Farming Chronicles

FARMING CHRONICLES

Farming Chronicles Promoting Urban Farming in Local Residences Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)

Contents

Foreword

02

About Urban Farming

03

Tower Setup

15

From Seeds to Vegetables

31

Pest Encounters

45

First Harvest

51

To Maturity

61

Documentation

73

Reflection

89

Afterword

94

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DR. ZHENG KAI

Foreword

The global COVID-19 pandemic caused many people to be locked down in their homes.

Interestingly, with the increased time spent at home, many Singaporeans took an interest in gardening and farming in their own spaces at home. Many reasons can be attributed to this interest – chief of which is an increased awareness of sustainability, and food security.

Being a small country with limited resources of our own, Singapore is heavily susceptible to global bans on imports and exports.

The recent ban on chicken exports by our neighbouring country highlighted this fact.

While we can’t quite grow our own chickens at home, local farming produce is a viable option to reduce our reliance on food imports.

One goal of this project was to study the verticality of urban farming and thus reduce the floor area needed. While this is not a new approach, we discovered that the general approaches to successful urban farming at home were not consolidated, and many information we found online were not evidence-based. Thus, our project sought to seek advice from external experts, conduct our own research, and consolidate the knowledge we learned into a comprehensive guide for laypeople.

FOREWORD

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Urban Farming Singapore imports over 90% of its food from more than 170 countries and is highly dependent on external sources. Singapore Food Agency announced the ambitious goal to produce 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs locally by 2030. Besides intensifying efforts to support local agriculture technology, Singapore has also been promoting edible gardening to residents, bringing the community together while strengthening good resilience.

Singapore’s Food Story

Agriculture History of Singapore Singapore is a city-state of only 719 square kilometres. 25% of the total land area was once used for agriculture. In 1970, about 176,400 people (9% of total population) were actively engaged in agricultural activities or were indirectly dependent on farming and fishing for a living. There were also about 2,075 official farms built in Singapore.1 In 1959, the Primary Production Department (PPD), now known as Singapore Food Agency (SFA), was established. The department was formed to help farmers increase farming efficiency and manage animal health and food safety. PPD developed farmlands in Agrotechnology Parks to maintain a degree of self-sufficiency.

The agriculture scene has transformed drastically, with less than 600 hectares of farmland remains in Singapore today. The growth of population from under 2 million in 1960s to 5.45 million in 2021 required agricultural land to be freed up for other needs, such as housing, roads, and other infrastructure requirements.

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Thought, S. F. A.- F. for. (2015, March 13). SG50 special: Singapore’s Food Farms - A Story of then and now. Food for Thought. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-for-thought/article/detail/ sg50-special-singapore’s-food-farms---a-story-of-then-and-now

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Rural Farming in Singapore (Photo: National Archives of Singapore)

URBAN FARMING

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High-tech vegetable farm - Comcorp (Photo: Singapore Food Agency Facebook)

Currently, over 90% of Singapore’s food supply is imported from multiple sources in about 170 countries and regions worldwide.

The introduction of the Singapore Green Plan in 2020 saw SFA leading innovation and production efforts in local farms to achieve an ambitious goal of producing 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs by 2030 as part of the “30 by 30” plan.

It is an emphasis that the agriculture sector is far from being a sunset industry facing obsolescence. The industry is amid rejuvenation, fuelled by cutting-edge science and technology. The rapid climate change and COVID-19 pandemic have further amplified the gravity and urgent need to safeguard food security.

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Towards ‘30 by 30’ Funding for Businesses: SFA has launched various fundings and grants for local businesses to build upon the country’s agri-food industry’s capability and capacity to produce 30% of the nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030. The $60 million Agri-Food Cluster Transformation (ACT) Fund is established to support the transformation of industry into one that is highly productive, climate-resilient and resource-efficient.2 Besides helping to expand production capabilities, local farmers can make use of the funds to innovate and develop new farming technologies and systems to increase efficiency and improve the sustainable use of resources.

Aquaculture Innovation Centre’s Focus Area (Photo: Enterprise Singapore )

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Agency, S. G. S. F. (n.d.). Funding schemes. SFA. Retrieved December 20, 2021, from https://www.sfa.gov.sg/food-farming/funding-schemes/actfund

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Bringing Food Production into Heartlands: SFA and Housing Development Board (HDB) have converted a handful of underutilised multi-storey car park rooftops for vegetable farming use. The launch of commercial urban rooftop farming started in 2019 as part of HDB’s Green Town Programme to intensify greening in housing estates. It is also one of SFA’s strategies to increase local food production.

