Indonesia: Urban farming takes root among youth in south of Jakarta
Urban farming activists in the 41–50 age group accounted for 37 percent of the farmers, followed by activists aged above 50 (35.5 percent), and those in the 31–40 age range (19.5 percent).
By Lia S, Kenzu T
ANTARA 2022
Excerpt:
With a look of concentration, Andre Syahputra (19) and Abihakim Rusyadi (18) took a rectangular container containing rock wool or mineral wool, a material used for hydroponic gardening, to plant boy choy that Monday afternoon.
Rusyadi moistened the mineral wool with running water, while Syahputra took out bok choy seedlings from storage. Sitting opposite each other, the two made a pattern of lines to form small squares on the wool.
Then they each took a stick to punch holes in the squares and placed the bok choy seeds. After each planting the seeds, the two put the seed container in a place that was not exposed to sunlight.???????
Syahputra and Rusyadi have been consulting La Ode Hardian (32), head of the “Karang Taruna” youth organization of Kebon Baru village, Tebet, South Jakarta, about urban farming.
Urban agriculture using hydroponic cultivation methods has been developing in the area, especially RW04 (Hamlet 04), since three years ago, thanks to the efforts of members of the Kebon Baru Karang Taruna.
The land they use for their hydroponic activities is a 9×8 sq. m (square meter) vacant lot on D3 Street No.6, RT09/RW04. They are even using the roofs of buildings.
In addition to bok choy, they have been growing water spinach (kangkung) and spinach. According to Hardian, such vegetables are often interesting to people as they are easy to cultivate.
He said he chose the hydroponic method because it is easy, especially for young people. Hydroponic cultivation utilizes water without soil to grow plants, but focuses on fulfilling the nutritional needs of plants, he explained.
