As we close 2025, Food Citizen does so with a deep sense of thankfulness.
Now in our sixth year, our focus has evolved — from distilling Singapore’s food landscape for policy-makers and educators, to shaping workshops as a small team of co-creators, and to partnering with individuals bringing diverse environmental, sustainability, social, and creative perspectives into public spaces.
What hasn’t changed: Our paid workshop content is first piloted in our homes and experimental spaces, giving freelance trainers the chance to explore, research, and embody what they teach. Because of this approach, we don’t offer paid workshops as often as demand might suggest - so that when we do conduct a workshop, we can bring you updated content that is meaningful and of a quality we can stand behind.
We are grateful for schools and organisations who returned as repeat customers, for referrals from participants, and for individuals who journeyed with us — from participants to volunteers and even freelance workshop trainers.
Some highlights:
Sketches by students as they envisioned their ideal school garden
Educators deepen their understanding of gardens as living ecosystems — with a taste of the garden!
Pancakes as a way to explore alternative grains: Foo Peiying shared her journey that led to experimenting with wheat alternatives. Everyone got to taste pancakes made from different grains.
Looking for bees: Melissa Ong and Cuifen brought a small group on a walk around a public park. As they looked for bees, the group discussed about what plants and habitats are needed for bees to thrive.
This year, we also expanded our range of community initiatives.
Some highlights:
RegenSpiral, our Medium publication
We welcomed new writers!
Selina took time to write about the founders of The Good Doll, a social-driven enterprise that creates livelihood for indigeneous women by upcycling fabric into dolls that look like children across India. In the process, they uplift women in these communities, indirectly helping their families. For their staff, operations means something bigger than production. This resonates with us.
Cuifen was invited to run sessions celebrating the essentials of a thriving planet — open to all library visitors. This provided us with an opportunity to explore ideas with our network:
Karen Yip Taylor, founder of Summit Rescues, shared her journey in food rescue — showing how it can address food insecurity with dignity, care, and collaboration. She even brought her music stand, family, and surplus food to share!
Dr. Maxine Mowe brought food sustainability to life with the depth of a university lecture — participants were captivated!
Storytelling with an interactive game: Families had to guess 10 weirdest critters found in Singapore’s rainforests by listening to poems written by Amaani. Joining her for the session was Mindy Neo, an educator and volunteer of Cicada Tree Eco-Place.
Thanks to Balakrishnan Matchap, children and adults enjoyed a full sensory storytime experience through mindful movement and music!
Urban Nature Stewardship
This is an experiment in progress: we are exploring what urban nature stewardship can look like in Singapore. Participants receive guidance from experienced practitioners, and we are exploring ways to recognise the consistent efforts of trained residents.
Participants at work, helping to restore sunlight and airflow by removing climber plants from the planted greenery.
Food Citizen's monthly curated newsletter foodcitizen.sg Tea Brewing Techniques with Garden Botanicals Last two days to register! A flavour explorer and maker, Geok Kuan uses edible plant parts like an artist uses colours. This weekend, we'll be joining her to harvest from a whimsical private garden and brew harvests using different techniques to draw out their flavours and aromas. This workshop is informal and cosy, inviting you to slow down, enjoy a sensory experience, and explore the gifts...
