Former Actress Nicola Cheung on Proactive Health, Parenting, and Building LoCoFarms

Nicola Cheung may have retired from Hong Kong screens in 2005, but the former TVB actress and singer has since taken on the most demanding roles of her life: mother of four daughters and co-founder of the agri-food social enterprise LoCoFarms . Three years ago, her eldest daughter's sudden, serious illness became a turning point. "Within just 24 hours, many things can change," Cheung recalls . That experience reshaped her thinking about health, parenting, financial planning, and what it means to contribute to her community in Hong Kong.

A Preventive Turn After a Health Crisis

Cheung says she doesn't have deep medical knowledge herself, so she actively gathers information from professionals to make better choices for her family . The illness of her eldest daughter pushed her to look for more preventive ways to care for her family rather than waiting for problems to emerge .

She now invests in small daily habits: prioritising time in nature for mental and physical wellbeing, and making sleep a foundation for a relaxed mind and body . Cheung also believes that carrying stress undermines health. "If you worry, you get sick. If you don't, you are less likely to be," she says .

Parenting Without a Top-Down Approach

Cheung avoids what she calls a "top-down" parenting style, which she considers outdated. Instead, she talks things through with her children. With her 17-year-old, she relates "like an older sister or a friend" rather than using a "Mum says so, do it" dynamic .

Becoming a mother changed her outlook entirely, she explains: "When I was a daughter, I only had to take care of myself, and now I have to look at the whole situation, the whole family" .

Preparing Financially for the Unexpected

Cheung and her husband have bought life protection policies and other financial tools to fund their children's education. She also holds a critical illness insurance policy—a direct outcome of learning that life can change course in a day .

Her core philosophy is straightforward: "We can't control what happens in this world, or in our lives. But we can get ourselves prepared, so that when something does happen, we'll have more options" . Once plans are in place, she says, she consciously stops worrying about what might go wrong .

Building LoCoFarms: A Proactive Contribution to Hong Kong

LoCoFarms is Cheung's way of applying that same proactive mindset beyond her own family. The brand focuses on local Hong Kong crops and production, championing "Grown in Hong Kong, Made in Hong Kong" products . It connects local growers with food artisans to revitalise Hong Kong's agricultural heritage .

LoCoFarms makes handcrafted beverages, original sauces, and naturally fermented foods from local produce . It works with produce from places like Lai Chi Wo to promote regenerative agriculture .

Cheung sees the business as a seed for wider change. "I wanted it to be a seed for sustainable development and for helping local farmers in Hong Kong—something that would grow into greater awareness," she says. "That's what I see as being proactive—doing something for our society, for the Hong Kong community" .