Citiponics Farm @ Ang Mo Kio can grow up to four tonnes of vegetables a month. Situated in the heartlands, the harvests are retailed at nearby supermarkets and sold directly to nearby residents on a subscription basis. The soil-based tower urban farm at Tampines also produces a similar amount of 4,000 kg of vegetables, which equates to almost 16,000 packets of greens a month.

Citiponics’ Rooftop Farm in Ang Mo Kio (Photo: Ooi Boon Keong / TODAY)

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Straits Agriculture’s aeroponics farm at City Sprout

Nature’s International Commodity soil-based Tampines rooftop farm

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NParks Punggol Park Allotment Garden

NParks Allotment Garden Scheme was also launched in 2016 to offer gardening spaces in the heartlands for residents. It plays an important part in Singapore’s vision to transform into a city in nature. There are currently more than 1,700 allotment plots in twenty parks across the island.3 The scheme allows gardening enthusiasts to hone their green fingers, share their skills with each other and create a tight-knit community. It also creates an opportunity for gardeners to promote edible gardening in the neighbourhood.

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NParks launches two new initiatives to encourage gardening with edibles under the Edible Horticulture Masterplan. National Parks Board. (2021, April 19). Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://www.nparks.gov. sg/news/2021/3/nparks-launches-two-new-initiatives-to-encouragegardening-with-edibles-under-the-edible-horticulture-masterplan

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A total of 860,000 seed packets have been distributed to households under NParks’ Gardening with Edibles programme since June 2020.4 The gardening initiative aims to encourage the public to garden at home, and this vision aligns with Singapore’s national strategy to strengthen food resilience.

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Chua, N. (2021, October 9). NParks to distribute 400,000 seed packs of edible plants this year. The Straits Times. Retrieved May 30, 2022, from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/nparks-todistribute-400000-seed-packs-of-edible-plants-this-year

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Our Tampines Hub Eco Community Garden

URBAN FARMING

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Urban farming is gaining popularity in Singapore, with an increasing number of rooftop urban farms and NParks allotment gardens available for residents to start their edible gardening journey

URBAN FARMING

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Tower Setup The team embarked on a 4-month farming journey within SUTD’s campus to better understand the process and difficulties that come with growing our food. The soil-based tower system which is used for Nature’s International Commodity’s rooftop farm in Tampines was adopted for our experimentation.

Preliminary shadow analysis using digital tools

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Physical shadow observations helped the team to decide on the appropriate location of tower for the project

TOWER SETUP

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Reusing materials from completed projects to create the structure for towers

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Proposed structure design using aluminium frame and bamboo to a 1.8m x 2.4m tower frame

TOWER SETUP

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Temporary storage area behind ASD Studio 5 that became home to the materials and tools Long awaited tower and farming materials delivery

Measuring distance of Tower 1 and 2 to water point ensure sufficient length of pipe for connection

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Securing bamboo structure and tower with rope lashings, steel rods and many other methods that we improvised along the way

TOWER SETUP

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TOWER SETUP

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Setup of the 1st tower took around 3 hours, longer than expected | We eventually figured out the best and most efficient methods and was able to complete the setup of all 3 towers within the day

Assembling the modular parts of tower together | Zipties are subsequently used to secure the central compost tube in place

TOWER SETUP

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Making container housing for the water meters to prevent accidental changes to the meters’ setting

Installation of Orbit watering timer onto the tap to automate watering at prescheduled timings

Heartfelt appreciation to SUTD’s ENGIE team for helping to set up the water supply and making farming on the field possible!

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Water supply is delivered through a main 16mm pipe before branching out into three 7mm tubing through the connector component | Water flow rate through each tubing is around 1L per hour

The installation of the connector piece requires a hole to be made by poking through the tubing body | High water pressure buildup results in inflation of pipe and water leakage at end-capping and hole for the connector component

TOWER SETUP

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Modelled and 3D printed a poking tool that can help to create a 3mm and 5mm hole through the pipe

Improvising an end cap for the main tubing | The clamp hose clip was able to reduce water leakage

Use of irrigation driphead to supply water directly into the soil

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Completion of tower and structure construction | A new farming chapter begins!

