Bruder Kristoforus Pudiharjo OFM, Loyal to Organic Farming
Anything related to agriculture attracts Bruder Kristoforus Pudiharjo OFM. For decades, he has been developing organic farming. In recent years, at the Ciloto Organic Farm, Pudi also developed local garlic cultivation.
Sunday (1/13/2019) morning, Pudi, wearing a white sweater, brown pants and yellow boots, went around watching the Ciloto Organic Farm located in Ciloto village, Cimacan district, Cianjur regency, West Java. Organic vegetables, garlic and albizia trees grow in the 3-hectare garden. Every 100 meters, Pudi builds a post for processing or storing organic fertilizer.
Cauliflower plants are left to grow with weeds, while garlic plants that are one-month old are lined up neatly in another part of the garden. Within two months, the local garlic can be harvested. In addition, a plot of land was planted with curly chili. Pudi also plants water fern on a pond. The plant’s tiny green leaves are used to feed fish or chicken.
At the front of the farm, which stands only 50 meters away from the Puncak-Cianjur intercity road, there is a post filled with hydroponic garlic plants. Diligently, Pudi checks the plants one by one. He taught how to make hydroponic garlic plants. Plastic bottles are filled with liquid fertilizer produced from food waste. Then, the top of the bottle is filled with compost and cloth to connect with liquid fertilizer.
Pudi, who lives near the Sindanglaya St Yusup Orphanage in Cipanas, West Java, collects food waste from the orphanage, which is home to around 200 children. In a day, they can collect about 20 kilograms of food waste which is then processed into liquid fertilizer.
“Many ask me how to peel this small local type of garlic. In fact, even without being peeled, this garlic can be used immediately. It also tastes better for cooking,” Pudi said.
Pudi said a group of mothers in Cililitan, East Jakarta, has also practiced growing the hydroponic garlic. “If each house can grow garlic in 100 bottles, the results are quite good. It can be sold. I often speak in front of dozens of people, but only one to four people will take part. That’s okay,” said Pudi.
Pudi tirelessly continues to campaign for organic farming. He visited various communities, ranging from churches to mosques and from a group of Quran-reciting mothers to Islamic boarding schools. Pudi has also been invited to cities further away, including one visit to the Al-Zaytun Islamic Boarding School in Indramayu.
“I have visited 14 Islamic boarding schools around here to introduce this organic agriculture. They all received us well,” he said.
In 2011, when it was almost certain that Pudi would manage the farm, the first thing he did was approaching the local community. The people around Ciloto make a living from opening stalls or working at construction sites. Slowly, Pudi approached them to grow organic vegetables. The plan is to eventually sell the organic vegetables at fixed prices to support the local economy.
“When there is no construction work or the stalls are closed, people may grow vegetables in this garden, but, most importantly, they have to be organic plants. That way, I can help market their vegetables,” he said.
This year, Pudi is gradually recultivating farmland overgrown with shrubs after being left abandoned. Previously, the land was owned by a foreigner.
Teaching about independence
Pudi has been interested in agriculture since his college years. After graduating, he worked as a civil servant at the Jakarta Provincial Environment Agency. Then, in the 1990s, Pudi decided to become a bruder (Catholic friar).
In 1997, Pudi was assigned to Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara. He began to develop organic rice. That’s where he got the experience that made him more eager to pursue organic farming. A mother was bleeding because she would often eat vegetables grown with chemical fertilizer.
“That encouraged me to continue to pursue organic farming. Organic farming is actually the same as organic weapons that are attached to the owner. Organic farming is inherent in the behavior of the farming people,” he said.
From then on, he often met with organic farming enthusiasts and researchers. “It’s not easy, because we go against the flow; we are just a grassroot movement. Our efforts were facilitated by Bambang Ismawan, one of the founders of Trubus magazine, to meet and to discuss,” he said.
At every opportunity to promote organic farming, Pudi always emphasizes independence. “It’s technology for the poor, whether we can make it ourselves or not. Don’t let the earth be overexploited,” he said.
Pudi said one day he was invited by a pastor in Manado to help increase the income of farmers. For one week, he trained the farmers to sow seeds and make organic fertilizer. Suddenly, there was a farmer who asked me how to get rid of water hyacinth, which disrupted agricultural produce.
“I asked the farmer to bring two sacks of water hyacinth, then ferment them. After five days, the water hyacinth was used to feed the pigs. Almost all farmers have piglets. Well, those are the hidden pearls -- water hyacinth can be used for other purposes, thereby further increasing agricultural production,” he said.
In 2015, Pudi developed urban farming by teaching city dwellers to
grow hydroponic plants with liquid fertilizer made from food waste. To make teaching easier, Pudi wrote a guide book, Planting Your Own Food. The book explains each stage of urban agriculture, which can be carried out through hydroponic systems, pot systems or a combination of both.
Bruder Kristoforus Pudiharjo OFM
Born: Wonogiri, March 31, 1958 Education:
- Elementary and junior high school SD-SMP in Wonogiri
- Senior high school SMA Negeri 5 Jakarta
- Graduated in communication from 17 August 1945 University, Jakarta
Experience:
- 2000-2005: Principal at SMK Fransiskus
Jakarta
- 2005-2010: Organic rice farm in Sentul, Bogor
- 2011-present: Organic Farm Training Center, Ciloto Organic Farm, Cianjur