Sumeri, Find Happiness Through Farming

Sumeri, Farmer in Kalirejo Village, Kebumen

Sumeri, Farmer in Kalirejo Village, Kebumen

That afternoon, when we visited Kalirejo Village in Kebumen Regency, Sumeri (75) and his wife had just returned from their field. Although he is old, Sumeri is still farming actively. Every day, he begins his routine in his field starting from 8 AM to 3 PM. His fields are in two locations. The one is right behind his house. While the other one is in a higher location, around one kilometer away from his house. Each of them covers an area of 7.000 meters square.   

Sumeri took us walking around his field behind his house. His fields are quite fertile because their locations are near the water spring which is also the main clean water source for the villagers. According to Sumeri, this water spring never recedes even in the dry season.  

Planting Coffee Trees 

At the moment, most of his fields are planted with coffee trees. However, he also plants sengon trees, cassava, taro, corn, peanuts, and any kind of rhizomes such as curcuma, ginger, turmeric, and aromatic ginger. 

“Some of the coffee trees I planted came from tree planting program of Trees4Trees and Tree Ltd in 2019. While some others are the result of saplings from coffee seedlings I brought from Sumatra,” he revealed.  

Sumeri once migrated to Palembang and Central Lampung in Sumatra Island to work in the coffee plantations for more than 16 years. It was a long journey for him. “I worked there since 1988. Then I decided to come home because I wanted to farm in my own field. From the plantations I worked on, I know how to grow coffee trees in the right way,” said the father of six.  

Coffee trees planted in farmer's field in kalirejo village, kebumen

He remembered when he heard about the tree planting program and tree seedlings distribution last 2019, he applied for it immediately because he really wanted to get various seedlings especially coffee. At that time, he intended to increase coffee trees in his fields, which previously were planted with cassava, corn, and coconut. 

Read also: Aan and Sugiman, Young People from Kalirejo Village Who Left the City for Farming 

“In fact, the demand for cassava is always high because many people use them as the main ingredient of various traditional food and snacks. But sadly, the price is not quite competitive. The highest price for cassava is only 2.000 per kilogram. When coffee and cassava are compared, coffee can bring more income for sure. The price of ground coffee can reach 30.000 rupiahs,” Sumeri added. 

Harvesting coffee 

Since being planted three years ago, now coffee trees he received from the tree planting program reached more than 1,5 meters in height. With his skillful hand, he has successfully grown most of the coffee seedlings he received. However, he was disappointed because a few of them died attacked by pests and eaten by bats. Sumeri has harvested it once this year. Based on his calculation, around February next year he can harvest his coffee trees for the second time. He also has sold his ground coffee at the price of 25.000 per kilogram.  

His wife greatly supports him in farming  

His success in growing trees is also because of his wife’s great support. Every day, his wife helps Sumeri after she has finished her household chores. “Every day, I pull the weeds around the plants. Sometimes, I help my husband to put tree seedlings into planting holes he digs. I cannot bear not to help him because he is old now. Even though he is old, I like to see him very enthusiastic every time he works in his field and takes care of his plants,” she admitted. 

Sumeri, a farmer from kalirejo village, kebumen 

In their village, there are only a few women who are interested in farming. Sumeri’s wife realizes that farming is not an easy job for women. However, she enjoys farming with her husband and feels grateful because she learns a lot of farming knowledge.  

She hopes her husband is healthy enough to keep working in his fields. She knows that her husband wants to take care of his fields as best as he can until his children come home later to take over. 

Always Find a Joy through Farming

Sumeri, a farmer from kalirejo village kebumen

Sumeri pointed out the 15 meters in height of sengon trees in his field. He said he will pass them to his youngest son. Likewise with the coffee trees he planted. “In the future, these fields will be handled by my youngest son. But now, he is still working in Jakarta. So, I am taking care of trees during waiting my son come back home. Among my six children, he has the most knowledge of how to grow trees,” he said.

robusta coffee from kalirejo village, kebumen

Sumeri also revealed that he keeps farming in his old age because he always find a joy by working in his field. “Farming is always be my happiness from I was young until today, in my old age. But I am getting older and weaker now. I am not as strong as before. I think in a few years ahead, I have to take a rest and pass it to my son,” he added. 

