Students' interest in school Al-Kautsar Al Akbar Medan supported food security in Northern Sumatera, Indonesia

Ameilia Zuliyanti Siregar (Program Study of Agrotechnology, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia)
Zulkifli Nasution (Program Study of Agrotechnology, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia)
Meutia Nauly (Program Study of Psychology, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia)
Tulus Tulus (Program Study of Mathematic, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia)
Netti Herlina Siregar (Program Study Environmental Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia)
Fitri Indira Nauli (Program Study of Psychology, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia)
Irli Masitah Marpaung (Program Study of Psychology, Universitas Andalas, Indonesia)
Ichwana Ramli (Department of Agricultural Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Indonesia)
Mahidin Mahidin (Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Indonesia)
Nasrul Nasrul (Department of Civil Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Indonesia)
Indera Sakti Nasution (Department of Electrical Engineering, Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia)
Melinda (Department of Electrical Engineering, Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia)
Muhibuddin (Department of Electrical Engineering, Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia)

Indonesian Journal of Community Services
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026): May

Agriculture is a vital sector for the economy and food security, especially for Islamic boarding schools (Pesantren) that have limited resources, such as access to water and electricity. Many Islamic boarding schools in remote areas face challenges in achieving economic independence, while available land is not optimally utilized. Therefore, technology-based innovation is needed to optimize existing resources and increase agricultural productivity. The Indonesian Collaborative Community Service (PMKI) USU 2025 aims to select 32 students and teachers during July–October 2025 who demonstrate interest, potential, and a sense of belonging in gardening activities to introduce and implement a smart farming-based agroecosystem in Al Kautsar Al Akbar Islamic Boarding School. Agripreneur activities train participants in suitable cultivation techniques, organic fertilizer production, seed selection, and marketing of organic fertilizer products to the community. Smart farming systems enable more precise and strategic decision-making through the use of sensors and Internet of Things (IoT)-based collected data.