A day on the farm in Urban Singapore

SINGAPORE, 29 July 2021: When you mention visitor attractions in an island state like Singapore, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Zoo immediately spring to mind. We don’t usually think of a “farm” certainly the traditional variety because that conjures up the notion of hectares of land space, which in Singapore’s case, would be a rarity.

While you definitely won’t be spotting herds of goats or cows leisurely chomping on grassy meadows and hillsides during your commutes on the island’s urban highways, you will still be able to enjoy interactive farm experiences. Visiting families can pat and feed animals, learn the ropes of urban farming, right down to bee-keeping in the city and it’s not all down-and-dirty nature. Some of the farms in Singapore are located right smack in the middle of the city.

Hay Dairies Goat Farm

As the only goat farm in Singapore, Hay Dairies is a popular place to be for families. You’ll often find parents with kids visiting on weekends and it’s no wonder why. The goats are milked once a day from early morning until 10:30 am so visitors can view the milking process from when the farm opens at 9:00 am until then. Growing up in the city, it’s an opportunity for kids to have such an up-close experience of the goats as they can pet and feed the goats as they walk around and explore the farm.

Before you return home, don’t forget to visit their store for some freshly squeezed goat’s milk, handmade goat’s soap, and other souvenirs.

The farm is closed every Tuesday.

Visit their website for updates on operating hours.

Dairy Folks

While Singapore may not be a huge dairy producer like Australia and New Zealand, it does have its own Cow farm. Yes, you heard it right! Dairy Folks is a cow farm that started in 1936, with a humble herd of 6 cows that have since grown to a hundred today. The Holsten Friesians cows are fed and milked twice daily and the milk produced is supplied locally to customers in Singapore.

They don’t have scheduled farm tours, but the farm is open for you to explore at your own leisure, and you are able to feed and pet the cows as you like. It’s a great way to let the kids know where the milk they drink comes from, lest they think it’s from the carton or bottle you pour it out of!

Apart from fresh milk, you can also get ice cream from Dairy Folks. Order online and it’s free delivery if you spend above SGD20!

Jurong Frog Farm

What started out with a commercial purpose to breed American Bullfrogs for consumption in 1981 became an educational place to learn more about the different species of frogs, their life-cycle, and how to differentiate them from other frogs. If you’re not squeamish about these cold-blooded animals, you’ll even have some fun touching, petting them, and maybe even letting them rest on your head!

The Jurong Frog Farm has many activities to suit your preference. Take a self-navigated tour to explore the farm together with fun activities for the kids (think maps, tools to uncover clues, etc.), or go on a 1-hour Gabbe’s Family Tour. You can even sign up and have some fun challenging yourself to catch a frog (just be careful it might get a little messy!)

Visit on weekends and you’ll get to try out some frog meat and a refreshing drink with hashima.

Find out their operation hours in their website.

Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum

The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum may call itself a museum but beyond that, they are also in the work of rescuing and rehabilitating turtles and tortoise species. They are also the record holder for the Guinness World Record of the largest collection of live turtles and turtle artefacts from around the world, so you’ll be able to see many species of turtles without travelling anywhere else!

You can pet and feed the tortoises and watch some of the rarer species like the softshell turtles and golden terrain bask in the sun. You will be amazed at how long lives these hard-shell creatures have lived on this earth (and probably beyond your lifespan too!)

Smith Marine Floating Restaurant and Fish Farm

Kelongs are floating offshore platforms that are predominantly fish or prawn farms. Due to rapid urbanisation, only a handful remain in Singapore. You can still experience a modernised version of the kelong in the north-eastern part of the island between Changi Point Ferry Terminal and PulauUbin.

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Take a 15-minute bumboat ride to Smith Marine Floating Restaurant and try your hand at catching your own fish (it’s a sure catch!) after which you can have them cook it to your choice of culinary style, or bring it home for another day’s meal. To enjoy the stunning sunset views while tucking in, it’s recommended to visit in the late afternoon so you can make a catch, and enjoy your meal to end the day.

Kok Fah Technology Farm

Having been around for more than 30 years, Kok Fah produces leafy greens with its constantly evolving use of agricultural technology to improve farming techniques. Go on a farm tour and visit the hydroponics greenhouse; learn how they have evolved through old and new farming methods to produce these healthy greens. On top of the tour, learn to pot your own microgreens or succulent, or pot and bring home a mini vegetable farm.

Join in the weekend market that operates on Saturdays and Sundays, 9 am to 5 pm, and choose from freshly harvested local produce; get your hands on aloe vera beverages and desserts – in-house products exclusively made and sold at the farm.

Bee Amazed

BEE AMAZED Garden was started on 1 December 2017 by an educator-turned-beekeeper, Mr John Chong, who carries on his role as an educator, in this case, to teach people about bees beyond honey. Learn all about local honey bees, observe them in their natural environment. At BEE AMAZED, you won’t just learn about the honey-making process, but end up walking away with greater knowledge of how these tiny, hard-working creatures play such a vital role in the ecosystem.

Enjoy a honey tasting session, or simply have a candid chat with John. They have a wide range of programmes catered for corporate, family and individuals, which make this place more than a farm in itself.

The Sundowner Rooftop Urban Farm

The Sundowner can be summarised as an urban way to appreciate farming in a cityscape like Singapore. Located in the hip neighbourhood of Siglap, join them for their Rooftop Farm Experience where you’ll learn the basics of making great soil for organic farming and don a bee suit, study a beehive and get up close and cosy with the honeybees. You may even get lucky and harvest some honey if the season is right! End the session with some honey tasting and learn to appreciate the flavours of unifloral honey, plus some farm-to-bar drinks made with ingredients freshly harvested from the garden.

Can we also add, it makes a great Instagramable place too!

When Singapore reopens to foreign visitors once more, you may want to embark on the Singapore heritage food trail to discover a wide variety of dishes that are heavily influenced by the Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians.

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