After walking around his field, Sumeri’s wife invited us to stop by their house. She served us a cup of homemade coffee and curcuma pudding that were grown by Sumeri himself. It seemed their sincerity in growing them makes the taste of both was really good!  

Aan and Sugiman, Young People from Kalirejo Village Who Left the City for Farming

Young people from Kebumen decided to farming 2
Young people from Kebumen decided to farming
Aan and Sugiman, Young People from Kalirejo Village Who Left the City for Farming

Not many young people in Central Java, are interested to live in the village and engage themselves in farming. Based on data collected by the Trees4Trees team, farmers participating in the Trees4Trees program in Kebumen are mostly middle-aged and elderly farmers. Most of the youngsters choose to leave their rural homes and work in big cities. 

Like most youngsters in their village, Aan (26) and Sugiman (29) from Kalirejo village,  – who are close friends –  also decided to leave their village and migrate to the big cities. They thought that working in big cities was more promising to improve their living standard than in the villages.  

Unfortunately, reality was far from their expectation. Finding an ideal job in big cities was not as easy as they thought. Over the years, they jumped from one big city to another to find a better job. Life was getting tough. Finally, after years living in big cities the two decided to return to their village.  

Read also: Masimun is Not Just a Farmer. He’s a Puppet Craftsman 

“One day when we were far from home and life was tough, we remembered our village has great natural resource potential. We thought it would be better to develop what we already have in the village than to live in the city. We want to do something useful in our village,” both said.  

Young people from Kebumen decided to farming 2
Aan and Sugiman, Young People from Kalirejo Village Who Left the City for Farming

After returning to their home village, they did not know where to start for sure. Then one day, they discovered that many agricultural lands in their village were abandoned and had become barren. 

“At that time, we kept asking the question in our mind, why were the lands in our village turning barren, arid, and poorly managed? Those lands were productive and fertile before,” said Sugiman. “We also wonder, why did farmers leave their lands neglected and unproductive? These questions were spinning around in our mind for weeks,” Aan continued. 

Read also: Sarpin, Planting Trees are More Important than Money 

Later, they found the answer. The problem was because most of farmers in their village were getting older. They no longer have  the strength enough to manage their lands, so their lands became unproductive. Most of farmers also can’t expect their children to continue managing their lands because they already work and live in the city. 

Realizing these problems, Aan and Sugiman then began to learn farming and growing crops in their village. When ONE HOPE and Trees4Trees came to their village and started the tree-planting program, they joined it immediately. These two young farmers then learned about agriculture more, including how agroforestry works, how to maximize their agricultural lands, manage crop yields, and make organic fertilizer.  

young people from kebumen decided to farming
young people from kebumen decided to farming

Deciding to return to the village and being young farmers are new challenges for them. However, they thank Trees4Trees for supporting and encouraging them. Now, some of the barren lands in their village are turning green after they have planted various trees. As they look greener day by day, it makes them enormously proud and motivated.  

Currently, Aan and Sugiman are also supporting the Trees4Trees education program by working as field facilitators. They are also active in encouraging young people in the village to take part in the reforestation program. They want to spread knowledge and inspire more people, especially other young people in their village to keep farming and planting trees on their lands. 

Both said they will keep farming and not return to the city. Their village is their home and they will live there for the foreseeable future. They have a big dream, to create opportunities which can offer jobs to young people through agriculture, reforestation, and natural resources, so they do not need to leave the village to find a job. 

Aan and Sugiman also said, farmers are a principal element of agriculture practice, food security, and ecosystems restoration. It is an obligation for young people to take actions and continue what our previous generations have done before. They thank ONE HOPE and Trees4Trees in helping them to get started in the right way. 

