Time really flies! We are already at our final NEXT chapter event of the year. This time, the SYF team decided to bundle 3 activities in ONE event. Upon reaching our first stop: Kinyan Agrotech, We were astonished by the sheer number of wheatgrass that greeted us at the entrance. Look at how those pretty crops are grown!

Chapter 2.5.1 : Kin Yan Agrotech

Mr Woon, founder of Kin Yan Agrotech passionately presented to the participants about the benefits of wheatgrass

SYF participants listening attentively to the presentation

Kin Yan Agrotech Pte Ltd is Singapore's largest commercial producer of organic wheatgrass. Situated at the Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park, near Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve, Kin Yan strive to engage the public in interactive agro-food related activities.

The hard shelled wheatgrass seeds are soaked overnight in oxygen rich water to remove unwanted odours and expedite the germination process. The seeds are later transferred to a dark environment in large trays and takes about 7-12 days to grow into wheatgrass for harvesting. Kinyan makes organic fertilizers from the composting of waste farm products and used them extensively for the growing of wheatgrass. Given that wheatgrass is a fast yield and short term crop, pesticides are not needed.

The wheatgrass is watered regularly with an automated sprinkler system

Wheatgrass contains chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals and active enzymes. Health benefits of wheatgrass ranges from providing supplemental nutrition to having curative properties. Wheatgrass improve blood circulation and enhance the immune system. It can even be grinded into fine powder for facials!

Pea Sprouts

Organic Pea seeds are sourced from New Zealand and germinated in oxygen rich water to speed up the germination process. It takes about 7 days from sprout to maturity. Only the first harvest is sold in the market to maintain the exquisite taste and nutritional values. Pea sprouts are rich in chlorophyll, Vitamins A, B1, B2, and C, calcium, magnesium and proteins. Pea sprouts also strengthens the circulatory and lymphatic systems

Various Mushroom Varieties

We were totally amazed by the wide mushroom varieties such as Golden Cup Mushrooms, Black Fungus, Ling Zhi and different colours of Oyster Mushrooms! The mushrooms are grown in special curated spawn bags imported from China! We were also told by Mr Woon that only mushroom varieties suitable for the hot and humid climate of Singapore are grown here.

We ended off the Kinyan farm tour with a visit to the store for food sampling and fresh produce purchasing!

Onward to the Next Farm!

Chapter 2.5.2 : E.Con Tracz & Hausmann Marketing Aquarium

We finally reached our next destination after a short 5 mins walk!

Tucked away from the public view, E.Con Tracz is an interesting high tech fish farm specialising in breeding ornamental guppies and edible mud crabs. Home to 5000 soft shell crabs, we were so eager to learn how mud crabs are raised in drawers and how does the working mechanism of self-contained water treatment systems actually work!

Our guide, Ben enthusiastically welcomed the participants to his farm

We were quite amazed by the size of the farm!

Guppies

The guppy, also known as millionfish and rainbow fish, is one of the world's most widely distributed tropical fish and one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species.

Guppies’ body size is positively correlated with age, and their size at maturation varies highly depending on the predation risk of their habitats. As the breeding tanks in the farm belongs to the low predation risk category, farmed guppies generally take 4 months to mature before retail.

A unique filtration system in which tank water is pumped into the filtration box and bubbled in oxygen

Although well-fed adults do not often eat their own young, safe zones are required for the fry. Specially designed livebearer birthing tanks can be suspended inside the aquarium to shield the pregnant female from further attention from the males. This is important because the males sometimes attack the females while they are giving birth. It also provides a separate protection area for the newborn young to mature without being eaten by their mother.

Mud Crabs

It is quite interesting to know that mud crabs can be raised in drawers and takes about 1 to 2 months to reach maturity! Crabs are placed in individual drawers to prevent them from fighting each other.

*Ben explaining the concept of vertical crab farming to the participants*

Curiosity sets in as the participants prepared to open the drawers to get a sneak peek of the crabs

Oyster shells are used as a filter medium to maintain water quality. They are also rich in nutrients such as magnesium, calcium and sodium.

The calcium rich water is continuously flowed in and out of the drawers via pipes

Next, we proceeded with a free and easy tour at Hausmann Marketing Aquarium. Being an important and exporter of high quality fish feed and accessories for 30 years, it is not surprising that they have a staggering amount of HUGE exotic fishes too.

We had a great time at E.Con Tracz & Hausmann Marketing Aquarium. Thank you for having us at your farms!

Chapter 2.5.3 : Gardenasia

Gardenasia is located close to Mother Nature and at the heart of the Kranji Countryside. We were indeed naturally inspired by the lush greenery spaces surrounding the 2 hectares property. We were really hungry after the farm tours. So, here comes the finale! Sumptuous lunch prepared by the Bistro for the participants!

Kenny Eng, KCA President, explaining the role of the Kranji countryside association to the participants

Led by Kenny, we took a comprehensive tour around the farm after lunch. Kenny told the participants that the landscape industry is often seen as “unglamorous” and “low-paying" because it involves manual work outdoors. Therefore, the HortiTainment concept was born to give the industry a refreshed image and attract young talents.

Comprising of several theme venues such as the Kranji Loft, Bluesky, The Shamrock Chapel and the Farmstay Villas, the farm was thrown into the recent spotlight for a popular channel 8 drama series ‘The Dream Job《绝世好工》’ where most of the epic scenes are filmed at Gardenasia. The Next Singapore Farm Festival will be held at Gardenasia on 29&30 October 2016!