Our Story
It begins with Nicky’s mum.
In 2019, her love for growing her own fruit and vegetables takes her up north and over the causeway, in search of a little more space to farm.
90 minutes out of Singapore, in Kluang, Johor, she finds the perfect plot of land. Surrounded by mountain peaks, green as far as the eye can see, and stacked with mineral-rich soil and clay.
She begins to grow all sorts of produce: butternut pumpkins; mangosteens; stocky roots of ginger. All naturally farmed.
When Nicky takes a bite of one of those mangosteens, Talula Farms, so to speak, is born.
Nicky’s mum’s plot of land in Kluang is now the thriving Talula Hill Farm Resort, with 22 cabins and a cafe.
It gave Talula Farms its name and start, even as we’ve branched out and forged our own path as a distinct business and brand. You know, as children do.
Way back in the lucid heat of July 2021, Nicky packed our first subscription box with a handful of fruit and veggies from the resort and simply shipped it off to Singapore.
Weeks later, he met Mo, and the two of them clicked over their ideas about food. Together, the vision of a better local food system began to take shape:
Food that benefits the people who eat it and the people who work hard to grow it.
Food that when cultivated, doesn’t ravage the earth, but in fact restores it.
And, most critically, food that is insanely delicious, but not insanely priced.
This vision remains at the core of Talula Farms to this day, even as our scrappy startup has become something bigger, and only continues to grow.
1. Flavour first.
This comes before anything. Produce must be delicious and taste like it’s supposed to. You’d be surprised how many bananas don’t taste like bananas!
Because we optimise for flavour over shelf life or price, you’ll also get to see the appearance of many heirloom and unheard-of fruits and vegetables in our boxes.
2. Embrace what’s close.
87% of our produce comes by truck from small, independent farms within 365 miles – or 8 hours – of Singapore.
This means super fresh deliveries, super low food miles emissions, and truly the best produce these straits have to offer.
3. No dodgy sh*t.
No antibiotics or growth promotants (i.e. hormones) like Zeranol and Rectopamine that are used by Big Food to make animals very large very quickly.
No artificial flavours, synthetic dyes, or chemicals like BHA and sodium nitrate that are typically used to make food last longer, look shinier, and taste more intense.
Real food shouldn’t need these shortcuts. We source produce and products that are as unprocessed and natural as possible and trust you’ll taste the difference.
4. At least 60% organic or pesticide-free fruit and veggies.
We have a commitment to mostly organic/pesticide-free produce, but don’t limit ourselves to certified farms. This is in order to keep our prices more accessible, but it’s also so that we can support more small-scale farmers who may not be certified but who still practise good agricultural processes.
Does this mean we’ll be at 60% forever? No! The goal is to keep increasing the amount of organic/pesticide-free produce in our supply. To this end, we are working closely with our farmers to transition to a better system in a steady and sustainable fashion.
5. High animal welfare.
All our animal products are sourced from farms where ethical, low-stress husbandry is simply the way of life – that is, where the animals are properly cared for. These animals move more, eat healthier, live in clean and more natural environments, and are as a result calmer and happier.
We’re proud to say that the livestock farms that we work with are Certified Humane by Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) or Certified Free Range.
6. Regenerative of the earth.
We believe that good food doesn’t come at the expense of the planet. We take every opportunity to support farmers who work with, not against, the earth, to produce healthy, delicious food.
These guys are doing the good work of repairing the damage that’s been done to the environment, all while putting higher quality produce on your plate. They reduce their carbon emissions and focus on positive agricultural techniques that nurture soil health and promote biodiversity. Resulting in way more robust ecosystems, where nature can simply take its course and thrive.