Sky Garden, UMN’s Commitment to the KG 2023 Urban Farming Competition

Photo with UMN 2023 Urban Farming team. (Doc. UMN)

TANGERANG – Multimedia Nusantara University (UMN) and Multimedia Nusantara Polytechnic (MNP), as part of Kompas Gramedia (KG), participated in the urban farming movement in the KG 2023 Inter-pillar Urban Farming Competition. Since March 2023, this urban farming competition has had a unique goal: To become a forum for employees to implement a green lifestyle while encouraging the creation of new green open spaces in the middle of the UMN and MNP campuses on Wednesday (21/6/2023).  

For Kompas Gramedia, this competition encourages the realization of company values through the environment, and this also overlaps with the values in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) climate action and Kompas Gramedia’s support of the ATRKBPN Regulation No. 14 of 2022 concerning the provision of green open space. 

UMN and MNP did not occupy the land prepared by the committee at KG Park Palmerah, West Jakarta. Even so, distance is not an obstacle to participating in this competition. UMN and MNP utilize and work on vacant land located on campus that is considered strategic for implementing urban farming. In fact, the land used by UMN is unique because it is located on the 3rd floor of Building D, which allows employees to garden in the middle of the city while enjoying the sky view of buildings around Gading Serpong. In addition to aesthetics, gardening on high ground also helps plants to develop better because it is more protected from destructive pests.

Urban farming is often associated with gardening on limited land, but this does not mean creativity is limited. It is precisely through this limitation that UMN and MNP are encouraged to showcase innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture, such as cultivating several plants that are useful for consumption, such as fruits and vegetables through tabulampot or tanaman buah dalam pot (fruit plants in pots) and making eco enzyme liquid fertilizer from organic waste available around campus.

The urban farming competition organized by Kompas Gramedia took place over several months and involved various stages of assessment. The accumulated results of these stages were summarized through a judging held on June 21, 2023. Attended by a jury consisting of KG representatives who are urban farming activists, UMN has high hopes of achieving maximum results.

Sky Garden, UMN 2023 Urban Farming Competition. (Doc. UMN)

This hope is not without reason. Especially because UMN and MNP have prepared the best steps to participate in the KG 2023 urban farming competition, including preparing a separate place for the nursery, preparing environmentally friendly fertilizers (guano, eco enzymes, and leaf compost) and sorting plants that fit the land criteria and innovating through the land on top of buildings (sky garden). Through this total preparation, UMN and MNP are confident they can achieve good results in the KG 2023 urban farming competition.

“It’s inspiring to see the level of creativity and dedication shown by the participants in this urban farming competition,” said Mochamad Ardiyanto, KG 2023 Urban Farming Competition Coordinator.

“This event not only encourages sustainable farming practices but also fosters a sense of community and environmental awareness among KG employees. We are proud to have provided a platform for employees to showcase their efforts and inspire others to adopt the benefits of urban farming,” He added.

The judging event took place interactively by visiting UMN’s sky garden on the 3rd floor of Building D, followed by an exciting discussion about sustainable farming techniques. Participants and judges had the opportunity to exchange ideas, share success stories, and learn from each other to enrich their knowledge and skills in urban farming. The judging event succeeded in creating passionate individuals who can become agents of the urban farming movement in the future.

For UMN, the overall KG 2023 urban farming competition benefits UMN employees, especially in shaping awareness of a greener urban environment while promoting healthy living and food security through providing independent foodstuffs around campus. The next hope is that this urban farming can also benefit the study program that uses a lot of vegetable and fruit ingredients from this garden, namely the Hospitality Study Program.

UMN and MNP would like to thank all the employees, judges, and staff of Kompas Gramedia for providing a platform to explore and encourage healthy lifestyles. The event succeeded in uniting employees’ collective determination for a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future. 

by Yohanes Januadi | UMN Branding

English translation by Levina Chrestella Theodora

Kuliah di Jakarta untuk jurusan program studi Informatika| Sistem Informasi | Teknik Komputer | Teknik Elektro | Teknik Fisika | Akuntansi | Manajemen| Komunikasi Strategis | Jurnalistik | Desain Komunikasi Visual | Film dan Animasi | Arsitektur | D3 Perhotelan , di Universitas Multimedia Nusantara. www.umn.ac.id