TOWER SETUP

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From Seeds to Vegetables An observation and visual account of the 7-weeks growth period. A challenging phase where the team had to learn about edible gardening and experiment with different remedies to resolve the problems encountered.

Plant Propagation in Water

Propagation is the process by which new plants grow from a variety of sources: seeds, cuttings, and other plant parts.

During the visit to NIC’s Urban Farm, herbs were recommended to be propagated and grown from cuttings. Growing herbs from cuttings save time because it is faster than growing herbs from seed.

The possibility of growing herbs from cuttings would mean farmers can easily have an endless supply of the herb they choose to grow.

The team started the propagation journey with the following recommended species Spearmint, Sweet Potato, Thai Basil, Sweet Basil and Brazillian Spinach

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Steps to Propagation Select a stalk that has around 4 to 5 nodes and snip off near the base.

Always trim starting with the outer stalks.

Remove the lower leaves of the stalk. It is sufficient to keep just 2-3 top leaves.

Submerge the stalk into a container of water. Water level should at least reach the height of the 2nd or 3rd node.

Roots will develop and grow out from the submerged nodes.

The stalk will be ready to be transplanted into soil when the roots mature.

The process should take around 5 days.

FROM SEEDS TO VEGETABLES

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Companion Planting

Companion planting is the practice of cultivating different plants together to provide mutual benefits. Some of these benefits include attracting pollinators, pest deterrence, as well as improving the soil conditions.

Common companion plants grown in Singapore’s community gardens include basil, mint, sweet potato, long beans and more.

The team have included these commonly grown companion plants in the grow towers for the benefits they can provide.

More details can be found in NParks’ Companion Plants gardening brochure

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Mints help to deter pest and its extensive foliage helps to keep the soil cool

Scented leaves of sweet basil confuse pests, making it difficult to find plants | Long beans are nitrogenfixing plants and have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria

FROM SEEDS TO VEGETABLES

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Suitable Conditions for Edible Plants

The team researched a few common edibles grown in community farms and households. There were a lot of different sources based on different countries and climates. It was challenging to sieve out accurate information about the plants.

Environmental conditions of the indoor or outdoor garden would be the key consideration for the choice of edible plants to grow. Leafy vegetables would generally require full sun for a duration of at least 6 hours. Some edibles will thrive in a shadetolerant environment.

More details can be found in NParks’ Gardening Resources brochures

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Most edible plants require full sun of minimum 6 hours daily and moderate watering, whenever the top soil is dry

FROM SEEDS TO VEGETABLES

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Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting is the process by which worms are used to convert organic materials such as food waste into vermicompost.

They have high nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content to improve soil condition to help promote better plant growth.

The grow tower system comes with a compost tube in the centre where agricultural waste can be thrown in and converted into compost by the worms.

Throughout the project, the team took care of and increased the population of the compost worms.

Purchase of initial batch of worms from NIC’s farm

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Moving and splitting the worms into a larger space | Overpopulation will decrease the reproduction rate of worms

FROM SEEDS TO VEGETABLES

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Most of the plants were able to successfully germinate within a week, except for Mizuna

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Photos of seedlings of plants taken around 3 weeks after planting

FROM SEEDS TO VEGETABLES

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Observation of growth over 7 weeks

Pest Encounters Placing the tower farm in an open outdoor environment meant that pests would be unavoidable. Most of the insects encountered were harmless, but some were invasive and affected the harvest yield.

Caterpillars were most commonly seen on the leafy vegetables | They are small but invasive big-eaters and were able to quickly affect and deteriorate the condition of the plants

PEST ENCOUNTERS

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Most of the pests are small and difficult to spot, with some only appearing at night

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The best pest control would be to remove the affected leaves before the pests spread throughout the tower

PEST ENCOUNTERS

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Homemade Remedies

One of the main challenges of growing edibles is the pest problem. The towers and plants have been attacked by numerous pests and it required at lot of effort to prevent them from spreading and eating up all the vegetables.

While there are many pesticides available on the market, there are worries that these chemical pesticides may bring about harmful health effects when ingested.

Leafy vegetables such as Chinese Mustard were the most badly affected by chewing insects. Chrysanthemums contain pyrethrins, a substance that is toxic to insects. The team boiled and applied a chrysanthemum solution directly to the plants.

