It was literally the last place that one expects to find a farm. GroGrace was deep in an industrial estate in Jurong, on the fifth floor of a construction company building, in a unit that looked like a regular warehouse. There were crisp oversized lettuces, luscious nai bai, fresh Italian parsley, super basil, fragrant thyme, beautiful perilla leaves, and rainbow chard, a superfoods that people do not even know exist.
GroGrace uses a Dutch method called dry hydroponics. It is so named because unlike most hydroponic farms where the plant bed is in direct contact with water, plants here are anchored in peat moss, with their roots partially submerged in nutrient-rich water.
This keeps them well-aerated, reduces disease, and helps them grow strong and healthy, explained Grace Lim, co-founder and director of urban farm GroGrace. High-quality seeds are sourced from the Netherlands, the United States, France and Singapore.
"Whatever the plants need to thrive – the perfect temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, nutrient levels, air circulation and optimisation, and lighting hours – we give it to them," she added. "That is why everything we grow is supersized. The taste profile is also amplified," the 51-year-old said.
Read more at CNA Lifestyle
