Growing Together: Training Helps Farmers Go Green

Trees4Trees shows farmers in West Bandung how to make organic fertilizers
(Above) Trees4Trees shows farmers in West Bandung how to make organic fertilizers. Photo: Trees4Trees

Trees4Tress is working to green the world and grow a better future. In these reforestation efforts, farmers have a crucial role to play. Through a series of training activities, we have been working to build farmers’ capacity, empowering them to plant seeds of positive development in their communities. 

From November 4 to the end of January 2022, season, Trees4trees has held farmer training in 193 planting locations throughout West and Central Java. These sessions were attended by a total of more than 4,000 participants. We also employed local people as field facilitators, so they could take the lead in tree planting activities in their home village.

Trees4Trees Training in Numbers: 

  • 193 villages 
  • 40 sub-districts 
  • More than 4,000 participants 
  • 664 field facilitators 
  • 91 field coordinators 
  • 85 government instructors 

Raising Awareness, Developing Skills 

Our aim is to encourage the use of more organic, environmentally friendly methods. Training sessions focused on how to make organic fertilizers, and pesticides, while also showing farmers some handy propagation techniques for seedlings.

“It’s a win-win situation.” – Tedi, Trees4Trees Training Officer

Tedi Purnama is one of Trees4Trees’ training officers. He has noticed most farmers still use chemicals in agriculture. “We want to encourage them to switch to organic techniques,” he explains. “This is not only better for the trees’ growth, but also better for the environment – it’s a win-win situation.” 

Growing Together: Training Helps Farmers Go Green
(Above) mixing organic materials during a training session in Wargamekar village, West Java. Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis

For many farmers who attended the training, organic farming was something interesting but unfamiliar. Nuryanto, from Pinggirsari village in West Java, was one of many who was happy to find out more information. 

“This training is interesting because the ingredients to make organic fertilizers or pesticides are easy to find and cheap,” said Nuryanto. “We know that chemical fertilizers and pesticides harm the soil – now we finally have a way to reduce our dependency on these materials,” he added.  

Read also: Encouraging Organic Farming Trough a Training 

Showing the Way: Field Coordinators and Facilitators 

Leading these sessions were Trees4Trees’ team of field coordinators and field facilitators; local recruits, trained in organic farming techniques by one of our more experienced training officers.  

“Field facilitators are closest to the farmers and local communities,” explains Tedi, who has been helping this team deliver the training in their communities. “They are also the first people farmers can go to and ask about how to implement organic farming properly. So it’s important for them to know everything,” he added.  

mixing organic materials during a training session in Wargamekar village, West Java
(Above) mixing organic materials during a training session in Wargamekar village, West Java. Photo: Trees4Trees/V. Arnila Wulandani

Rizki Imanuddin is a field coordinator from Pinggirsari village in the Cirasea district of West Bandung. He found the training to be a really positive experience. “Seeing the farmers so enthusiastic about organic farming makes me excited too,” he revealed. In his village, fruit production optimization was the most popular topic, as many local people were looking for ways to sustainably increase their fruit yields.  

Read also: Putting Down the Roots: Trees4Trees Planting Season 2022

Growing Together: Training Helps Farmers Go Green
(Above) Rahmat, a field coordinator from Banjaran Wetan village, shows farmers how to apply a grafting technique. Photo: Trees4Trees/Kemas Duga Muis

In Cisangkuy District, farmers were eager to join the training session about propagation of seedlings and grafting techniques. As the field coordinator, Rahmat noted that “during the training, farmers practiced the techniques seriously – they are eager to begin applying this knowledge in their own fields.”  

“Seeing the farmers so enthusiastic about organic farming makes me excited too.”– Rizki Imanuddin, a field coordinator from Pinggirsari Village

Collaboration is Key to Success Growing Together 

In addition to the generous support received from AstraZeneca and One Tree Planted in the planting area around the Citarum watershed, Trees4Trees is also working together with government instructors from Indonesia’s Agricultural Extension Agency (Badan Penyuluh Pertanian/BPP). 

