Satrio Wibowo

“When I'm on the rooftop, with the sun on my face and dirt under my nails, it feels like I'm back home in the rice paddies.”

Satrio Wibowo grew up tending to his family's rice paddies in Indonesia before moving to Hong Kong for work as a manual laborer. After years of feeling disconnected from nature, he decided to start his own rooftop farm in the heart of the city. With his own two hands, Satrio grows an array of herbs and vegetables that he sells to local restaurants and markets. Although his farming techniques may differ from his ancestors, Satrio feels connected to his Indonesian heritage through his crops. He dreams of sharing his love for farming with future generations.

What inspired you to start a farm on a rooftop in Hong Kong?

I always felt a void in my life without my connection to nature. When I started working on that rooftop, something in me clicked and I knew that's what I was meant to do.

Do you miss the traditional farming methods of your ancestors in Indonesia?

Of course, but I also believe in adapting to our environment. My ancestors did what they had to do to survive, and I'm doing the same in this concrete jungle.