IPB University Lecturers Empower Godog Village Residents through Spinach Cistik Making Training
As part of a real effort to empower local communities, IPB University lecturers led by Dr Anna Fatchiya and her team, namely Dr Dyah Retna Puspita Sari, Rai Sita SKPm, MSi and Elsa Destriapani, SKPM, MSi held community service activities through Lecturer Mengabdi Inovasi.
The community service activity with the theme ‘Increasing the Economic Value of Processed Agricultural Products through Packaging and Online Marketing’ was aimed at the Putri Langgeng Women Farmers Group (KWT) in Godog Village, Polokarto District, Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java.
Dr Anna Fatchiya, team leader, said the community service activity was basically a continuation of the previous year’s activity that emphasised on-farm production through the use of yard land.
“This year it is directed to off-farm, which is to provide added value to agricultural commodities, in the form of spinach cistik processing and online marketing,” she said.
During the training session, participants were invited to go through the stages of making spinach cistik starting from material preparation, processing techniques to the finishing process. The lecturers patiently explained each step in detail and provided tips to improve product quality.
“We hope this training can be the first step to improve the community’s skills in producing high-quality products. This spinach steak is not only a local product that can be marketed, but can also provide added economic value to the residents of Godog Village,” said Dr Anna Fatchiya.
The team also provided an understanding of digital marketing strategies to help villagers market their products more effectively. In addition, there was an explanation of the advantages of using online platforms to introduce and sell local products.
The participants were also trained in product photography in order to create attractive images for online marketing purposes. This is considered important to increase product appeal and reach a wider market.
Godog Village residents responded positively to this activity. They consider it a golden opportunity to improve their skills and open new opportunities in local business development. The hope is that this kind of activity can continue to be carried out regularly to support the economic growth and welfare of the village community.
“Thank you very much, today we have been given facilities, we have been given everything to learn together. Alhamdulillah, we have gained extraordinary knowledge, not only making spinach cistik, but it has opened our way of thinking,” said Bekti Dwi Hastuti as the manager of KWT Putri Langgeng.
Dr Anna is committed to continue supporting and empowering the community through activities like this, bridging academic knowledge with real needs in the community and making a positive impact in local development. (*/Rz) (IAAS/RUM)
