Why Peter Barber is seeking his next fortune on Singapore’s rooftops
Rich Lister made his money in video production, but his new moonshot project is farming on top of buildings in one of Asia’s busiest cities.
By Emma Connors
Financial Review
May 22, 2023
Excerpt:
Peter Barber is used to deadlines after decades working in video editing and production. But last year, the 52-year-old Australian was up against it with systems of a very different sort. In Singapore, he and his team are pioneering a hybrid rooftop farm. When the build finished on June 30, they had until the end of October to prove to the Singapore government they could grow 200 tonnes of leafy greens and herbs a year.
“We had only four months to operationalise the site, solve problems and grow at full capacity. It takes six to eight weeks to go from seed to harvest, so we had only two cycles to get it right. Internally, we called the target Project Moonshot because it felt like we had to build the rocket and get it to the moon on the first attempt.
“The great news now is those crazy killer hours are in the past. Now when I go to the farm, which I do most days, we can work on expanding ideas and increasing varieties and just enjoy the feeling of working with Singaporeans growing food for Singapore.”
Barber’s career took a sharp turn six years ago when he stepped away from Blackmagic Design, the video tech juggernaut he co-founded and still co-owns. The shift into rooftop hydroponics marks a return to a part of his childhood that he loathed at the time.
