Type

Tender / Self-initiated project

Location

Singapore

Programme

Engaging communities through sustainable land-based farming

Client

Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment

Timeline

2021

Partners

The Farmers SG, Upgrown Farming, 8EyedSpud, XCO2, Tate Anzur

Team

Yann Follain, Johaqqis Johari, Kieran Koh

Singapore’s first sustainable mobile farm that rekindles the “kampong spirit

Laying Seeds is a new self-initiated project by a group of organisations that are passionate about the betterment and improvement of human and environmental wellbeing.

The project aims to holistically impact the quality of life, as well as flourish the society towards a cleaner and greener Singapore by igniting the passion of farming in the urban context – through micro-farming. Through a mobile trailer, the importance of self-sustainability is brought into the neighbourhoods to reach families and individuals – both young and old. Hands-on workshops, focusing on the food cycle, are conducted not only to allow individuals to have a first-hand experience but also, foster inter-race and generational interactions. This interaction model is inspired by the “kampong spirit” that was once prominent in public housing estates in Singapore.

By involving community members to nurture their own fruits of their labour, it cultivates the habit of self-sustainability and reinvigorates the eco-system. It introduces biodiversity in the concrete jungle to improve the overall quality of life.

With the combination of strategies put in place, this initiative not only “feeds the man a fish, but teaches him how to fish”, while aiding the nation in reaching the goal of being a self-sustainable country. Furthermore, Laying Seeds aims to provide a platform in transforming mindsets and perceptions of farming, as a profession and skill that is profitable and rewarding.