Harvesting spinach grown with cow manure fertiliser, Semarang's smart organic garden offers a new eco-friendly farming approach

Visitors harvest spinach grown using fertiliser processed from cow manure at the Smart Organic Garden Educational Tourism site in Kandri Tourism Village, Gunung Pati, Semarang, Central Java. The three-hectare agricultural ecotourism destination utilises technology to process cow manure into environmentally friendly fertiliser and biogas. Initiated by the Pokdarwis Tani Muda Mandiri group in collaboration with the Engineering Research Club of Semarang State University (Unnes), the site aims to educate the public on how to produce safe and nutritious food, preserve the environment, and achieve independent food security.

Staff and students plant papaya seedlings in soil enriched with fertiliser derived from cow manure at the same location. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to demonstrate sustainable agricultural practices to the community.

Members of the Tani Muda Mandiri farming group operate the flow system for biogas and fertiliser processing at the Smart Organic Garden. The facility showcases how livestock waste can be converted into valuable resources, supporting both environmental conservation and local food production.