The PHP2D Team (Holistic Village Development and Empowerment Program) and Team 2 of Thematic Community Service of Diponegoro University (Undip) under the guidance of Agus Subhan Prasetyo S.P., M.Si. carried out a community service program in Wates Village, Ngaliyan District, Semarang City with members of students from the Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences. The Thematic Community Service Program was carried out for 45 days with the theme “Empowerment of Farmers Groups in Wates Village in Realizing Integrated Crystal Guava Farms through Digitalization in the New Normal Era”. This theme is chosen after reviewing complaints of the Wates Village community about the crystal guava farming system that is less integrated and has not been able to provide maximum results. The integrated agricultural system is also expected to revitalize Wates Village, so that its potential continues to grow.
Team 2 of Thematic Community Service Undip continued the program from PHP2D by organizing various types of activities related to the integration of crystal guava farming, including in the cultivation, processing, and marketing processes. Activities in the cultivation sector are carried out by providing counseling to crystal guava farmers in Wates Village regarding the manufacture of liquid organic fertilizer (POC), solid fertilizer, pheromone trap, and yellow trap.
Counseling is done by giving demonstrations to farmers and explanations about the benefits of each ingredient. Counseling given to farmers is documented in the form of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for cultivation. Cultivation SOPs are distributed to farmers so that farmers can apply the counseling provided by students. The existence of SOP for cultivation is expected to improve productivity and quality of crystal guava agricultural products.
The abundant crystal guava agricultural produce in the harvest season makes it a lot to be wasted. Thus Team 2 of Thematic Community Service Undip initiated to create innovative processed food products made from crystal guava. This innovation is also intended to increase the selling value of crystal guava. Crystal guava processed food products that were innovated by the Undip’s team include madumongso, pastry, yogurt, fruit juice, and sweets.
Students provided training to PKK women on how to manufacture these products. The training was given in the form of direct demonstration of the processing process as well as the provision of booklets containing recipes for each processed product. The innovation of this crystal guava processed food product received a positive response from the residents of Wates Village, especially the PKK women and the Head Village.
Farmers and residents who rely on crystal guava farming as a source of income, generally still sell their crops to middlemen. They admit there are difficulties in the marketing process. This is caused by the lack of knowledge of farmers and residents about the right marketing strategy. Based on these problems, Team 2 of Thematic Community Service Undip targeted the Wates Village Youth Farmers to be given training on marketing systems through social media, such as Instagram and websites.
Team 2 of Thematic Community Service Undip collaborated with a website developer in Semarang to develop a marketing website for guava crystals in Wates Village. The website is www.siguava.id. The existence of social media managed by Youth Farmers is expected to be a form of integrated cooperation with crystal guava farmers and entrepreneurs in Wates Village.
As a form of promotion that can increase the selling value, crop yields and processed food products of crystal guava are created with attractive packaging. Team 2 of Thematic Community Service Undip collaborated with Agribusiness lecturers at Diponegoro University, including Dr. Ir. Titik Ekowati., M.Sc., Dr. Ir. Edy Prasetyo., M.S., Agus Subhan Prasetyo., S.P., M.Si, and Migie Handayani, S.Pt., M.Si, to provide Ecoprint training to PKK women in Wates Village. Ecoprint is applied to several kinds of media, such as paper and cloth.
Ecoprints made on paper can be used as decorations on packaging, while ecoprints made on fabric can be used as clothes, bags, or veils. The ecoprinting activity received high enthusiasm from PKK women. This activity is considered very innovative because it can utilize objects that come from nature, such as leaves and flowers. Materials that are not normally used can be useful and produce interesting objects.
In addition, there is an Edutourism program which is a collaboration of Team 1 and Team 2 of Undip Thematic Community Service together with Pokdarwis of Wates Village. Edutourism is taken from the word “Edu” which means education or learning and “Tourism” which means sightseeing or traveling. Thus, the edutourism carried out in Wates Village aimed to educate children from an early age about plants and cultivation of guava. Children will be taught on how to plant, then the morphology of the crystal guava plant part, psidium craft or crafts from the crystal guava plant part, and how to wash hands properly and correctly.
To support the smooth running of Pokdarwis (Tourism Awareness Group) in developing tourism in Wates Village, a Pokdarwis secretariat was built in collaboration with the PHP2D team as a place to gather and discuss activities that will or have been carried out. The inauguration of the Pokdarwis secretariat was marked by cutting tumpeng and cutting the ribbon by the Head of Wates Village, namely Mrs. Yulita Ekowati, S. E. and the Community Service Supervisor, Mr. Agus Subhan Prasetyo, S.P., M.Si.
