The Kuliah Kerja Nyata–Pembelajaran Pengabdian Masyarakat (KKN-PPM) Bromo Bestari 2025, Period II, held in Wringinanom District from 20 June to 8 August 2025, concluded successfully and smoothly. During this period, the Bromo Bestari KKN-PPM team carried out several major programs that attracted significant public interest and offered fresh perspectives to the community.
One of the main programs was a socialization session titled “Introduction, Cultivation, and Utilization of Family Medicinal Plants (TOGA)”. The initiative was led by two students from the Faculty of Agriculture Otniel Thery (Agronomy 2022) and Nidaul Hasanah (Agronomy 2022) in collaboration with students from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Law, and Vocational School of Mechanical Engineering.
The program aimed to introduce TOGA as a potential commodity capable of boosting the local economy in Wringinanom while addressing common cultivation challenges. The program’s selection was based on observations and discussions with farmer group leaders from Besuki and Kunci hamlets, local PKK women’s organizations, and home-scale as well as field-scale growers.
As a result, Otniel and Nidaul proposed introducing Temulawak (Curcuma xanthorrhiza) and Mint Leaves (Mentha sp.) as promising TOGA commodities. They also addressed common issues such as irrigation and pest control. Further explanations were delivered by Marfa (Pharmacy 2022) on processing Temulawak and Mint into gummy candy, Fiqa (Law 2022) on marketing strategies via online platforms, and Danindra (Vocational School 2022) on installing a drip irrigation system to overcome drought problems.
Conducted through presentations and hands-on practice, the program successfully attracted participants’ enthusiasm. This was evident from the active discussions and direct engagement during the cultivation sessions for Temulawak and Mint.
“We’ve never cultivated mint before, so we were excited to learn about this new plant and how to propagate it using root-up techniques as well as its cultivation methods,” said Ismawati, a TOGA grower.
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Through this community service program, the students demonstrated their commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG 13: Climate Action.
Authors: Otniel Thery, Ghorizatu Shofra
Editor: Desi Utami