The intense promotion of chemical fertilizers among farmers in Indonesia started in 1970s as supporting part of the distribution of results of cross plant variety, which require the use of urea in order to grow the plants. The use of these chemical fertilizers are steadily increasing every year especially with the subsidy in place. Lately, several parties have raised their concerns with the deteriorating conditions of the fields and surrounding environments due to the use of excessive chemical fertilizers, and try to revive and bolster the practices of a more eco-friendly agricultural system.

This is not the normal Lembu (Ox in Bahasa Indonesia, Ed.) that normally pulls the cart, but this is the name of a village situated eastward of Semarang District, precisely in Bancak Sub District which shares the borderline with Wonosegoro sub district of Boyolali District. Approximately 684 households scattered throughout six smaller villages in this village may be proud as on August 2014, this village has been named as the First Winner of Energy Self Sufficient Village at the provinicial level of Central Java, representing Semarang District. What are the reasons behind its announcement as the winner of such title?

The Kariango Army Strategic Command Compound is not free from the looming grey cloud over Maros that late afternoon. But the atmosphere within the compund is in fact lively with high-spirited yells by tens of school teenagers attending outbound activities managed by Tirta Yudha Outbound Management under the Airborne 3rd Infantry Brigade/Tri Budi Sakti, Maros, South Sulawesi.

A panel board stands in a road turn toward Polewali and Balocci Hamlets, Benteng Gajah Village, Tompobulu Subdistrict, Maros Regency, South Sulawesi. You are Entering a BIRU-Domestic Biogas Development Area Toward a Energy Self-Reliance Village, the inscription on the blue board says. The village which is situated approximately 1 km to the east of Tompobulu Subdistrict is indeed very serious in bringing energy self-reliance to come true. One of the evident is the presence of 30 BIRU biogas reactor in their village.

Sulit untuk percaya jika lelaki jangkung itu berusia hampir enam puluh tahun. Bagaimana tidak, gerak-geriknya lincah seolah tak habis dia punya tenaga. Dengan penuh semangat dia menunjukkan beberapa tanaman yang sudah dan sedang diuji coba menggunakan pupuk dari bio-slurry. I Made Raspita (59) namanya, seorang laki-laki Bali yang sudah bertahun-tahun menetap di Lewa, Sumba Timur, Nusa Tenggara Timur. Kecamatan yang terletak 60 km arah barat ibukota Waingapu ini berada di ketinggian 700 m di atas permukaan laut, menjadikannya area yang tepat untuk menanam berbagai jenis sayuran, seperti yang dilakukan Made.

This story is currently available only in Indonesian.

Sore itu wajah Sarianto, 49 tahun, terlihat cerah. Kontras sekali dengan suasana muram yang menyelimuti Desa Babadan, Kecamatan Ngancar, Kabupaten Kediri, setelah diguyur hujan lebat sedari siang. Kumisnya yang lebat bergerak-gerak mengiringi tawa. Terang saja, hutangnya lunas dan kontrak pengadaan 200 ton kompos sudah di tangan. Mimpinya untuk membangun satu lagi reaktor berukuran 12 m3 semakin mendekati kenyataan. Semua itu berkat bio-slurry. Dengan dua usaha yang ditunjang bio-slurry, Sarianto dan keluarganya semakin optimis menatap hari esok.

This story is currently available only in Indonesian.