NOKEN Scientifically

To me The Rain Gauging Farmers Association of Indramayu, West Java holds the world record of most funky organization’s name. Probably sharing the status with The Line of Fighters of People in Waiting of Indonesia (others translated BPRPI in North Sumatera as the Indonesian Group for the Waiting People’s Struggle). The two are the at the top of that list, I think. What do you think? (Please post your answer/comment @noken.community / facebook and instagram).

It’s also the most scientific farmers group that I know. They have scientifically proven methodology to determine when to begin planting paddy or not to begin planting paddy but something else. All very scientific, which is a big problem to me because in addition to counting and memorizing I am also bad at science. So, brace yourself for this baffling effort of explanation.

The Methodology:

Checking the rain gauge every morning at 07.00

2. Observation of soil, wildlife, other environmental features, creatures

3. Enter data into database

4. Analyse data and consult meteorological information from
Indonesian/Australian BMKG, NASA, NOAA, Prof. Walker and Prof. Yunita

5. Peer review with other farmers and senior scientists/local elders

6. Conclusion and recommendation

The lead scientist is Nurkilah. He is also the president of the Rain Gauging Farmers Association. He is very confident with his science. His is a benign confidence which I found comforting, albeit rather unusual radiated from a scientist. He is a protégé of Prof. Kees Stiegter from the Netherland who created a special class and curriculum for farmers in Indramayu and dedicated many many years of his life for that, right to the end. Prof. Kees died peacefully in Indramayu while preparing a class, surrounded by his farmer students.

Now, Nurkilah is the professor, a cum laude graduate from Prof. Kees’s special class. Nurkilah said that for a long time now he has been so ready to teach the new generation all about agroclimate, rain gauging, seeds and plant veredeling (Ind: pemuliaan), pest control.

This is the problem: there are few if any new generation ready to be taught. Maybe they are not there because more and more agriculture lands are turned into factories, buildings and roads, and because a farmer is a farmer however scientific he/she is. Prof. Nurkilah is having a hard time looking for students.

Maybe that’s how tender emanating from Nurkilah’s persona. His longing to share the knowledge, passionate science, to others, to the young generation. This yearning of Noken.

Wow…wow…hold on.

Things can slide to gloom at this point in telling. Fortunately, there is this keep on active farmers association and his colleagues, like Prof. Sue Walker from South Africa and Prof. Yunita from UI Jakarta (who connected the association with academe communities and eventually Samdhana too through a chain of connection).

And Yusuf.

Yusuf is in applied science. He applies the sciences into his farming from day to day, year to years. He experimented with organic technology, seeds breeding, black rice, tabela (tanam benih langsung or direct seeds planting: soak the seeds for 2 days, remove and drain well for 2 days to sprout, then just sow the seeds in the field). Yusuf keeps innovating, exploring new ways, learning this and that because he really loves farming. He enjoys it so much. He laughs aloud a lot.

Together, Nurkilah and Yusuf and their farmer friends keep The Rain Gauging Farmers Association alive. They don’t have that many members but they are in all four winds of Indramayu. They meet regularly and discuss paddy planting, the dream to start a cooperative, seeds and fertilizer, this nagging idea about taking up rootcrops, the rain, everything.
Endnotes:

In 2012 Samdhana supported the association through a capacity development activity. In 2014 Samdhana provided a small grant for a brief project aimed at the making and installation of simple rain gauges and for the association members to be able to meet regularly, for them to share and learn from each other. All these continue until today, long after that project ended, and with no financial support from any other organization. The Rain Gauging Farmers Association..

…let’s noken through the rain…