From The Good Earth

Freshly-harvested greens from Kok Fah Tehnology Farm. The Kranji Countryside Association hopes that their plans for Singapore’s first permanent farmers’ market will become a reality in the near future.

Singapore is seeing more environmentally-responsible vendors bringing in sustainably-grown produce to weekend farmers’ markets, in response to an increasing demand by health-conscious consumers.

By Joyce Huang

Strong Product Knowledge

One regular farmers’ market vendor here is former journalist Cynthia Wee-Hoefer, owner of Organic Himalaya (www.facebook.com/OrganicHimalayaSG). Fortnightly, she flies in fresh organic vegetables and herbs from Nepal grown on her land as well as neighbouring farms.

Organic Himalaya caters largely to regular customers who order via email for home delivery at [email protected]. She sells the vegetables in the open market at The Pantry Farmers’ Market at Loewen Gardens, where Wee-Hoefer sets up stall twice a month.

Cynthia Wee-Hoefer at the Farmers Market.

At the Farmers’ Market, Wee-Hoefer gets to interact with customers who are into sustainable consumption. “People love the idea of buying fresh produce from a person they can actually talk to and know confidently that everything comes from a known source. I am the (consumer’s) link to the farmers.”

The market (thepantrycookeryschool.com/wp/farmersmarket) started three years ago in a bid to bring sellers and consumers together, both parties passionate about artisanal food and sustainable produce. Each instalment features about 10 to 15 different vendors. Depending on the season, offerings range from organic vegetables, gourmet cheeses and boutique wines to gluten-free breads, artisanal cheeses, and homemade baked goods and pasta sauces.

- Cynthia Wee-Hoefer, Organic Himalaya

Visitors to Kampung Senang pick up gardening tips on how to grow organic vegetables.

Not all organic produce need to come from other countries, though. Over at an organic farm in heartland Tampines, 14 types of local vegetables, and over 100 varieties of herbs and fruits, are tended by volunteers. Herbs and local vegetables like sweet potato leaves are cultivated without chemicals and pesticides. Fruits like banana and papaya are fertilised using compost and incense ash. Joyce Lye, a former banker and co-founder of the Kampung Senang Charity and Education Foundation, (kampungsenang.org/organic-farm-tours), explains that the farm came about because the “organisation wants to maintain a self-sufficient source of organic produce”. Each morning, freshly harvested vegetables are delivered to select cancer patients across Singapore. The surplus is sold to the public at its weekend market.

Kampung Senang was established in 1999 by Lye with her husband James Low. They envisioned a place where people are cared for and the environment is looked after. Charity work carried out by this eco-conscious organisation comprises an elderly day-care, children’s care centre, a wellness centre with free medical services, as well as a holistic lifestyle centre.

Organic food purveyors understand that not everyone can afford to go completely organic. Unlike the other weekend markets, PasarBella at The Grandstand Bukit Timah is a permanent market that opens daily.

Despite their increased popularity and health benefits, organic produce is still comparatively more expensive than conventionally-farmed produce.

Daphne Hedley is the co-founder of Mekhala, a lifestyle brand that carries a variety of organic products like rice, noodles, curry pastes, jams and teas. Mekhala’s range of organic food and spa products are sourced from around Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand. Her stall can be found at PasarBella (www.pasarbella.com).

“The world’s population cannot be sustained on purely organic, locally-grown food,” explains Hedley. “You could have a dinner of our organic black rice with hormone-free beef stir-fried in our black pepper sauce, and pair that with an organic vegetable dish. But if the vegetable was flown in from Holland, you’re helping your body, but you’re sacrificing the Earth. So we acknowledge that balance is key.”

The Cheese Ark at PasarBella offers artisanal cheeses produced in Switzerland, France, the Netherlands and Italy. Seen here is owner Syu Ai Ming.

When it comes to food provenance, fussy eaters are now more inclined to ask pertinent questions: “Were chemicals or fertilisers used in its production?” “How were the fruit/vegetables grown?”

While supermarket chains are stocking their shelves with more organic produce, one gourmet grocer noticed an increase in consumer interest in wholesome, nutritious organic food and decided to tap into this growing demand. Partly owned by Four Seasons Gourmet Market, Rochester Market, (www.facebook.com/RochesterMarket) is a supermarket-cumretail outlet of fresh seasonal produce, gourmet and organic products, mainly from Australia and USA — considered leaders in the organic industry — at Rochester Mall.

Says Joe Tan, General Manager of Ban Choon Marketing, “Farmers’ Market is a relatively new concept for Singaporeans. We notice consistently that consumers are more conscious about their food choices. They are purchasing products that are glutenfree, produce grown according to sustainable farming methods and which are free from additives or pesticides or colouring.”

As more consumers become increasingly ecologically-aware, purchasing and supporting organic products are fundamental contributions to sustainable living. This upward trend will only augur more such farmers’ markets sprouting all around Singapore. ‘The Circle of Life’ concept by the Kranji Countryside Association is one such initiative aimed at conserving Singapore’s natural resources and promoting a lifestyle of sustainability. A project in the making, it’ll culminate in a permanent farmer’s market showcasing Singapore’s diverse farming and artisanal industries.