For Mathew Howe, a classic pesto recipe is not complete without pine nuts, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and, most importantly, a healthy measure of fresh basil. While the herb is readily available in local supermarkets, he found that growing his own is more cost-effective, and he could also produce varieties that are tastier and more fragrant.
His success in growing basil then inspired him to cultivate more types of herbs, vegetables and fruit, but Singapore's tropical climate meant that most of these crops had to be grown indoors in a compact and well-equipped space. "Growing plants is my passion, and I wanted to combine that with my desire to provide the freshest produce for my family," said the 41-year-old Singapore permanent resident. Howe's success with growing basil and making pesto made him wonder if he could make it a community endeavour, and he found his answer during a trip to the barber.
"The idea of growing food on a wall came about when I was at my barber. I was staring at the wall behind me while my hair was being cut, and I just thought that maybe we could grow food there and also make the place look a lot prettier."
Howe is the founder and chief executive of Grobrix, an agri-tech startup that builds modular, portable walls rigged with the firm's proprietary technology to optimise light and water for growing indoor produce like basil, lettuce, tomatoes, sage and parsley.
Read more at The Star.