<![CDATA[Desa Massila, Kecamatan Patimpeng, Kabupaten Bone, Sulawesi Selatan, memiliki potensi limbah pertanian yang sangat besar. Limbah jerami sering menjadi masalah karena hanya dibakar atau ditimbun sehingga menimbulkan pencemaran lingkungan, begitu pula limbah peternakan. Pengelolaan limbah pertanian dengan teknologi vermicomposting dapat menghasilkan dua kegiatan sekaligus yaitu usaha budidaya cacing dan usaha pembuatan pupuk kascing. Kegiatan ini diharapkan terwujudnya kegiatan pemberdayaan ekonomi masyarakat melalui pengembangan potensi dengan pemanfaatkan limbah pertanian dan kotoran sapi sehingga menjadi kelompok wirausaha baru yang produktif. Program Kemitraan Masyarakat ini dilaksanakan dengan menggunakan metode penyuluhan, workshop, pelatihan, pembimbingan, pendampingan, dan penerapan aplikasi teknologi tepat guna di lapangan dalam bentuk demplot. Hasil yang telah dicapai dalam pemberdayaan kelompok tani dalam usaha budidaya cacing dan kascing ini ialah (1). Anggota kelompok tani Mamminasae telah mampu melaksanakan dan memiliki keterampilan budidaya cacing tanah dengan tahapan kegiatan: pembuatan rak cacing bersusun, pembibitan, penggantian media, pemeliharaan, pengendalian hama dan penyakit, pemanenan cacing dan kascing (2). Terbentuknya unit usaha kelompok tani mandiri yang dapat memperoleh tambahan pendapatan, meningkatkan kualitas hidupnya, agar mereka dapat hidup lebih baik, lebih efisien cara hidupnya, lebih sehat fisik dan lingkungannya. (3). Budidaya cacing tanah setiap bulan dapat menghasilkan 10 karung kascing (karung 12 kg) yang dijual dengan harga Rp 20.000/karung X 10 karung = Rp 200.000 untuk luas kandang 8 X 5 m dengan menggunakan rak bersusun. Sedangkan produksi cacing sendiri setiap bulan dapat menghasilkan cacing sebanyak 10 kg cacing/bulan dengan harga Rp 100.00 X 10 kg = Rp 1.000.000 / bulan + kascing Rp 200.000, sehingga total pendapatan tambahan yang diterima oleh kelompok tani Mamminasae sebesar Rp 1.200.000 Massila village, located at Pattimpeng, Bone Regency of South Sulawesi, produces agricultural wastes that have a lot of potentials. The straw waste used to be a problem because it was only burnt or buried, causing the damages on the environment. That also applies for the waste from farming activities. The implementation of the technology of Vermicomposting could generate two activities at the same time that consists of: 1) the cultivation of worm, and 2) the production of worm-based fertilizer that use the agricultural waste as the media. By these activities, it is expected that the economic empowerment of local citizens can be established through the development of the potentials of agricultural wastes and cows dungs, creating groups of productive local entrepreneurs. This partnership program with citizens is organized by using the methods of socialization, workshops, trainings, supervisory, and the implementation of the appropriate technology in the field that takes form of demonstration plot. The results gained from the empowerment of the groups of farmers in the cultivation of worms and fertilizers can be described in three achievements: 1) the members of the farming groups have gained the ability and skills in conducting the cultivation of earthworms that consists of several steps: the production of the multilevel medium for the worms, seeding, medium replacement, maintenances, the controlling of pest and plant disease, and the harvest of the worms, 2) the establishment of the independent groups of farmers that can produce additional incomes from the activities in order to increase their life’s quality, so that they can live a better life, and in the healthier physical conditions and environments, 3) the cultivation of the earthworms can generate, per month, ten bags of worm fertilizer that have a weight of 12 kg per each, and has a price of Rp.20.000,- per unit. It is sold for ten bags, so it can generate Rp.200.000 in total for the area of 8X5 m of the multilevel cages. In other hand, the production of the earthworms per month itself could generate the worm approximately 10 Kg per month with the price of Rp.100.000 per Kg. If it was sold for 10 Kg (per unit bag), it generates Rp1.000.000 per month. In total, the amount of total revenues gained by the groups of farmers in Mamminasae could reach up to Rp.1.200.000.]]>