NParks have curated a list of easy homemade remdedies for pests and diseases of edible plants

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Boiling chrysanthemums in water | The solution has a sweet scent and we were initially worried if it would attract more pests if applied at the towers | It did not attract any ants and there was a slight decrease in the number of pests

PEST ENCOUNTERS

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First Harvest A joyous moment after a 7-week of wait and there was an immense sense of satisfaction to see the plants growing well. The team harvested a variety of vegetables and a mini celebratory vegetable tasting session!

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FIRST HARVEST

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Trying out the ‘cut then pull’ harvesting method which is less messy and cleaner as the soil will not fall over the place

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FIRST HARVEST

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Harvesting and keeping more mints and Brazillian spinach for propagation

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FIRST HARVEST

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From farm to table, there was a sense of accomplishment and we had a happy harvest! | The vegetables were very fresh but have a bitter aftertaste

FIRST HARVEST

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To Maturity Grow cycle continues after the first harvest.

A new batch of vegetables was grown from seeds while the slower growing climber plants were allowed to continue to grow and mature. The towers had become more wellestablished and required more frequent pruning and harvesting.

First cucumber flower finally appeared after 7 weeks of long waiting | Many appeared soon after but only a few eventually bore fruit

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Cucumbers grow rapidly after the flowers are fertilised, and are ready for harvest within 1-2 weeks

TO MATURITY

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In memory of our 2 pioneer cucumbers that were stolen on 29 April 2022, an hour before the intended harvest

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TO MATURITY

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Cut-and-grow Kai Lan have thicker stems | Bayam should be harvested when young and replanted after 1-2 cycles for better taste

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TO MATURITY

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Long beans took 14 weeks to start flowering | Newlygrown short baby beans are hard to be distinguished from the similiar looking climber stems

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Long beans are fast-growing and should be harvested within 3-5 days before it dries up under the hot sun

TO MATURITY

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Overgrown sweet basil ready for pruning

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Oversupply of mints

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Sorting of harvest for distribution to friends and families

TO MATURITY

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Thefts of gardeners’ work of labour are prevalent in community gardens all over Singapore, but we were more worried about the safety of onlookers as the towers are placed in the vicinity of a childcare centre

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DOCUMENTATION

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There were many nearby residents and personnel in SUTD who were curious about what we were farming.

We had the idea to conduct a small-scale survey to gain a better understanding of residents’ perceptions of farming.

Through the many conversations we had with passersby, we realised that while they were interested in what we were doing, most were not motivated to start gardening due to a lack of time and space at home.

DOCUMENTATION

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We created telegram chat stickers with the hope to share our joy during our farming journey with our friends and families

DOCUMENTATION

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Sensor at top tier

There are many soil meters available in the market and we attempted to use one to track the condition of the soil

DOCUMENTATION

Sensor at middle tier

We noticed that moisture level is lower at the top tier due to the direct exposure to sun | Soil at the lower tiers were also more fertile because of the water drain off pattern of the vertical tower system

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We also explored the use of high-technology environmental measuring sensors to document the effects of the plants on the surrounding environment | The opportunity allowed us to gain a better understanding of the technology and tools we can adopt for potential research in future

DOCUMENTATION

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Temperature / Relative Humidity - Time Chart

Solar Radiation - Time Chart

DOCUMENTATION

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Reflections

Embarking on this urban farming research project was definitely an eye-opening experience for me. From learning about the urban farming landscape in Singapore to the little details such as how to make your own compost, breed earthworms and pruning to optimise crop yield. It was also an enjoyable process watching our crops grow from seeds to fully fledged plants/ fruits ready to be harvested.

Something that really stood out to me was how we were able to transform a supposedly barren field into a bustling mini ecosystem with multiple species with the introduction of our farming system. It was really cool seeing all the different insects and animals that visited throughout the 4 month period (although some were pests and harmful to the crops).

I do hope that through our team’s documentation and experience, we can inspire more people to pick up urban farming and experience all the great things it has to offer.

This project was fun and exciting, yet humbling.

There is so much work and research that goes into growing one’s own produce. There are so many things to learn, but many more things that can only be gained through experience.

I was awed by the knowledge and technical expertise of the urban farmers in Tampines, who knew the plants, insects, worms, soil and compost like the back of their hands. They could understand the delicate conditions of their plants and soil by just touching and looking at them. On top of this, they pour in hours of work a day under the sun, tending to just about every single part of their farm.

If there is one thing I hope for this project, it would be for urban farming to be simple and convenient enough for the average working adult to take up, and also productive enough in terms of crop yield for their nutritional needs.

