Opening the Window of Natural Knowledge with the North Ulin Tunas Muda Youth Organization

In a corner of Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, precisely in Kampung Baru, Landasan Ulin Utara Village, a group of young people gathered with one goal: to maintain the tradition of farming while opening up new economic opportunities. They are members of Karang Taruna Tunas Muda Ulin Utara, a community of young people who strive to make agriculture a source of hope.

Banjarbaru has long been known as one of the centers of vegetable production in South Kalimantan. Unfortunately, the conversion of agricultural land is increasingly massive. Data Department of Agriculture, Food Security, and Fisheries of Banjarbaru City noted, in the period 2018 to 2023, almost 12 percent of agricultural land was converted into residential and industrial areas.

With Banjarbaru's status officially designated as the capital city of South Kalimantan Province since 2022, its population growth rate has also increased. In 2023, to meet the demand of the local Banjarbaru market, a number of vegetables were forced to be imported from outside the district. A worrying irony, considering that this area usually supports the need for fresh vegetables for the surrounding areas, including Banjarmasin. If there are no serious efforts to maintain the sustainability of the local agricultural sector, Banjarbaru risks losing its position as a vegetable barn.

Seeing this condition and the concern that the younger generation is increasingly distant from the world of agriculture, Karang Taruna Tunas Muda Ulin Utara chose to take action. With support from the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding, they built an agricultural education tourism area on 0,3 hectares of land. They cultivated this land into an open learning center, consisting of a demonstration garden, a farm produce stall, and a gazebo as an educational space.

In the demonstration garden, visitors do not just come to see the green vegetables. They are invited to be directly involved in planting kale, spinach, mustard greens, and tomatoes, while understanding how the farming process cycle works from start to harvest. The agricultural stalls are a showcase for agricultural products, fresh vegetables that are harvested are sold directly here, without intermediaries. This concept not only brings consumers closer to their food sources, but also increases the income of local farmers. Meanwhile, the gazebo is used for training classes, agribusiness discussions, and sharing experiences with fellow agricultural activists.

This area is also a cross-generational meeting space. Currently, the Karang Taruna Tunas Muda Ulin Utara Agricultural Education Tour has been included in the list of agricultural education tours from various Educational Institutions in Banjarbaru. Elementary school children, college students, and urban farming communities from surrounding cities often come to visit. They come not only to learn, but also to experience firsthand the farming atmosphere that may be foreign to most urban communities.

Not only does it provide economic benefits, this agricultural educational tourism area is slowly building collective awareness of the younger generation. This is an effort to prove by Karang Taruna Tunas Muda Ulin Utara that farming is not an old job, agriculture can be the future with a creative and sustainable approach. With all these efforts, Karang Taruna Tunas Muda Ulin Utara is not just planting vegetables. They are also planting hope—that in the future, agriculture will no longer be looked down upon, but will become a promising way of life for the younger generation of Banjarbaru and South Kalimantan.