 ![Priyono shows his organic agriculture chilies.](https://petani.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ourstoryentity/182162ed-8264-452b-96ad-4386eadb02c2.png)

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Squeezed between oil palm plantations, Priyono and his fellow farmers, as Lewu Tataw Berkah Farmers Group members are committed to maintaining their food crop farm in Bangkal Village, Seruyan District, Central Kalimantan. On 7 ha of land managed with the group, farmers planted leeks (*Allium fistulosum* L.), chilies (*Capsicum annum* L.), yardlong beans (*Vigna unguiculata*), and peanuts (*Arachis hypogaea* L.). These farms contribute to ensuring food security in oil palm-producing villages such as Bangkal, particularly due to the fluctuating palm oil prices that may affect the capacity of local communities to purchase food crops for their own consumption.

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Priyono was born in 1963 and is of Javanese ethnic descent from Boyolali. Behind his cheerful face, Priyono suddenly frowned, remembering his past. When he was eight years old, his parents took him to migrate to Tanah Laut District, South Kalimantan.

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He did not receive an education and graduated only from elementary school. Due to economic needs, Priyo was forced to work as a teenager. He worked as a driver and sometimes as a farmer to help cultivate his family’s land. He acquired his farming knowledge from his family.

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Priyono moved from Tanah Laut to Bangkal Village, Seruyan District, in 1989, when he met and married Sumiyati, a woman of Dayak ethnicity from Kotawaringin Timur District, Central Kalimantan. His five children managed to receive education up to the high school level. Now, his children follow in his father's footsteps by becoming farmers who apply a regenerative agricultural system.

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Furthermore, considering his old age, Priyono decided to stop working as a driver and start farming in 2018. Gaining farming knowledge from his parents, Priyono chose to farm using an organic farming system. He is reluctant to consume food exposed to chemical content to maintain his body's health.

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"It's not about being cheap or expensive. I want organic fertilizer that doesn't contain chemicals. I like it that way. If it's chemical, I'm afraid it will affect my health. I'm almost 70 years old and used to eating organic produce. So even though I'm old, I'm still strong," said Priyono.

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 ![Priyono repeals weeds on his land.](https://petani.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ourstoryentity/c732a13f-2c78-4d8c-b40a-601dcced09ed.png)

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When many local farmers chose to cultivate oil palm, Priyono focused on growing food crops with regenerative agricultural techniques. Regenerative agriculture aims to improve the quality of agricultural land through water management, organic fertilizer use, and maintaining biological diversity to create healthy agrarian land. By improving soil health, more carbon levels and plant biomass will be captured, the quality of agricultural products will increase, and selling prices will increase.

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The Lewu Tataw Berkah Farming Group, which has 14 members and is chaired by Priyono, makes its own organic fertilizers. To control pests using biomaterials, Priyono used tobacco leaves as the raw material. He soaked the tobacco for 4-6 hours and then took the water. Priyono said he didn't want to use chemicals because the crop yields were very satisfactory using organic fertilizers and pesticides. Priyono admitted that his harvest was higher priced, and the fruit was flavorful.

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 ![The process of applying processed organic fertilizer.](https://petani.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ourstoryentity/8f5b1f55-762f-46ec-b075-d4b8f7f079ef.png)

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“Even though my child cannot afford to go to college, I hope they can still be successful through organic farming. At least it can be sufficient for daily living expenses,” Priyono said.

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After receiving training and learning from the community farmer group, Priyono has realized the importance of collaboration and teamwork. Together, they are committed to passing on the knowledge they have gained to others. Priyono aims to gain access to agricultural technology for his agricultural land in the future. If he can access technology, Priyono believes it will help his economy improve and increase productivity. Moreover, Priyono hopes his children can share their farming experiences to inspire others.

 ![Priyono menunjukkan buah cabai hasil pertanian organik.](https://petani.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ourstoryentity/b2e96639-5e90-4004-b7ef-b74151e7556a.png)

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Terhimpit di sela-sela perkebunan kelapa sawit, Priyono bersama rekan-rekan petani yang tergabung dalam Kelompok Tani Lewu Tataw Berkah berkomitmen menjaga lahan pertanian tanaman pangan mereka di Desa Bangkal, Kabupaten Seruyan, Kalimantan Tengah. Pada lahan seluas 7 ha yang dikelola kelompok, petani menanam daun bawang (*Allium fistulosum* L.), cabai (*Capsicum annum* L.), kacang panjang (*Vigna unguiculata*), dan kacang tanah (*Arachis hypogaea* L.). Perkebunan ini berkontribusi dalam menjamin ketahanan pangan di desa-desa penghasil kelapa sawit seperti Bangkal, terutama karena fluktuasi harga minyak kelapa sawit yang dapat mempengaruhi kapasitas masyarakat lokal dalam membeli tanaman pangan untuk konsumsi mereka sendiri.