Interview & photo: Yulianisa Dessenita

Author: V. Arnila Wulandani & Yulianisa Dessenita

Mangroves Planting Program with EcoMatcher Inspires Villagers to Plant More Mangroves Trees

planting mangrove inspire more locals to plant more mangrove trees

planting mangrove in pati central java 

Pati Regency, located in northern Central Java, is one of the many mangrove-growing areas in Indonesia. This regency has approximately 8,000 hectares of potential mangrove areas. Nearly 25% of Pati’s total coastline was forested with mangroves. Unfortunately, the mangrove cover in this area is degraded and in poor condition.  In 2017, a survey in Pati showed that around 60% of mangrove cover had been lost in some districts.

Mangrove Cover in Poor Condition

Coastal erosion and land over-use are the most common causes of mangrove destruction in this area, making many mangrove areas become critical lands, including in Dukuhseti Village. Mangrove ecosystems play an important role in climate stabilization, coastal protection, biodiversity richness, local community’s economy, and supporting fishery.

Read also: Incredible Benefits of Mangrove Ecosystem

“In the past, our village had mangrove forests, but they were exposed to tremendous coastal erosion. After that, there was an expansion of the fishponds that cut down mangroves excessively. Consequently, now our village has no wave barriers around the coast,” said Mustofa, leader of the Tani Makmur farmer group in Dukuhseti Village.

Most of the villagers of Dukuhseti make their living as fish farmers and fishermen. They have fishponds near the coast. Their main products are tilapia and milkfish.

Mustofa said the most significant impact after the mangrove forest was drastically reduced is that now the village does not have any wave barriers, thus endangering small fishponds near the coast owned by local farmers.

“When the big waves come, our fishponds are often hit and destroyed by the waves. Big waves sometimes also bring runti pests (barnacles) in large numbers. They not only can injure fish farmers because they are sharp but also can infect young mangrove tree trunks,” Mustofa added.

planting mangroves in Pati Central Java

Planting Mangroves Program with Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher

When Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher came to Dukuhseti Village and invited them to join the mangrove tree planting program, Mustofa and other members of the Tani Makmur group welcomed the project enthusiastically.

“The community was very supportive and excited when they knew the program was being implemented in our village. We hope that many mangrove trees can be planted so that erosion can be prevented, and our fishponds can be protected from waves,” said Mustofa. In addition, mangroves also benefit fishermen because they do not have to go to sea far to catch fish. The fish become more abundant around mangroves.

planting mangroves in Pati Central Java

Since November 2021, Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher have planted 30,000 mangrove seedlings on the coast of Dukuhseti village in partnership with the fish farmers from the Tani Makmur farmer group. The mangroves planted covered an area of ​​3.8 hectares. The fish farmers are employed in producing seedlings, planting, and installing breakwater walls to protect the young seedlings.

“Before planting mangroves, the land was considered by the government to be critically degraded land. There were only a few mangrove trees left. We planted Avicennia and Rhizophora mangrove species because these two types were the original natural forest. We hope to restore the mangrove cover in this area completely,” Fauzan, Unit Manager of Trees4Trees Pati, said.

Inspire Local People to Plant More Mangrove Trees

Interestingly, the Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher mangrove planting program also inspires and motivates locals to plant more mangrove trees around the village coast. Shortly after the planting project with Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher was completed, the villagers planted mangrove trees voluntarily around the planting area. They sow the Avicennia seedlings directly on the shore and around the fishponds while the waves are low.  

planting mangroves in Pati Central Java

“Actually, some villagers whose ponds are close to the coast had planted mangroves voluntarily a long time ago. However, this program motivates and inspires more people to plant more mangroves. We think it is because people are starting to realize the importance of mangroves’ existence in the village,” said Mustofa. The villagers thank Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher for the mangroves planting program. They also hope to plant more mangroves in the future.

