Health Education Through TOGA Gardens
Living Pharmacy in Home Yards for Ngronggot Village Community
Introduction: Revival of Family Living Pharmacy
Amid growing public awareness of healthy living and self-reliance in treatment, a movement utilizing home yards for family medicinal plants (TOGA) is re-emerging. This concept, often called "living pharmacy," is not just a trend but a smart and sustainable solution for community health education, especially in rural areas like Ngronggot Village, Nganjuk Regency, East Java.
Interactive Learning
TOGA gardens serve as interactive platforms where community members learn about plant properties, proper processing, and disease prevention through hands-on experience.
Sustainable Solution
This approach provides continuous access to natural remedies while promoting environmental sustainability and preservation of traditional knowledge.
Understanding TOGA: More Than Just a Garden
TOGA stands for Family Medicinal Plants, referring to cultivated plants with medicinal properties for treating various diseases 1 . This concept is often called "living pharmacy" as it provides natural medicine raw materials accessible directly from home yards.
Multifaceted Benefits of TOGA Gardens
Family Health
TOGA gardens function to enhance immune system and maintain health, and can be used as medicine for mild illnesses like fever, cough, and headache 1 .
Education & Environment
TOGA gardens become living laboratories to pass on traditional knowledge to younger generations while beautifying home appearance and creating a fresh atmosphere 1 .
Designing Living Pharmacy: From Concept to Reality
Before diving into garden creation, it's important to build a strong foundation. As illustrated for beginners, this planning process involves deep consideration of purpose, space, and energy available 2 .
Initial Planning Steps
1. Set Intention
Clarify your purpose: family consumption or small business? This determines plant selection and scale 2 .
2. Assess Space
Utilize pots, polybags, vertical gardens, or unused yard corners. No large land required 2 .
3. Measure Energy
Start small but consistent. Involve family members to make work lighter and more enjoyable 2 .
TOGA Garden Design Inspiration
Vertical Garden
Ideal for limited space with small pots arranged on ladder-shaped racks.
Recycled Garden
Utilize used items like PVC pipes, car tires, or plastic bottles as plant containers.
Minimalist Garden
Arranged concrete blocks or wooden boxes create neat, modern plant beds.
Indoor Garden
Utilize kitchen windows or living rooms with sufficient sunlight for herbs.
Experiment: Testing Organic Amino Acid Fertilizer Production
As part of the organic farming approach, making your own fertilizer is a highly valuable skill. This experiment of making amino acid fertilizer from local materials can be an educational activity for the community.
Methodology
Materials & Tools
- Protein-rich organic material (e.g., fish remains, rotten nuts, crab waste) - 1 kg
- Molasses (palm sugar/cane syrup) - 0.5 kg
- Clean water - 10 liters
- Bucket with lid and air valve
- Blender or chopper
- Straining cloth
Procedure
- Chop organic material into small pieces to expand surface area.
- Mix chopped organic material with molasses and water in bucket.
- Stir until evenly mixed. Cover bucket but not tightly to release fermentation gas.
- Ferment for minimum 2-3 weeks in shaded area. Stir occasionally.
- After fermentation, strain the solution. The resulting liquid is organic amino acid fertilizer.
Results & Analysis
The produced amino acid fertilizer is rich in nitrogen and easily absorbed amino acids. Application of this fertilizer on TOGA plants can:
Comparison of TOGA Plant Results
| Aspect | Optimal Treatment | Regular Planting |
|---|---|---|
| Plant Height | Taller and sturdier | Relatively shorter |
| Leaf Color | Fresher, brighter green | Pale green or yellowish |
| Leaf Count | Denser and more lush | Not very dense |
| Pest Resistance | More resistant to pests | More vulnerable to pests |
| Harvest Yield | Higher volume of leaves or rhizomes | Average harvest yield |
Common TOGA Plants and Their Medicinal Properties
Below are some commonly cultivated TOGA plants with their scientific names, used parts, and medicinal benefits.
| Plant Name | Scientific Name | Used Part | Medicinal Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ginger | Zingiber officinale | Rhizome | Warms body, treats nausea, boosts immunity |
| Turmeric | Curcuma longa | Rhizome | Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, treats ulcers |
| Temu Lawak | Curcuma xanthorrhiza | Rhizome | Maintains liver health, improves appetite |
| Betel Leaf | Piper betle | Leaf | Natural antiseptic, treats canker sores, leucorrhea |
| Aloe Vera | Aloe vera | Leaf gel | Promotes hair growth, heals burns |
| Kencur | Kaempferia galanga | Rhizome | Cough medicine, relieves muscle pain, energy source |
| Celery | Apium graveolens | Leaf & Stem | Lowers high blood pressure, calcium source |
Leaves
Used for teas, poultices, and extracts. Examples: betel leaf, celery.
Rhizomes
Underground stems with concentrated medicinal compounds. Examples: ginger, turmeric.
Gels & Extracts
Processed parts for topical and internal use. Example: aloe vera gel.
Essential Tools for TOGA Cultivation
The right tools make TOGA gardening more efficient and successful. Here are essential items for your medicinal plant garden.
Pots/Polybags
Alternative planting containers for limited space. Allow better control of planting medium 1 .
Organic Planting Medium
Mixture of soil, compost, and burnt rice husks. Loose, nutrient-rich medium is foundation for healthy plants.
Compost Fertilizer
Source of biological nutrients that improves soil structure and naturally fertilizes plants 3 .
Liquid Organic Fertilizer
Such as amino acid fertilizer, for foliar spraying as additional nutrition that is quickly absorbed.
Sprayer
For watering plants in pots and applying liquid fertilizer or botanical pesticides.
Small Hoe & Shovel
For soil cultivation, transferring planting medium, and clearing weeds.
Health Education Strategies for Village Community
Participatory education approach is key to success. Below are strategies that can be implemented:
Counseling & Direct Demonstration
This method has proven effective in increasing participants' understanding of organic vegetable and medicinal plant cultivation 3 . Participants are not only given theory but also directly practice making organic fertilizer and planting seeds.
Formation of Women Farmer Groups
Involving women farmer groups, like KWT Segar Harum in the Maros case study, can become the driving force. Women as family health managers have strategic roles in adopting and passing on knowledge about TOGA 3 .
Utilization of Demonstration Plots
Creating real and productive TOGA garden designs in public places (like village halls or schools) will become powerful visual learning media and motivate communities to replicate in their own homes 1 .
Documentation & Recipe Sharing
Encourage communities to document plants and their medicinal recipes. Create simple pocket books or social media groups to share experiences, so traditional knowledge is not lost .
Towards a Healthy and Independent Ngronggot Community
Cultivation and design of family medicinal plant (TOGA) gardens is a concrete and meaningful movement. For Ngronggot Village community, this is an opportunity to take control of family health in an affordable, natural, and sustainable way.
By starting from their own yards, each household can become an agent of change contributing to the realization of a healthier, more independent, and resilient community.