Bogor, 11 March 2010 The environment reacts to human actions. If humans treat the environment well, then human will get good treatment also from the nature. But the consequences of our bad actions towards nature, don't be surprised if every day we are faced with the news of environmental degradation and natural disasters, one after the other.
This was the background why HDI Foundation held back the training of organic fertilizer production in Pangerasan Junior High School, Cibalung Village, Bogor last 11 March 2010. That day there were 66 participants, composed of representatives from students and teachers of Pangerasan Junior High School, parents, communities, farmers groups and again directed by Hans van Florenstein Mulder, the trainer from New Zealand to organize the layers of grass hay, rice husk, also the goat and chicken manure, to be a plot of organic fertilizer with approximately waist-high adult size.
“If we want to fix all the environmental problems that we have created, it is the time that we consider to educate our children with a tangible way in which they not only develop respect and love of nature, but also with appropriate action, it was revealed by Heri, the school principal as the core message at the opening ceremony.
2nd Training of organic fertilizer production are also part of our life-skill training activities and the curriculum plans of Pangerasan junior high school for 5 years onward, namely, the concept of environmentally school as one unit of the local community. This reminds us about the soil conditions in Cibalung Village that have been destroyed caused by modern farming methods which rely on many chemical fertilizers and insecticides.
Though some farmers admitted that they had tried to reduce chemical fertilizer, yet they could not completely turn to organic fertilizer considering the result was not as much and fast as using chemical. They were really aware that this could ruin the nature.
This concern happens to be a haunted dilemma, and if there is no start to encourage the using of organic fertilizer, then the villagers and SMP Pangerasan’s students -as part of it, later on, will not be able to live and hold out on their own land. It is necessary to implant this awareness to SMP Pangerasan’ students who will be ‘the next generation agent’ to their village. This culture will be more effective if started from their school environment without reducing community’s role. SMP Pangerasan has been determined to be the centre of community life-skill development in Cibalung Village.
”The gist of organic farming is on how to appreciate and collaborate with nature using natural pattern and cycle, instead of destroying it,” explained Hans van Florenstein Mulder to all participants. ”By training this principles, the students will learn on how to appreciate the nature, then to appreciate theirselves, and later on they will have enough skills to be independent and finally be able to develop their village which based on farming,” added Anita Permatawaty, the Operations Manager of HDI Foundation.
In the middle of fertilizer dearth and prices soared, the most appropriate way out is to self-producing the organic fertilizer together with organic system husbandry cultivation. This time the materials are taken from surroundings area in CibalungVillage, such as animal manure (carabou, goat and chicken), straw, weed, rice husk, banana trunks from fruitless tree, and banana leaves to cover the compos layer.
Organic system has many advantages like producing healthier plants since it contains zero chemical fertilizer, faster growing of the plants, creating cheaper cost (by using natural resources), effectively preserving natural resources by avoiding the use of chemical substance which can damage the land, air and water and right now the most important thing is to produce good quality organic fertilizer. Besides making the environment healthier, superiority from this organic fertilizer is; it can help to revitalize the land productivity, reduce farming effort expenses, as well as to upgrade the product quality.
