Basically, children in orphanage spend their spare time by playing around. Instead, there are many positive activities that they can do; one of them is by modern farming. Modern farming can bolster the creativity of these children in their spare time, yet give them a profit.

This was what Tri Haryanto, a student of Agrotechnology Department of Faculty of Agriculture of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (FP-UMY), and his friends conducted in developing the art of modern farming in Ning Amriyah Soepardo Muhammadiyah Orphanage, Kendal, Central Java. This modern farming concept was a proposal from Community Service PKM (Student Creativity Program)/ PKM-M granted by Directorate General of Higher Education of Indonesian Republic (DIKTI) in 2012.

Haryanto asserted that this modern farming was not only a hobby but could also be of a much benefit for the children in the orphanage. Haryanto, in the Bureau of Public Relation and Protocol (BHP) of UMY on Wednesday (6/27) claimed, “The benefits are that it can be the means to understand the nature, the plants can be room decoration, it can be a challenging, creative activity and a business opportunity at once.”

Haryanto revealed that the concept he and his team proposed was the art of modern farming called Hortirarium, Terrarium and Hidrojel. He explained, “Hortirarium is the art of preserving vegetables and fruits presented in an artistic vessel with a beautiful color combination to freshen up the atmosphere and to stimulate appetite on a dining table.”

“Terrarium is the art of farming in a glass or a vessel which has the advantage that the plant is not affected by the surrounding climate, is moveable, does not demand much attention, is dust-free, is pest-free, and can decorate any room in the house. Meanwhile, Hidrojel is one of the hydroponic cultivations in the form of polymer crystals, which can absorb and store water and plant nutrition in a big amount, and is made of synthetic or natural material that is not dissolvable in water.

Before practicing this art of modern farming with the children in the orphanage, Haryanto and his team gave training and counseling about types of plant, benefits of plant, and how to start caring for those plants.

Haryanto added that this art of modern farming had been exhibited in the product exhibition held by the Government of Kendal Regency.  He added, “With the children of Ning Amriyah Soepardo Muhammadiyah Orphanage, we exhibit the products produced by the children in the forms of Hortirarium, Terrarium and Hidrojel. After the exhibition, we got 40 orders. Later, we will join the exhibition commemorating Muhammadiyah Anniversary in Kendal in August. We hope that this will be a good starting point to develop the orphan’s business.”   

Haryanto planned to elaborate this program by completing the equipments for the production up to the selling promotion.