to be born in Singapore (of course, not everyone born in SG has a good life, but the majority of us lead comfortable lives). Being cognizant of this privilege will help us treasure the little things we often take for granted: warm showers, three meals a day, perpetual connection to the Internet, and the list goes on...
However, it's not just the things we have in our lives that we should treasure. What's more precious are the opportunities - free educational events whole year round, the financial ability to pay for private instructors to teach us new skills and the means to travel around the world - at our fingertips which we can and should seize. These opportunities might not seem like much, but they're things that foreign workers - or more broadly speaking, any of the four billion people born into developing countries - can only dream of. So, with opportunities delivered right to our faces, wouldn't it be a great shame to ourselves and the unluckier people if we don't seize the diamond?
Let me qualify myself by saying that not everyone needs and can be an activist or social worker to better the lives of others. Not everyone has the mental and emotional capacity to do that. As long as you don't waste the opportunities given to you and live a life that you yourself are proud of, that would be making the most of your privilege.
One of the best things about staying at the farm: every day's sunrise and sunset
What's next
Will I pursue urban farming as a career? I can't say for sure, but this staycation has certainly widened my perspectives on many issues beyond food security. Social and economic sustainability cannot be neglected if Singapore wants to make the urban farming industry truly sustainable. This would involve labour policies regarding foreign workers, but at the same time, promoting urban farming as a career for Singaporeans. My vision might be a little bit crazy, but I believe it can be done: every household having their own miniature growing garden, made from recycled materials. Let's all start growing!
Want to know more or promote urban farming? Contact me and check out Arise & Farm!
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