 

Priyono lahir pada tahun 1963, sebagai keturunan etnis Jawa yang berasal dari Boyolali. Di balik wajahnya yang ceria, Priyono tiba-tiba mengerutkan keningnya mengingat masa lalunya. Saat ia berusia 8 tahun, barulah orang tuanya membawanya merantau ke Kabupaten Tanah Laut, Kalimantan Selatan.

 

Ia tidak mengenyam pendidikan hingga lulus sekolah dasar. Karena kebutuhan ekonomi, Priyono terpaksa bekerja sejak remaja, misalnya sebagai sopir dan petani untuk membantu keluarganya. Pengetahuan bertaninya ia peroleh turun temurun dari keluarganya.

 

Priyono kemudian pindah dari Tanah Laut ke Desa Bangkal, Kabupaten Seruyan pada tahun 1989. Ia bertemu dan menikah dengan Sumiyati, seorang wanita etnis Dayak asal Kabupaten Kotawaringin Timur, Kalimantan Tengah. Kelima anaknya berhasil mengenyam pendidikan hingga jenjang SMA. Kini, masing-masing anaknya mengikuti jejak ayahnya dengan menjadi petani yang menerapkan sistem pertanian regeneratif.

 

Mengingat usianya yang sudah lanjut, Priyono memutuskan untuk berhenti bekerja sebagai sopir dan mulai bertani pada tahun 2018. Mendapat ilmu bertani yang diturunkan dari orang tuanya, Priyono memilih bertani dengan sistem pertanian organik. Ia enggan mengonsumsi makanan yang terpapar kandungan kimia demi menjaga kesehatan tubuhnya.

 

“Bukan soal murah atau mahal, yang jelas saya pakai  pupuk organik karena tidak mengandung bahan kimia. Saya suka seperti itu, kalau kimia, saya khawatir akan berdampak pada kesehatan saya. Umur saya hampir 70 tahun. Karena saya sudah terbiasa makan produk organik. Jadi meskipun sudah tua, saya tetap kuat,” kata Priyono.

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 ![Priyono sedang mencabuti rumput liar di lahannya.](https://petani.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ourstoryentity/791ee2f9-4730-452c-b80f-d982155a4e34.png)

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Ketika banyak petani lokal yang memilih mengembangkan komoditas kelapa sawit, Priyono memilih mengelola perkebunan pertaniannya dengan menanam tanaman pangan secara organik. Praktik pertanian ini berfokus pada pengelolaan air, penggunaan pupuk, dan menjaga keanekaragaman hayati untuk menciptakan lahan pertanian yang sehat. Dengan meningkatkan kesehatan tanah, maka akan lebih banyak karbon dan biomassa tanaman yang ditangkap, kualitas produk pertanian akan meningkat, dan harga jual pun turut meningkat. Sebagai contoh, pertanian regeneratif dapat diterapkan pada pertanian lahan kering dan peternakan.

 

Kelompok Tani Lewu Tataw Berkah yang beranggotakan 14 orang dan diketuai oleh Priyono membuat pupuk organik sendiri. Sedangkan untuk pengendalian hama Priyono menggunakan bahan alami dengan menggunakan bahan baku daun tembakau. Dia merendam tembakau selama 4-6 jam lalu mengambil airnya. Priyono mengatakan tak mau menggunakan bahan kimia karena hasil panen sudah sangat memuaskan setelah menggunakan pupuk organik dan pestisida alami. Priyono mengaku, hasil panennya memiliki harga yang lebih mahal dan buah hasil panennya lebih kaya rasa.

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 ![Proses penerapan pupuk organik olahan di lahan Kelompok Tani Lewu Tataw Berkah.](https://petani.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/ourstoryentity/52e35c44-9d23-4b09-bf0a-b234dcb24c8a.png)

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“Meskipun anak-anak saya nggak kuliah, semoga mereka bisa sukses dengan bertani secara organik seperti ini. Setidaknya, cukup untuk menutupi biaya hidup sehari-hari,” kata Priyono.

 

Setelah mendapat pelatihan dan pembelajaran dari kelompok masyarakat tani, Priyono menyadari pentingnya kolaborasi dan kerja sama tim. Bersama-sama, mereka berkomitmen untuk menularkan ilmu yang telah mereka peroleh kepada orang lain. Priyono bertujuan untuk mendapatkan akses teknologi pertanian untuk lahan pertaniannya di masa depan. Jika ia bisa mengakses teknologi, Priyono yakin hal itu akan membantu perekonomiannya membaik dan produktivitasnya meningkat. Selebihnya, Priyono berharap anak-anaknya bisa berbagi pengalaman bertaninya sehingga bisa menginspirasi orang lain.

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Priyono: Strive for Village Food Security with Organic Food Crops

Priyono: Memperjuangkan Ketahanan Pangan Desa dengan Tanaman Pangan Organik