WEST BANDUNG — The cool morning air in the Lembang area, West Bandung Regency, provides a sense of tranquility for anyone who visits it. The area, which is closely related to agricultural nuances, is indeed one of the suitable tourist attractions for urban communities to relieve the fatigue of urban hustle and bustle.
But we will see something else if we cross Cijerokaso Wetan Village, Cibodas Village, Lembang District, West Bandung Regency. From the right side of the road we will see a horticultural farm empowering Dompet Dhuafa called Desa Tani.
There we can learn how to become modern millennial farmers and develop through ZISWAF funds. This was felt by the Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) and Bloggers during the Care Visit titled Fun Farming on Tuesday and Wednesday (1-2/11/2022). Those who came from various regions were very excited to feel the sensation from planting to harvesting various types of horticultural crops.
Welcomed directly by Dadan Kartiwa as the Dompet Dhuafa Tani Village Manager, the participants were invited to see firsthand how agricultural management uses smart garden technology. Perseta was surprised by the technological advances owned by Desa Tani Dompet Dhuafa, even with this system farmers are able to get more crops than conventional agriculture.
“Through the Farmer Village program, we not only provide production facilities such as seeds but we also build other facilities such as green houses to increase production. Most importantly, we also provide full assistance to educate farmers to be more modern and able to bring more profit from their agriculture. We also prepare a market to accommodate their agricultural products so that they can be channeled,” Dadan explained.
After getting a presentation about Desa Tani, the participants were invited to take part in activities to plant various horticultural plants in the green house established by Dompet Dhuafa through management and ZISWAF. Laughter adorned the activities that began in the morning, using simple transport vehicles, the participants looked very happy to be farmers for a full day.
Towards noon, participants were then invited to participate in harvesting agricultural products located in the hills. A fun activity amidst the cool Lembang air made the cold unable to penetrate the eager skin. Starting from Horenzo, Kenyan Baby Chickpeas, Super Logaya Chickpeas, Curly Kale, Romaine Lettuce, harvested using bamboo baskets by the participants.
“When participating in the harvest, we were told how to harvest properly because it will affect the yield and sustainability of the plants. After harvesting, the results will be sorted according to grade. The best grade A will be packaged for export according to orders. While the lower grades will be distributed to the horeka industry or to the market,” said Arief Rachman or familiarly called Ariefpokto.
The Desa Tani program is Dompet Dhuafa’s effort to alleviate poverty through the development of horticultural agriculture. Through this program, farmers from low-income groups are empowered to manage agricultural land with a mentoring scheme. (Dompet Dhuafa / Arlen)