This year, Trees4Trees has been partnering with EcoMatcher for five years, a moment to celebrate! Both are keen on their commitment to supporting local communities and environmental restoration by planting trees. Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher use technology to monitor the locations of the planted trees. Anyone can visit the trees they have planted through the EcoMatcher website.  Each tree planted by Trees4Trees and EcoMatcher is recorded with the TreeCorder application developed by EcoMatcher. With this technology, anyone can track and plant trees via a smartphone and get information about the trees and the farmers who care for them.

Author: V. Arnila Wulandani

Grandpa Wasis And His Dedication to Planting Coffee

 

In a hamlet called Wonosari in Kalirejo Village, Kebumen – Central Java, there is a small hut far from the settlement, surrounded by coffee trees and there lives an old man named Grandpa Wasis. He lives alone in the hut, inside the hut there’s only one lamp and an old radio. Grandpa Wasis calls it home. Meanwhile, his wife chose to live with her eldest child in the neighboring village. 

That afternoon Grandpa Wasis was waiting for us in front of his house. He made time for us in the middle of his work. He is very friendly and always has a smile -maybe Grandpa Wasis hasn’t been visited by guests in a long time.  

We were impressed with the coffee plantations that he takes care of, they are lush and fruitful. We asked him what is the secret of it? And he answered ”experience” with a little laugh. 

Grandpa Wasis explained that he does not have secret method but just follows the usual ways of taking care of his trees, only that he monitors his plants every day to make sure each tree gets the care it needs. That’s why he chose to stay on his land. 

He shared that he had planted coffee trees when he was very young. He has grown coffee in several areas in Indonesia such as Lampung, Palembang and Central Java. Grandpa Wasis really likes coffee and understands which coffee has good quality. He chose to return to his village because he felt that living in Palembang was not safe for himself and his family. 

”In Palembang… for example, if there was rice in the hut, the rice was gone”. 

”I thought about the safety of my family so I chose to come back here and make my own coffee plantation…. Alhamdullilah, we were offered coffee seedlings from TREE Ltd and Trees4Trees”. 

With such fertile land we are wondering who’s going to manage it in the future? Grandpa Wasis was silent for a moment. He had no idea about it yet, he doesn’t want to force his son to follow his steps, the most important thing is that right now he is happy to take care of his trees. His coffee trees are his only treasure. He hopes that young people will start learning to plant because the number of farmers in the future will decrease.  

He told us that he feels supported by our tree planting program and for that, he thanks the donor TREE Ltd who’s supporting the program and cares about small-scale farmers like him. Grandpa Wasis hopes he is eligible to get more seedlings next year because planting and taking care of the trees are a pleasure for him. Grandpa Wasis admits that the income he gets from his trees are not much because his land area is not very large but he is very grateful. 

“When my land is green, I’m happy… I don’t ask for anything else”. He smiled. 

Doesn’t feel lonely living alone here? We asked. He said he was used to being alone and this was a form of his dedication as a coffee farmer. 

We believe trees that are cared for with love always have the best results and we are sure these trees are in good hands, to the man who dedicates his life to planting. 

We thank Grandpa Wasis for his dedication. Know this Grandpa, you play a very important role in the environment and society. We wish you always health and happiness Grandpa! 

Author: Yulianisa Dessenita

ACIAR’s Social Forestry Research Findings

Forestry is a vital component of the livelihoods of about 80 million people across Indonesia. Many millions of small-scale farmers (smallholders) also cultivate trees as an integral part of their farming systems. However, most smallholders fail to realize the full commercial potential of the trees they plant – leading to difficulty to find a fair channel to the market. The changing dynamics of rural economies make it difficult for smallholders to understand the commercial value of forestry compared to other land-uses, so often they under-invest in their forest enterprises.

