Mount Merapi farmer lives organically with nature<\/p>\n
By Des Price<\/p>\n
MT. MERAPI, Central Java (JP): A windy, narrow road leads up
\nto the hamlet of Muntilan, which is within a stone's throw from
\nMount Merapi's slopes, and is a peaceful rural setting where life
\nfor most of the locals goes on as though they were far removed
\nfrom any dangers that nature may pose for human life.<\/p>\n
Rice-growing is an important part of the economy here and one
\nof Muntilan's smallholders is more concerned about the man-made
\nenvironmental affects on crops and the soil rather than the vapor
\nand lava that periodically spurts from Indonesia's most active
\nvolcano.<\/p>\n
Pak Kahar, was raised on the land and has worked as a farmer
\nfor most of his life.<\/p>\n
His conventional farming days, which started in the seventies,
\nwith the advent of the so-called \"green revolution\" -- a term
\nwhich may be considered a misnomer -- typified by hybrid rice
\ncrops and dependence on artificial fertilizers.<\/p>\n
Until five years ago, Pak Kahar asked few questions about
\nfarming methods, and like many of his neighbors, he planted just
\ntwo cash crops -- rice and chilis. The rice was a hybrid variety
\nthat relies on artificial fertilizers to ensure its growth and
\nproductivity, and pesticides to keep it free from predators.<\/p>\n
At this time, he heard about a seminar on organic farming that
\nhad been planned in Yogyakarta and he decided to attend. The
\nseminar sparked his interest in returning to the ways of his
\nnenek moyang (forefathers) whereby people live closer to nature
\nand consider the cyclical pattern of events of growth,
\ninteraction and decomposition.<\/p>\n
Enthused and enlightened, he left his village and went to
\nBogor to study organic farming -- sponsored by a church official
\ncalled Romo (Father) Agatu. Upon returning to his own, rural
\nretreat, he got down to work on his land, immediately putting to
\npractice what he had learned, such as companion planting.<\/p>\n
Uprooting some of his former crops, he started to grow crops
\nthat assist other crops such as beans, which, through their
\nroots, add valuable nitrogen to the soil. His new focus is on
\nwhat is called multi-cropping, meaning that his land will become
\ncovered with dozens of different crops, thereby, amongst other
\nthings, reducing the stronghold of pests and allowing their
\nnatural predators to play their role without the interference of
\nchemicals in the process. To this end, he has planted crops such
\nas lettuce, beans and peanuts, which he says, all support each
\nother.<\/p>\n
With one eye on Mount Merapi's cone and the other on Pak
\nKahar's garden, a group of visitors are shown around his small,
\nbut impressive smallholding. Escorting visitors to the edge of
\nhis garden, with a glint in his eye and a mischievous smile, he
\ntook the lid off a barrel full of his liquid fertilizer
\nsupplement.<\/p>\n
\"In here, I put leaves and plants from the garden as well as
\ndung from pigs and cows; I also add pigs' urine.\" As well as this
\nhe includes bacteria, procured from the stomachs of cows, that
\nhelps to break down organic matter and thereby speed up the
\ndecomposition process.<\/p>\n
On the soil around the plants on his land, he has applied
\nmulch, which consists of leaves, bark and compost that help to
\nprotect plants from encroaching weeds, retains moisture and adds
\nnutrients to the soil.<\/p>\n
Although Pak Kahar, after gaining enlightenment, immediately
\nswitched over to organic growing methods, many farmers reach this
\necological nirvana by a slower, more gradual process, often out
\nof necessity, as the soil becomes devoid of nutrients, and
\ninitial yields when switching back to organic methods may be very
\nlow.<\/p>\n
There are some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that
\nassist farmers to do this and in Yogyakarta, a consortium of NGOs
\nand individuals make up \"Konsorsium Masyarakat Fair Trade\". With
\nfinancial and educational assistance from Oxfam, an international
\nfair trade aid organization, the consortium provides training and
\nsupport to farmers who have switched to organic farming or who
\nare in the process of transition. Farmers in this area may join a
\ngroup and get training and support in a variety of ways.<\/p>\n
In the village of Ganti Warno, in the regency of Klaten, which
\nincidentally, was the starting point for the green revolution in
\nIndonesia, groups of farmers meet to discuss practical issues,
\nsuch as the price they will sell their rice, together with other
\nmore general concerns such as the environment, human rights and
\ngender issues.<\/p>\n
At the home of Pak Wening, who is a field officer for an NGO
\ncalled Mitra Tani (Farmers' Partners), the farmers meet regularly
\nto engage in dialogue and monitor their progress toward their
\nultimate aim of becoming completely organic. None of the groups
\nuse chemical pesticides: Pak Wening explained that there are
\nalternatives: \"Our pest management systems involve having
\ndifferent harvest times achieved by different planting times. We
\navoid mono-crop farming and plant other, different crops such as
\nbeans, cucumbers or tomatoes.\"<\/p>\n
Of the ten farmers' groups, four now farm using only organic
\nmethods while the other six use between 10 to 50 percent of the
\nchemicals they used previously and are close to achieving
\ncomplete organic farming.<\/p>\n
Fair prices<\/p>\n
Farmers like Pak Kahar supply Suharni, a shop in Yogyakarta
\n(featured in The Jakarta Post on Feb. 19, 2001) that sells
\norganic rice and has experimented with selling other products.
\nWhat makes fair trade possible is customer willingness to pay
\nabout 15 percent extra for rice that contains no potentially
\nharmful chemical residues and is bought from farmers who are
\nmembers of organizations that attempt to ensure that workers
\nreceive fair pay for their produce.<\/p>\n
Many organic farmers rode through the economic crisis
\nrelatively well and Pak Kahar delights in the fact that he
\nswitched to organic farming two years prior to the event, which
\nshook the nation with the volatility of his nearby \"fire
\nmountain\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mount-merapi-farmer-lives-organically-with-nature-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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