Cultivating motherland

Eat what you planted!

Indonesia has potencies to produce various culinary from local crops. The variety of culinary can be developed in line with the rapid of development in the tourism sector. In the progress of tourism  with more and more tourist destination in Indonesia, Sumba island should begin to think the culinary variety of its farmers’ local harvest as an important part to welcome guests. Unfortunately when the food is displayed in certain moment, the performance is still in simple way with the cooking process of boiling or frying, without appetizing dishes and nice packaging.

Observing opportunities in the future, Meliani Retang, a student of STT GKS took opportunity to explore the cobwebs of processing local crop products by participating in the exposure program to Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta. Besides theology, Meliani got additional experiences as additional knowledge other than serving sermons by developing economic of church members through productive efforts by processing local crops to various foods, such as, cakes from pumpkin, corn flour, cassava flour, banana flour or sticky rice flour. They are not less delicious than cakes from wheat flour. By modern packaging and marketing, the local products can be the regional flagship products.

In addition to the motivations provided by the board in charge of Stube-HEMAT and Ariani Narwastujati as executive directors, Stube-HEMAT continues to support its activists by networks and opportunities. Kristiana Triwulan, a teacher of cooking at vocational school of BOPKRI 2 Yogyakarta became one of the networks where Meliani studied and practiced processing local ingredients. As a theology student, Meliani was also given a chance to convey morning reflections to teachers and students before teaching and learning activities began. There were many things that could be learned at this school. Besides learning how to cook foods, she also learned how to choose qualified ingredients to be cooked, even how to package and to serve creatively to make consumers were interested to buy.

“Eat what you planted” becomes an encouragement to love local products besides keeping one’s mental for food independence. Of course, this process toward such awareness is a bit disturbing the comfort that has been felt before. However, in any inconvenience, there must be a process of thinking to be more creative to answer the existing challenges. (MR).