Live Large. Celebrate Ordinary.
“I was a farmer before I was born. My mom worked in the fields carrying me in her womb.”
As Mr Oh Yock Lee, 64, recalls his life, he carefully removes dinks and bruises, one gourd at a time.
Mr Oh Yock Lee, 64, rinses vegetables before repacking them for retail sales.
Mr Oh belongs to a generation of farmers who Singapore hardly hears about, but whose produce are easily found at local supermarkets. The second son of a family of nine children, Mr Oh’s farming lineage traces back to his grandfather Mr Oh Chin Huat.
At its peak in the 1970s, the Oh farming business supported more than 100 family members, who lived and worked at a pig farm located in Punggol.
Vegetables grown by hydroponics are usually more delicate and susceptible to damage during transport, so they are individually packed at the source before being sent to the supermarkets.
“Back then, everyone was paid $200 a month. I mean, the pay was not much, but we can’t expect too much, there were so many of us. And many hands make light work. Living was simple, hours weren’t that long.”
The nets covering the greenhouses protect the vegetables from pest attacks, making their naturally pesticide-free.
Environmental concerns mounted over the practice of pig farming in the 80s, eventually leading to its complete ban in 1989. Mr Oh and his brothers, then newly-ordained chiefs of the family farming business, faced an uncertain future.
It was in such a quandary that the Oh brothers took a stab in the dark at hydroponics - a system of agriculture using only water.
As early as 5.30am, farmhands begin to load the vegetables from the cold store onto the trucks for island-wide distribution.
Harvesting is usually done in the evenings and distribution in the mornings. Hydroponics vegetables thrive in lower temperatures, so they are kept away from the heat and refrigerated to ensure freshness.
“We knew nothing about hydroponics. We had no plan, no strategy, just try,” confessed Mr Oh.
Back then, Taiwan was a forerunner in hydroponics farming. The brothers ventured to Tai Zhong, where they spent a few months at an agricultural college. When they came back, they started one of Singapore’s first hydroponics farms.
The seedlings germinate in sponges soaked in nutrient-rich solutions. After 7-10 days in the nursery, they are transplanted in culture panels using forceps.
Vegetables take about 3-4 weeks to mature in their culture panels, usually made from styrofoam. Entire panels can be harvested quickly this way.
A farmhand mists the butterheads in the early morning to cool down the plants. Some non-local species prefer lower temperatures, and it takes experience to adapt farming practices to each specific plant.
Adapting what they learnt in Taiwan, they pioneered a way to grow vegetables without soil and pesticides. Not only did the crops harvest quicker, they also used only half the amount of water compared to traditional farming methods.
Vegetables are harvested by panels, saving time and manpower in a traditionally labour-intensive process.
Harvested vegetables are sorted and packed in a central packing facility.
After 30 years in business, Oh Chin Huat Hydroponic Farms will finally bow out in June 2020, when its land lease expires. Mr Oh has no intentions to continue the farming business.
“Now the emphasis is all on high tech, using machines and minimal manpower. One person sitting in the office, controlling the whole farm. This kind of farming needs a lot of capital, which only large firms can afford,” said Mr Oh.
“In the past, we used our very lives to fight the battle. Nowadays, the investors simply use money to fight the battle. It’s different when the battle is fought with your own hands.”
Another morning dawns on Oh Farms. But with the land lease expiring in June 2020, the farmers will soon bow out.
Oh Farms is located at 14A Bah Soon Pah Rd and opens daily 8am-5pm except on Sundays. You can find out more about their tours and farm produce at https://www.ohfarms.com.sg/