Trees4Trees’ mascot program is to empower community forest in Indonesia. During our monitoring season, we found out that our farmers’ stories are interesting. It’s personal and honest. They told us their motivation, the good things they can do by planting and being a farmer, and why they are so happy to join Trees4Trees. Here are two stories, we collected from our farmers in Semarang and Boyolali.

We begin from our farmer in Mangkang, near Semarang, his name is Sirno. He has been planting trees since he was young. He knows to plant from his father, who was a farmer too. In the begining to end, Sirno plants trees only for investment or savings. When his trees are ready to harvest, he will sell it, plant more trees, sell and the same cycle keeps running. He use the money for house, his children educations, or his daughter’s marriage. He tells us that he is thankfull for his father teaching him planting as a basic skill that he can use for living.

But one time, he began to think that he can do more. It’s time to share to people outside his family, his people in the village. Sirno mentions that people in the village always find difficulties to bury somebody’s dead body as no empty land and money to make ceremony.

This encourages Sirno to give a solution for his people in the village by giving them a land to be a gravery and money to be managed by a village leader for death ceremony from the trees harvest. He has been doing this twice for 8 years. More, he even plants some crops like corn, papaya, herbs like ginger, turmeric, chily and tomato so people can take them for daily need – with note: not for sale.

Sirno tell us his amazing story with full spirit and ethusiasm, saying that his efforts would mean a lot to many people. “Im proud once again my father tought me to be a farmer. Now I know that I will make good things even only as a farmer and from my trees”

He is also proud in joining Trees4Trees program because Trees4Trees offers a complete package of planting program, “Trees4Trees is different. Not only give us free seedlings but also help us when harvesting time comes, help us to sell the woods with the best price. It really helps us a farmers”.

Another story comes from Boyolali, farmer Sriyanto. He plants trees from Javanesse philosophy, “when we do good to nature, nature will do us good back” he says. So he plants as many trees in his lands. He takes care his trees with patience and attention.

Everyday he always visit his trees, one by one, to know just in case, his trees get infected. To make good results of his trees, he always follows Trees4Trees instructions in growing trees. When something bad happens like one or two trees have yellow leaves, quickly, he will get his phone and contact Trees4Trees for the solutions.
Sriyanto believes that planting trees not only because he will get money in the harvest time, but also how he treats his trees in the process, that what matters the most. When you do the best in the process, you not only get the best results of your work but also balance between you and nature. Sriyanto’s tree growth is now one of the best tree planting site in Trees4Trees report.