Tatler+ Sino Group
Nikki Ng, group general manager of Sino Group, shares her hopes for a green future
It was Christmas Day 2014 when Nikki Ng’s interest in urban farming first began. Her mother had given her a book by surgeon-turned-gardener Dr Arthur Van Langenberg called Growing Your Own Food in Hong Kong, an introduction to urban home gardening.
“With Dr Arthur’s book in hand, and the help of my good friend Max Wong, a social worker and community farmer who believes in farming as a form of therapy, we started our own little farm on my rooftop [at home],” she says. Within two years, Ng was growing more than 40 types of fruits and vegetables, from red and yellow watermelons to tomatoes, sweetcorn, aubergines and an assortment of herbs.
Inspired by the bountiful harvests at home, Ng brought the idea of an urban farming project to her team at Sino Group—and Farm Together was born. It’s an initiative, Ng says, that “shares the joys of farming and reconnects with Hong Kong’s agricultural roots, the amazing nature and biodiversity of Hong Kong with our residents, tenants, colleagues and guests.
“People are increasingly looking for wellness solutions to help them cope with greater stress in their lives,” she adds. “This project allows farming and horticulture to act as a means of therapy and relaxation for people.”