Smallholders are often grow a mixture of crops for both cash and self-sufficiency. They were common places in the Global South because the land has low associated costs, can provide food and resources for families, and it’s adaptable to varying market demands. Unlike largescale industrial farming, smallholdings were not reliant on industrial inputs, making them much more self sufficient. They were focusing on governments as we shift towards a more sustainable future and aim to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Indonesian government policies encourage its forest industries to source supplies from sustainably managed plantations and Community-Based Commercial Forestry (CBCF). ACIAR (Australian Center for International Agricultural Research) the Indonesian Government and several leading forestry research institutions made a collaborative research project to study and improve the outcomes for community forests, they were:

  • University of Sunshine Coast (USC), Queensland, Australia
  • Australian Agroforestry Foundation (AAF), Victoria, Australia.
  • Centre for Research and Development on Social, Economy, Policy and Climate Change (FOERDIA Bogor)
  • Environment and Forestry Research and Development Unit Makassar (FOERDIA Makassar)
  • University of Gadjah Mada (UGM), Yogyakarta, Indonesia
  • University of Mataram (Unram), Mataram, Indonesia
  • Trees4Trees (Bumi Hijau Lestari Foundation), Semarang, Indonesia

This project sites were in Bulukumba (South Sulawesi), Gunungkidul (Yogyakarta), Pati (Central Java), South Lampung (Lampung), and Boalemo (Gorontalo). The general objective of this project is to properly understand how smallholders manage their land, ensuring CBCF will be successful to increase smallholders’ income, and making sure national policies can be adapted and implemented effectively across the whole nation.

It was a five-and-a-half-year study that was built upon 10 years of an earlier research project. Overall, over 15 years of study went into the final result. The result was showing that a small forest of sengon (Paraseriathes falcataria) could generate return of 20% and a small forest of teak (Tectona grandis) could generate return of 15%, if well managed. By investing in education for farmers and the value chains used when selling their forest products, smallholders can be much better prepared and adaptable for the future. By supporting these smallholders through courses which not only develop farming and silviculture techniques, but also personal skills, it gives them the knowledge they need to be able to adapt to a changing world and optimise both on- and off-farm ventures.

The project was beneficial for smallholders as it gives valuable insights. As we all know, sustainable forestry means a healthier environment for everyone. With these developments, and the streamlining of bureaucracy through improvement of government agencies, the Indonesian timber value-chains can flow smoothly and add value for everyone involved, making CBCF a flourishing and profitable enterprise.

500 Trees of Jambu Deli Madu for Ketitang, Central Java

PT Cargill Indonesia Branch Purwodadi once again shows their commitment in taking care environment surrounds. It started in Ketitang Village, Godong, Grobogan District, where their factory is located. Last year in 2016, 1000 Mahogany were planted alongside the main street of the village. This year, Cargill team wanted for something different with more impacts and personal.

It is always an interesting journey to finally decide fruit trees to be planted in Ketitang between Cargill and Trees4Trees. Fruit trees chosen is Jambu Deli Madu (Syzygium aqueum), the height is up to 4 meters, the fruit colour is green, watery and bigger than another normal Jambu fruits. The fruits of Jambu Deli Madu is still on high demand since it is one of the sweetest Jambu variety, Madu refers to honey that describe the taste.
500 trees of Jambu Deli Madu planted in Ketitang is welcomed by community and the head of the village. During ceremony, Wage Setyono Head of Ketitang, said “This trees give to us, we really appreciate this. Last year we received 1000trees of Mahogany, and this time Jambu Deli Madu. It is good for us to start educating ourselves about caring the environment. I believe this will teach us to participate creating comfortable place to live. I believe when we treat the environment right, they will treat us right back too, and the fruits this time has economy impacts”.

Same statement also came from Rudy Setiarachman of PT. Cargill Indonesia Branch Purwodadi representative, he said that through CSR they really want to show their care seriously, not only some regular activity. The ceremony of Jambu Deli Madu trees planting was held in March 9th 2017, attended by Head of Ketitang Village Wage Setyawan, official government of Grobogan district representative Joko Supriyanto, and another official governments of Grobogan district.
500 trees of Jambu Deli Madu are planted in all streets possible, in 2 sub-villages of Ketitang: Ketitang and Nunjungan. 300 trees are planted in Ketitang sub-village in 5 areas and the rest are planted in Nunjungan sub-village in 3 areas.