"Our rooftop model allows us to scale up to multiple locations as there are plenty of vacant rooftops in Singapore. However, critical to that is the increasing adoption of local greens in the market. Currently, we're touching about 1 to 1,15 tonnes of vegetables every month which are sold directly to our retail customers through our e-commerce portal and the farmers' markets," says Gaurav Saraf, Founder and CEO of Greenhood, a hybrid farming company based in Singapore.
The 900m2 rooftop farm is currently in the first phase of its operations. Gaurav is expanding with an additional 900m2 which will be realized very soon. The product basket mainly consists of salad greens, kale, arugula, and mesclun mix, to local varieties, such as nai bai, bayam, bok choy, and herbs such as basil.
"More and more residents are now aware of the push for local farming. However, there is still a fair bit to go in making people understand the value proposition behind it and getting them to switch from imported vegetables that they are used to eating," Gaurav affirms.
Greenhood has one climate-controlled greenhouse equipped with sensors and IoT devices that enable us to control the climate and nutrient intake of the plant, resulting in rewarding end-products. "Given our location, this greatly helps produce consistently better-quality greens and also allows us to grow pesticide-free. Our patent-pending mobile aeroponic channels allow for 8 levels of growing area, adding to our yields."
Many vacant rooftops available
Yet, why would you place a hybrid farm on top of a building? "We're focused on being as sustainable as possible in every way possible. Rooftops that are otherwise vacant, which we can now use for farming and triple the offtake, are great in Singapore, given land is very scarce here," says Gaurav.
On top of that, no pun intended, most rooftops are located in residential areas, which allows Greenhood to engage better with the community around the farm. At the same time, the company can instantly market its products to them.
Scaling up in 2024
Working on finetuning its products, Greenhood aims to scale up production this year. Gaurav explains that they will be closely collaborating with schools and corporations to introduce them to 'sustainable and pesticide-free farming.'
Integrating into the customer circles, Greenhood has run tours and events for residents, schools, and delegations from abroad. They have been able to amaze guests with their self-made systems.
"Our aim from the start has been to create a strong community of people who adopt sustainable products and practices not only while purchasing vegetables but also more broadly. The goal is hence to build relevant partnerships with like-minded companies to make this a reality."
For more information:
Greenhood Singapore
Gaurav Saraf, Founder and CEO
946A Hougang Street 92, Level 6
531946, Singapore
www.greenhood.sg