Pemberdayaan Masyarakat melalui Pelatihan Pembuatan Mochi Melon Hidroponik

Cengkir Village, Bojonegoro, has successfully developed premium-quality hydroponic melon cultivation. However, its marketing is limited due to the smaller size of the fresh fruit. The local community, which relies heavily on the agricultural sector, requires innovation to increase the
added value of its products. A collaboration with university students through a community service program (KKN) resulted in a solution: processing hydroponic melons into value-added products such as melon mochi. This initiative aims to create new market opportunities and improve farmers’ welfare. This community service activity aims to enhance the added value of hydroponic melons while empowering the community through high-value local products. The methods used in the training activities included selecting suitable melons, processing the fruit into jam, making mochi dough using glutinous rice flour, and providing manual production training and awareness sessions. During the training, participants were also educated on adjusting the flavor and appearance to make melon mochi more appealing to consumers. The program results showed that melon mochi successfully increased the
added value of hydroponic melons and attracted public interest as a unique and innovative snack. Participants’ skills improved significantly, with their competency rising from 40% to 85%. The melon mochi product also gained strong interest from the local community, with 90% of participants giving positive feedback. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in melon mochi sales, which rose by 60% within a month after the training. Public knowledge also improved, as evidenced by an average 50% increase in pre-test and post-test scores.