Lucas Leong

Raynard Chai

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Urban farming has taught me that though farming may seem simple and easy on the surface, many things can be learnt and refined. From the appropriate use of pesticides and proper growing conditions to the right way to cultivate plants, this project is only a first step towards making urban farming more accessible and convenient to the public by providing tips and analysis about the difficulties this research project has faced. In future, I hope that there will come a day when people are undeterred from urban farming and see it as a convenient way to reduce costs and lower their carbon footprint.

Law Zhenwen

REFLECTIONS

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I have always been fascinated how many plants my grandmother could keep and take care of in her little humble HDB corridor. I participated in this UROP in hopes of learning more about gardening and find out ways I could grow my own food too. Having started from ground zero, equipping myself with the necessary knowledge related to farming was definitely a steep learning curve. The wealth of information and resources available made it all the more confusing and intimidating.

Nonetheless, I realised that this was also the beauty of gardening.

Throughout this project, I have met so many passionate individuals in the community, from the casual home gardener to urban farming entrepreneurs, who fervently share their stories. Hearing their experiences and advice has been nothing short of inspiring as I witness how much dedication and love they put into plants.

This project was an exciting and therapeutic journey for me. I found myself checking up on the plant towers everyday, be it after a long day of classes or in the middle of the night after doing my laundry in hostel. I often brought my classmates down to the towers just to show them the new sprout of leaves or fruit, or updated my Instagram stories to share the joy (or shock) of new bug sightings. still stand back up tall the next day, resilient to any harsh changing conditions. This farming journey has been a series of trial and error, and that is perhaps the biggest barrier for Singaporeans to get into planting and urban farming. So much patience, time and care is required for this labour of love. I hope that Singaporeans overcome this mindset, and recognise how much benefit planting can bring about not only to themselves, but to society.

Vanessa Ann Lim

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REFLECTIONS

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ACESON HAN

Afterword

I had just started getting my hands dirty with indoor gardening when I chanced upon the research opportunity in August 2021. I was immediately attracted to the idea of starting a farm and growing vegetables in school. Since then, I have never regretted joining the team.

The initial objective was to explore possible methods to promote urban farming in local residences. How can we promote farming to others when most of us only have an interest and have no prior farming experience? We then decided to shift our focus to learning and experiencing the basics of farming.

Farming Chronicles, captures and tells the story in the chronological process of the project, from pre-farming planning to maturing and harvesting of vegetables. We have encountered many ups and downs during the months of farming. It was especially challenging in the beginning when we had to resolve a lot of problems.

My experience with farming was enjoyable, and it brought me both joy and relief. The towers have become a place where I take a nature break almost every day after a long day of classes. During the time I spent with the plants, I met many members of SUTD and nearby residents, who asked about the project and how the plants were doing. It was a joy to share my passion for gardening and encourage them to start their own.

The farm will not exist without the support and guidance of the project team. I am grateful to Prof. Zheng Kai for sharing his expertise in environmental data modelling and to Mr Lee for his dedication and guidance throughout the project. I greatly cherish the time I spent with my peers, who were always willing to get their hands dirty with the farming work while we went through this journey together.

AFTERWORD

The project has shown me that gardening has the power to bring people together. It takes a whole community to grow something successfully, and it is not simply a mundane individual activity. It is also not just a space that enables us to become more self-sufficient but also capable of transforming and activating urban communities. By bringing together people with similar interests and hobbies, they can share their gardening knowledge and love, creating a sense of ownership and belonging.

The farming work may have come to an end after a few rounds of successful harvests, but the experience and memories forged will last a lifetime. I have brought back not only many different herbs and vegetables, but also the love of gardening. Since then, my collection of plants at home has grown in number, which now includes pots of edible plants.

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Singapore University of Technology and Design Project Leader Project Investigator Students

: Dr Zheng Kai : Mr Lee Kah Wee : Aceson Han Chang Chou, Hiedayana Binte Hairudinsah, Joshua Tan Hiang Khai, Law Zhenwen, Lucas Leong Wen Jie, Nicole Shuan Ye Ru, Raynard Chia Yu Cheng, Vanessa Ann Lim Hui Mei

Supported by SUTD Office of Education and SUTD Office of Campus Infrastructure and Facilities

Farming Chronicles brings together the stories and processes behind the students’ farming journey in open fields at Singapore University of Technology and Design.

The visual documentation hopes to inspire conversations on gardening with edibles and share the team’s joy and love for gardening.