Edmund Sim discovered his passion for all things green and sustainable at a tender age, which fueled his desire to spread the excitement of horticulture to transform numerous urban spaces into thriving green habitats. Witnessing the beauty of urban farming has been his greatest joy in life.
His goal becomes a reality after he founded Easi Way International in 2017, revolutionizing his passion for cultivating greens and vegetables. He experiments and discovers new ways to grow greens through a closed loop environment approach on his farm at Social Entrepreneurship and Eco-park Development (SEED). Despite numerous setbacks, he successfully assembled a new aquaponics system as a sustainable solution for low-cost agriculture without having to stress the environment, demonstrating the shared vision of Social Innovation Park of being innovative and sustainable in order to develop a better world for future generations.
Neighborly and kampung spirit of love blooms among the SEED farmers and nearby residents, as familiar faces often convene in the evenings and weekends. Edmund shares freely his knowledge and exhibited his commitment to farming and the environment as he enthusiastically unveils his gardening discoveries to people who popped up at his farm.
On some weekdays, this hyperactive founder is also involved in the Mindfulness course ‘L.E.A.D with Nature’ initiated by SIP, leading to student-run gardens of greens and edibles sprouting across schools, as well as conducting aquaponic farming lessons for individuals, families and communities. He went on to develop numerous aquaponics systems for homes, schools and businesses aim at promoting a widespread community gardening culture in different parts of Singapore such as Toa Payoh sports hall and Katong swimming complex. SIP has connected Edmund with several projects that have offered him opportunities to share his expertise with those outside of the Punggol sphere.
Farming, according to the ‘plant purist’, entails a holistic exercise in which food waste is repurposed into composting materials to improve the top soil, and cultivate nutrient-rich substances to promote higher quality agriculture. He quipped with a broad smile, “A good farmer does not need to buy soil or fertilizer, we make the best natural soil!” as he flaunts excitedly giant barrels of microorganism soil during our interview.
“Reminiscing about my early days as a gardening programme facilitator has strengthened my resolve and drive to deepen my knowledge in this enormous and evergreen domain. Students’ insatiable curiosity prompted me to broaden my gardening pursuits, and now I can communicate lessons more clearly in English,” he shares.