19 August 2024
Syafrijal S.Kom
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DELISERDANG, An innovative community empowerment initiative has just been launched in the University of North Sumatra (USU) Foster Village, Kelambir Village, Pantai Labu District, Deliserdang Regency, North Sumatra. This program, which involves USU lecturers, is the result of in-depth research on local economic potential and coconut industry waste management.
The Head of the Foster Village Team, Prof. Dr. Ir. Rosdanelli Hasibuan, with the coordinator of the Straw Mushroom Cultivation activity using coconut waste, is a lecturer from the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of North Sumatra (USU), Ir. Rivaldi Sidabutar, S.T., M.T with members Dr. Ir. Bambang Trisakti, M.Si and Farida Hanum, S.T., M.T.
Straw mushrooms are known for their high nutritional value and competitive selling price, chosen as the main commodity in this program. Meanwhile, the use of coconut fiber waste as a planting medium not only solves the problem of waste accumulation in the area, but also offers a sustainable solution for the small-scale agricultural industry. "We have conducted studies for several months before starting this program," said Ir. Rivaldi Sidabutar, S.T., M.T.
According to Rivaldi Sidabutar, Kelambir Village has great potential in coconut production, but the waste from the coconut fiber is often wasted. "By using this waste as a growing medium for straw mushrooms, we create a more efficient and environmentally friendly production cycle," he said.
In implementing the program, the team of lecturers not only provided equipment, but also conducted intensive training for the villagers. They taught straw mushroom cultivation techniques from start to finish, including preparation of planting media, planting seeds, maintenance, to harvesting and post-harvest processing.
The installation of straw mushroom cultivation equipment was carried out in a mushroom house or mushroom house built specifically for this program. The mushroom house is designed to optimize the growth of straw mushrooms by considering temperature, humidity, and air circulation factors.
The Head of Kelambir Village, Sahrial SE, officially received the cultivation equipment from the USU fostered village team. "This is a big step for our village," he said.
"We hope that this program will not only improve the economy of the residents, but also open our insights about the importance of innovation in agriculture and waste management," he added.
Aminah, a villager who participated in the handover of the straw mushroom cultivation equipment, expressed her enthusiasm. "I never thought that coconut fiber waste could be utilized like this. This opens up new opportunities for us housewives to have additional income," she said.
This program has also received attention from all parties, especially the local government of Deliserdang Regency, which expressed its support and hopes that similar initiatives can be implemented in other villages in the district.
In addition to the economic aspect, this program also has a positive impact on the environment. The use of coconut fiber waste as a planting medium reduces the accumulation of organic waste and the potential for environmental pollution. This is in line with the government's efforts to encourage sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
The USU foster village team plans to continue to monitor the development of this program and provide further guidance to villagers. They also hope that the results of this program can be published as a case study of the success of collaboration between universities and the community in rural economic development.
With this innovative program, Kelambir Village is expected to become a successful example of community empowerment based on local potential and effective waste management. The success of this program can be a stepping stone for the development of the creative economy in other rural areas in North Sumatra and even throughout Indonesia.
