The inspiring story of melon farmers from Takengon, Aceh
There is something interesting in Takengon Town, central Aceh. In one village located in this mountainous area, there is a melon orchard planted and arranged attractively, making people who see it interested to stop. Melon fruit garden is owned by Mr. Salim (42 years), fruit farmers who have 10 years started this business. Mr. Salim's melon garden is actually not too broad for only half an acre. But Samidi planted it in the right way and attracted attention. The fruit is also arranged regularly by hanging with a rope or with a small wood resistant as a buffer.
The result of the creativity of Mr. Salim membuahkanh results, every visitor who stopped must stop and interested to buy melon fruit that depends neat and clean not exposed to the ground. Pak Salim started a fruit farming business with hard-earned melon, ranging from pest and harvest failures ever in rasakanya. Initially Pak Salim received training on how to cultivate melon fruit directly by the government by bringing cultivators from Japan.
In this training Pak Salim studied the way and cultivate the soil, planting until fertilizing and watering in the right way. So that the melon fruit plants grow well and produce big and sweet fruit.
The result of the training then he applied in the area. With a capital of Rp 12 million and a land ride, Pak Salim is able to cultivate the land and plant melon seeds in his garden. Half hectare land he planted as many as 5,000 seeds melon.
From planting until it can be harvested takes two months. In order for the fruit to be harvested is not dirty and rotten, Pak Salim hangs the melon fruit with a rope. It turns out that in addition to the fruit is not dirty exposed to the ground it makes people who see it so interested to stop.
Without in deliberate melon fruit orchard Pak Salim become a tourist destination of agriculture or small agro-tourism. When entering the harvest period, many students from different regions come here to enjoy chili sauce learning, not only that ordinary people almost every day come and buy melon fruit in his garden.
Melon fruit is planted by Mr. Salim there are two types of green melon commonly called local melon. Green melon has physical characteristics, has a hard outer skin, rough, and vein-like. The flesh is pale green and the aroma is fragrant. And Mr. Salim also planted melon mas, this melon mas has the characteristics of yellow skin and texture is smooth and shiny. The flesh is white with a sweet taste but not aromatic.