So far, as part of our current planting season, more than 85 instructors from the government agency have gotten involved in farmer training in 32 sub-districts where our planting areas are located. 

Roni Nur Rohman is one of the instructors who attended the recent training. He believes BPP and Trees4Trees share the same mission: to support reforestation efforts and empower farmers to develop more sustainable livelihoods.

“We hope this training can improve farmers’ knowledge about tree planting and organic farming,” says Roni. “With collaboration, and from cultivation to harvesting, the planting process will bring great benefits to farmers and the environment.”  

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Interview: Kemas Duga Muis. Editor: Christopher Alexander

Encouraging Organic Farming Through Training of the Trainer 

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Encouraging Organic Farming Through Training of the Trainer_1
Training participants learnt organic farming materials during the training session. Photo: Trees4Trees/Yulianisa Dessenita

Encouraging the planting season begins, Trees4Trees holds a Training of the Trainer (TOT). It is part of a series of tree planting programs. This year, Trees4Trees held the training from October 10 to 26, 2022 in all sites. The training itself aims to provide field coordinators with practical knowledge related to tree-planting. 

Through the training session, Trees4Trees’ training team train all field coordinators to mastering various materials related to organic farming. They are including planting patterns, fertilization, and planting techniques. After the training is completed, field coordinators then will transfer the knowledge to the farmers who are involved in the planting program with Trees4Trees. The training for farmers is conducted during the planting socialization stage, just after Trees4Trees distributes tree seedlings to farmers. 

Tailored to the needs of farmers 

The field coordinator will deliver the materials  to farmers in each village. They will provide material through training according to the materials requested by the farmers. 

“When it comes to the initial stage of the program, field coordinators have asked the farmers about what kind of training they would like to get. Once we know what kind of training they want to improve, we structure the training materials into tutorials. So, the training we provide basically will be tailored to the needs of farmers,” said Tedi Purnama, Trees4Trees Training Officer who was also a trainer of TOT training. 

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Tomi Bustomi, Trees4Trees West Java Regional Manager also said that one of the advantages of the Trees4Trees’ tree planting program is that it involves local farmers in planting trees and always considers the needs of farmers. 

“We always listen to the needs of the farmers. Not only for trees we distribute, but also training we provide. Our programs always tailor to the needs of farmers. Therefore, what we provide will bring real benefits to them,” Tomi added.

Encouraging using organic waste and other organic materials that are easy to find 

This year Trees4Trees delivers seven training materials through TOT. One of them is mandatory material. It is a timber and multipurpose tree species planting pattern. The other materials include how to make organic liquid fertilizers, organic congested fertilizers, organic pesticides, seedlings propagation techniques, and fruit cultivation techniques. Trees4Trees dedicates the training in fruit cultivation to farmers who are willing to increase their fruit production on a business scale.  

According to Tedi, before he delivers the material to the trainee, all materials have been tested first. “We made the simulation first to know the efficiency. Including the ingredients and cost estimation. We make sure that the ingredients and materials we use as references are the easiest, cheapest, and most efficient materials. We designed it in such a way that farmers can easily produce by themselves,” said Tedi. 

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For example, to make organic fertilizers, field coordinators were trained to use organic waste and other organic materials that are cheap and easy to find, such as eggs, expired milk, rotten fruits, moss, and animal dung.   

Encourage farmers to do organic farming 

Through this training, it is expected that field coordinators are able to understand all training materials. Afterwards they can deliver the training materials to farmers as well as reinforce and encouraging them to do organic farming. 

“The purpose of TOT is to provide another perspective on cultivation patterns to farmers in 180 villages in Central Java and West Java as our partners. In West Java especially, most farmers still use chemicals in agriculture. Trees4Trees wants to encouraging all farmers to cultivate plants with organic farming techniques that are environmentally friendly. And the field coordinator will be the first who provides information and answers when farmers ask questions about how to implement an organic farming,” said Tedi. 

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani