Urban farming at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) involves cultivating crops and raising livestock within the campus, integrating agricultural practices into the urban landscape. ITS prioritizes purchasing products from local, sustainable sources by sourcing fresh produce and other agricultural items from nearby farmers and eco-friendly producers. This approach supports the local economy, reduces the carbon footprint associated with transportation, and encourages sustainable agricultural practices within the community.
After its success with organic vegetable farming, the Smart Eco Campus Development Team (PSEC) of ITS is again utilizing campus land for melon cultivation. Through the Eco Urban Farming program, the team harvested twice since June 2022. This crop cultivation program has been initiated since 2013. However, it initially only focused on vegetables that were harvested three times a week.
Over time, PSEC wanted to expand the Eco Urban Farming program to fruits. Then, green and yellow melons were chosen as the fruit variants to be cultivated. There are several reasons for choosing melons as the new type of crop cultivated. First, this fruit is considered to have a relatively faster harvest period compared to other fruits, which is only about three months. In addition, melon is also one of the fruits that is widely favored by the community. The planting process is carried out using organic materials. This aims not to damage the environment, and the harvested fruit is free from harmful chemicals.
In the future, the ITS PSEC Unit will continue to strive to develop various potentials in smart efforts to realize ITS Smart Eco Campus—especially matters relating to the environment. By promoting local and sustainable sourcing, ITS contributes to the growth of the local agricultural sector and demonstrates its commitment to environmental responsibility and community support.
