Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Melalui Optimalisasi Pemanfaatan Buah Bit pada Kelompok Tani Desa Regaji Kabupaten Karo - Evarina Sembiring; Amila Amila; Suswati Suswati; Della Kuswinda Tanjung; Ayu Andira (Jurnal Kreativitas Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat (PKM), 2023)
ABSTRAK Bit banyak dibudidayakan masyarakat di Kabupaten Karo, Sumatera Utara. Namun, keberadaan tanaman bit di lahan mereka sebagai tanaman sampingan, menjualnya dalam bentuk segar dan belum diolah menjadi produk yang tahan lama tanpa diperlakukan khusus karena ketidakpahaman mitra akan manfaat potensi bit. Bit banyak mengandung vitamin dan mineral penting, yaitu folat, vitamin B6, kalsium, zinc, magnesium, mangan, fosfor, tembaga, zat besi bermanfaat untuk kesehatan. Tujuan kegiatan PKM untuk memberdayakan, menguatkan partisipasi masyarakat dalam swamedikasi, optimalisasi potensi buah bit, penyuluhan kesehatan mengenai khasiat dan kegunaan bit, budidaya bit, praktik menanam bit, pembuatan tepung, biscuit bit dan pelatihan penggunaan media sosial dalam pemasaran bit. Diawal kegiatan, peserta mengisi kuesioner untuk mengukur pemahaman mengenai buah bit. Setelah dilaksanakan penyuluhan, peserta kembali diminta mengisi kuesioner untuk melihat peningkatan pemahamannya. Sebelum penyuluhan tentang pemanfaatan bit, mayoritas pengetahuan kelompok tani Bunga Tani dalam mengenal buah bit dalam kategori kurang (55,56%) dan pengetahuan kelompok tani Sada Nioga sebanyak 63,64%. Setelah penyuluhan mayoritas pengetahuan masyarakat dalam pengenalan bit pada kelompok tani Bunga Tani dalam kategori baik (58,33%) dan pengetahuan kelompok tani Sada Nioga dalam kategori baik (54,54%). Peningkatan pengetahuan dan pemahaman peserta tentang potensi buah bit dapat membantu masyarakat memaanfatkan buah bit secara optimal. Kata Kunci: Bit, Kesehatan, Budidaya, Tepung, Biskuit  ABSTRACT Beets are widely cultivated by people in Karo Regency, North Sumatra. However, the presence of beet plants on their land as a side crop, selling them fresh and unprocessed into long-lasting products without special treatment is due to the partners' lack of understanding of the potential benefits of beetroot. Beets contain many important vitamins and minerals, namely folate, vitamin B6, calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, copper, iron which are beneficial for health. The aim of public health service is to empower, strengthen community participation in self-medication, optimize the potential of beets, health education about the properties and uses of beets, and beet cultivation, and the practice of growing beets, making beet flour and biscuits and training on the use of social media in beetroot marketing. At the beginning of the activity, participants filled out a questionnaire to measure their understanding of beets. After the counseling was carried out, participants were again asked to fill out a questionnaire to see how their understanding had improved. Before counseling on the use of beets, the majority of the Bunga Tani farmer group's knowledge of beetroot was in the poor category (55.56%) and the knowledge of the Sada Nioga farmer group was 63.64%. After counseling, the majority of community knowledge regarding the introduction of beets in the Bunga Tani farmer group was in the good category (58.33%) and the knowledge of the Sada Nioga farmer group was in the good category (54.54%). Increasing participants' knowledge and understanding of the potential of beetroot can help people make optimal use of beetroot.  Keywords : Beetroot, Helath, Cultivation, Flour, Biscuit