Credit: Bollywood Farms
Ivy Singh-Lim is a pioneer in Singapore’s homegrown agriculture scene. However, before her farming career, she served as the president of Netball Singapore and the Asian Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA), and played a crucial role in securing seats for the 1983 World Championship.
After retiring from netball, Ivy started a farm called Bollywood Veggies, eventually renaming it to Bollywood Farms. Her firm belief in the importance of animal welfare and farming locally was made clear when she founded the Kranji Countryside Association (KCA) in 2005 where she served as the president.
Ivy was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014 for her contributions to the environment and conservation, where she emphasised the importance of discipline, nature and community
Vintage Radio catches up with Ivy Singh-Lim as she reflects on her career.
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Early Childhood and Education
Born in 1949, Ivy is the only daughter in a family of four children. She has two older brothers and one younger brother. She started her schooling at Mercantile Institution and then St. Anthony’s Convent, where she felt immense pressure to be on her best behaviour.
Ivy then transitioned to CHIJ Katong Convent Girls’ School, where she developed her talents in acting, singing, and dancing. Even then, she was already known for her wicked sense of humour, and recalls a time when she was sent out of class for laughing at one joke too many.
Nevertheless, Ivy and her brothers were also raised to be extremely disciplined and were punished when necessary. This led her to form strong beliefs about raising children and the importance of discipline.
Ivy Singh-Lim’s Career Beginnings
As Ivy grew up, her father expressed his wishes for her to return to India, where she is to study architecture and subsequently, get married to an Indian. However, she was determined to follow her own path and chose to stay and study in Singapore.
After graduation, she landed a job as a computer coding clerk at Sime Darby after her cousin encouraged her to attend an interview. She then joined The Tobacco Company where she worked as a sales representative.
Her life took a turn when she was approached by Anne Chua from the Netball Association to fill a recently vacated publicity role on the committee. That’s when her career in netball started.
Ivy played a pivotal role in the 1983 World Championship for netball held in Singapore, ensuring that it ran smoothly. She later became treasurer and then president of Netball Singapore.
Ivy Singh-Lim’s Impact on Netball and Leadership Roles
Ivy and many others in the netball community faced numerous challenges such as netball being excluded in the inter-constituency games programme launched by the National Sports Promotion Board in 1972.
Furthermore, netball was also removed from the school sports calendar in 1971, causing the sport’s popularity to decline. However, thanks to their hard work in promoting netball, it still remains a prominent sport among women in Singapore.
She especially credits Mrs Daisy Tan, who worked tirelessly to ensure that netball remained visible, organised and accessible at all levels, laying the foundation for its growth and widespread popularity among Singaporean women today.
Credit: National Archives Singapore
She helped to boost the visibility and recognition of netball in Singapore, marketing the players and the sport as exciting and engaging. Unafraid to speak mind, Ivy’s candour was appreciated by the public, though not always by those running the sports scene. But this never stopped her.
"I couldn't care, because to be able to make a difference, you must be able to put your money where your mouth is. I believe in calling a spade a spade — not a big spoon."
She is also caring towards her netball players.
Ivy then spearheaded the creation of the Netball Singapore LifeHub, a clubhouse for the association, with funding from the Singapore Sports Council, so that the players have their own space beyond the netball courts.
Turning to farming
Ivy left Netball Singapore in 2006 as she wanted to retire to Perth, Australia with her husband. But the sudden death of a close friend led them to reconsider.
Inspired to reconnect people with nature, promote sustainable living, and support local food production, Ivy and her husband decided to set up Bollywood Farms.
They also aim to develop the Kranji Countryside into a lively and thriving community with recreational amenities and nature paths.
Over time, Bollywood Farms diversified, starting a culinary school and a museum on the farm grounds. They also launched the Path Finder programme in 2013, a financial assistance scheme which aims to support the local community by hiring youths from underprivileged families, allowing them to pursue tertiary education at the same time.
She founded the Kranji Countryside Association (KCA) to promote local farming and the countryside lifestyle, especially highlighting the need for children to reunite with nature.
She became the founding president of the KCA after promising fellow farm owners that she would help change licensing laws to allow farms to operate restaurants.
Ivy succeeded in her advocacy. Farm owners can now run restaurants on their premises, provided they comply with pre-existing food and safety laws. The farmer herself operates Poison Ivy Bistro on-site at Bollywood Farms.
Ivy continues to advocate for the value of farms in a country where urban development dominates.
"The Kranji countryside is not just about farming, we are the food bowl of Singapore. And every country needs a countryside"
Credit: Facebook/Bollywood Farms @bollywoodfarms
She also actively supports the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and is deeply committed to animal welfare. In 2015, she owned 19 dogs and lived with them on the farm.
Recognition and aspirations
Ivy was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014 – not for her contributions to netball as she initially believed, but for her farming efforts. It was an encouraging sign of growing recognition for agriculture in Singapore.
Credit: Facebook/Bollywood Farms @bollywoodfarms
She concludes by reflecting on the importance of having a supportive husband, acknowledging the role of her husband, Ho Seng, and the support he provided her through every chapter of her journey.
