UNAIR NEWS – In a bid to boost the productivity of Bajulan Village, Saradan Subdistrict, Madiun Regency, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) students from the Community Service Program (KKN) Learning with Community (BBK) program held a workshop on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. The event focused on turning hydroponically grown vegetables into healthy noodles, under the initiative called Green Bite: Healthy and Delicious Hydroponic Noodles. The primary ingredient for this innovation was hydroponic mustard greens.
Muhammad Bintang Samodra Herlambang, leader of the KKN-BBK 5 UNAIR Bajulan team, explained that the flagship program aimed to maximize the potential of the village’s hydroponic harvest. The group chose noodle production as their focus due to its popularity and the ability to create a healthier alternative by using vegetables as the primary ingredient.
Diversifying hydroponic products
Herlambang highlighted that the program was an effort to diversify products made from hydroponic vegetable harvests. Through the initiative, the students conducted hands-on training for local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and members of the Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) group, teaching them how to process mustard greens into healthy noodles with added economic value.
“The choice of mustard greens as the main ingredient wasn’t only due to their extensive health benefits but also because their natural green pigment serves as an organic coloring agent for the noodles. Plus, using locally grown hydroponic produce ensures freshness and supports the community’s farmers,” he explained.
In addition to empowering residents to turn hydroponic vegetables into value-added products, the program extended the shelf life of mustard greens by transforming them into noodles. These noodles, made from the village’s hydroponic produce, serve as a signature product that highlights Bajulan Village’s agricultural capabilities.
“We selected noodles because they have a long shelf life and are familiar to the local palate, making them more marketable. The production process is straightforward enough for PKK members in Bajulan to replicate on their own,” Herlambang added.
Strong community engagement
The workshop was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from Bajulan’s PKK members, who actively participated in each stage of the process, from preparation to the final production of the noodles. The event also saw collaboration with local hydroponic MSMEs.
“Our team hopes that this program will have a meaningful impact on the residents of Bajulan Village, particularly the women, by encouraging them to innovate with hydroponic vegetables. This initiative not only maximizes the village’s agricultural potential but also supports the promotion of healthy living through the use of natural, processed food products,” Herlambang concluded.
Author: Rifki Sunarsis Ari Adi
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
