Fresh From The Rooftop: A Clever Crop For A Tasty Bite
This video was filmed before the outbreak of COVID-19 locally.
Imagine a day when all the vegetables from your neighbourhood market are grown locally on the rooftop of the adjacent building. You couldn't get any fresher than that!
That's the dream of ComCrop, Singapore's first and only commercial rooftop farming company: to provide such a reality in Singapore by turning "marginalised spaces" (like unused rooftops) into verdant and bustling greenhouse farms.
The concept is a all about sustainability. Not only would community farms provide fresh produce for the community, they would also help to create jobs. Incidentally, ComCrop is also a socal enterprise that employs seniors and marginalised communities where possible to harvest and package its produce, among other farming activities.
The result: a reduction in food miles (from garden to table) and travel miles for those who work at the farms. Smart, right!
More importantly, this is such an important solution for our island state (which imports over 90% of all food products), should sudden unexpected emergencies - whether political, geological or, gasp, viral - disrupt our supply chains. (Hello? War? Earthquake? COVID-19?)
The greens at the rooftop farm located in Woodlands are grown using hydroponics - this means they are not grown in soil, but instead, get their nutrients and minerals from water. No chemicals or pesticides are used, and our glorious tropical sun (which we often take for granted and complain about no end) does all the work of providing energy for the entire operation.
So, how does the garden grow? With chye sim, ruby red lettuce, green emerald lettuce, mizuna, basil and mint. You can find ComCrop's products at RedMart and FairPrice, but don't be surprised if, one day, you can just look out your window and see someone harvesting the chye sim for your next meal.
In this episode of "Surprise Supplies", Allan Lim, ComCrop's chairman and founder, pays our host Gen Lee a visit with some beautifully green gifts. Can Gen lettuce-wrap her head around this challenge and create something unexpected? Click on the video now!
"Surprise Supplies" is also available on Wonderwall.sg's IGTV channel.
For the latest updates on Wonderwall.sg, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a story idea for us, email us at [email protected].
