by EILEEN POH, Channel NewsAsia, February 14, 2014
Comcrop is a vegetable and fish farm located on the rooftop of *SCAPE.
Photo: Comcrop
Source: www.channelnewsasia.comTucked away in the heart of Orchard Road is a vegetable and fish farm called Comcrop located on the rooftop of *SCAPE. With 6,000 square feet of space, it can produce eight to 10 times more than traditional farms over the same area by using vertical farming techniques.
Tucked away in the heart of Orchard Road is a uncommon sight for Singapore’s main shopping belt.
A vegetable and fish farm called Comcrop is located on the rooftop of *SCAPE.
With 6,000 square feet of space, it can produce eight to 10 times more than traditional farms over the same area by using vertical farming techniques.
The farm also uses aquaponics, a self-sustaining system that breaks down by-products from tilapia, a type of fish, which are utilised by plants as nutrients. The clean water is then fed back to the plants.
Its founders said being a local food producer means delivering crops fresh, right after they are harvested.
They have reached out to more than 20 prospective customers, and received positive feedback from some who do not mind paying a bit more for quality.
Bjorn Shen, head chef and owner at Artichoke Cafe & Bar, said: “For us… we believe in quality first. So as long as we are willing to absorb the costs, as long as customers are willing to pay a bit more for something that is of great quality, it is something we want to carry on doing.”
And it is more than just business at Comcrop. Every week, students from Victoria Junior College and Singapore Polytechnic, as well as the elderly from Tampines-Changkat Constituency, come together to tend to the vegetable and fish at the rooftop farm.
National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who was at the farm earlier on Friday, said he is impressed by how it fosters social cohesion and collaboration, and hopes for more of such initiatives.
And that may be sooner than expected.
The farm said it already is in talks with several parties to expand to other rooftops of commercial buildings in Singapore.