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Groups empower residents, utilize idle spaces
Green thumb: Eka Yulianti, head of the Seruni urban farming group in South Kebayoran Lama subdistrict, South Jakarta, plants water spinach seeds on Monday
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reen thumb: Eka Yulianti, head of the Seruni urban farming group in South Kebayoran Lama subdistrict, South Jakarta, plants water spinach seeds on Monday. The 290-square-meter garden, located in densely populated area, can produce up to 80 kilograms of crops, including spinach, mustard greens and lettuce.(JP/Vela Andapita)
It is almost impossible to find space for farming in the dense neighborhoods of a concrete jungle like Jakarta, never mind reaping a good harvest. However, some urban farming groups in South Kebayoran Lama subdistrict, South Jakarta, would beg to differ.
The residents of the community unit (RW) 10 urban farming group, Seruni, have planted several kinds of vegetables on a 290-square-meter empty plot down an alley off Jl. Nimun Raya. A few days ago, they harvested 77 kilograms of crops, consisting mostly of bok choy, lettuce, spinach and water spinach.
As she worked in the community garden on Monday in a blue hijab and green hat under the bright afternoon sun, Seruni head Eka Yulianti told The Jakarta Post that the urban farm was set up in October 2017.
“The idea came from the subdistrict office. The subdistrict head wanted each RW to have its own garden,” Eka said as she used her index finger to draw a shallow line in the soil for sowing water spinach seeds later.
Seruni was one of the first groups established in South Kebayoran Lama. The subdistrict office, with the support of the South Jakarta Maritime, Fisheries and Food Security Agency, gathered local housewives and taught them about urban farming.
Using an empty plot owned by an RW 10 resident, Seruni cultivated vegetables that yield a twice-monthly harvest of a maximum 70 kg.
They also grow herbs and medicinal plants along a narrow alley a few blocks from the garden.
“People used to throw away their household waste and construction debris here,” Eka said.
“As we received training, seeds and equipment, we cleared the land, loosened the soil, mixed organic fertilizer and then began planting,” she added.
Starting out with only a few vegetable varieties, today Seruni also grows chili, tomato and eggplant in addition to leafy greens.
Just like her fellow urban farmers in the area, Eka said she knew nothing about farming before. Now, the housewives-turned-farmers know how to make organic fertilizer and pesticides. They usually use compost, husk and husbandry waste as fertilizer.
“We now know how to make organic pesticides from spoiled rice, the water from washing rice [rice water] and sugar,” she said.
Some crops are planted conventionally in soil, while others are grown in hydroponic pots. The harvest is shared among Seruni’s members or sold to non-members through WhatsApp for making vegetable fritters and bok choy smoothies.
Ade Lusiana, who is in charge of post-harvest processing, said the fritters and smoothies were in high demand in the neighborhood. The group also sold their products at the Car-Free Day events on Sunday mornings.
“I think it’s much more profitable if we sold [raw vegetables] instead of processed products. Still, we have to be creative to diversify our products,” she said.
Another farming group operates in the next community unit, RW 9, which harvests up to 80 kg of vegetables once or twice a month. In RW 7, the walls of a narrow alley have been turned into a vertical garden of around 250 herbal and medicinal plants.
Kebayoran Lama subdistrict head Fachrudin recently told wartakota.tribunnews.com that the residents’ monthly yield was something they should be proud of. Despite the limited space and the difficulties in locating areas with fertile soil in the city, the community groups had proved their abilities in growing their own vegetables.
“We continue to encourage residents to make use of the space around their houses for urban farming, because that could also support their [household] economy,” he said.
The activities support the Jakarta administration’s Urban Farming Master Plan 2018-2030, which was issued by the urban space and environmental affairs deputy in late 2017.
The master plan targets at least 30 percent of productive green spaces in the capital by the end of 2030. Jakartans are urged to cultivate urban farms in any available space, especially at apartment complexes, schools and child-friendly public spaces and along alleys, as well as develop roof-top gardens and floating gardens.
