It's in line with the development of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka learning process, where DIKTI staff are encouraged to build a closer and faster collaboration ecosystem between campus with the Business World and the Industrial World (DUDI). The effectiveness of the learning process in higher education depends on how well learning and research are linked.

Through the Matching Fund Kedaireka program, led by Team Leader Prof. Dr. Ir. Elisa Julianti, M.Si. the Faculty of Agriculture at Universitas Sumatera Utara attempts to meet these needs. Including Ir. Terip Karo-Karo, M.S., Dr. Ir. Mariati Sinuraya, M.Sc., Syahira Addina, S.Pi, M.Si, Edy Syahputra Harahap, S.TP, M.Si., and R. B. Moh. Ibrahim Fatoni, S.Pi, M.P., USU's Faculty of Agriculture works with BUMDes Arih Ersadah Desa Raya Berastagi and CV Teknologi Tepat Guna Medan to transform chrysanthemum plants into floral tea bags.

BUMDes Arih Ersada is a Regionally Owned Enterprise (BUMD / ROE) that the people of Raya Village created after discussing how to improve the area's economy. Agro-tourism is one of the businesses that BUMDes Arih Ersada owns. The main attraction is a view of a 1000-flower garden, and there is also a flower market. Chrysanthemums are one of the flowers that grow at BUMDes Arih Ersada. The people who live nearby also plant them in large numbers. The petals' color and the flower crown shape give this flower 11 different looks.

According to research, different flower hues contain distinct concentrations of bioactive components such as anthocyanins and beta-carotene (β-Carotene)—Chrysanthemum tea processing projects to boost their added value and market them as cut flowers. If you only sell fresh flowers, they will go to waste after their display life is over. BUMDes Arih Ersada made chrysanthemum tea by letting it dry in the sun. But the quality of the chrysanthemum tea made this way is not always the same.

For the same quality, the chrysanthemum flower tea must be dried with a mechanical dryer at a low temperature. Both aspects affect the bioactive components. The technological innovation offered in the matching fund activity via the Kedaireka platform is a dryer with chrysanthemum flower tea drying process technology, which creates tea with preserved bioactive components, allowing it to be effective as a health drink.

At Taman Seribu Bunga Agrotourism, they turn chrysanthemum flower waste into chrysanthemum flower tea by designing processing equipment, which includes a drying oven and a chrysanthemum flower tea grinding machine. After that, CV Teknologi Tepat Guna Medan made the oven and the grinding machine and gave them to BUMDes Arih Ersada. In addition, They gave the equipment to package chrysanthemum tea in the form of a continuous tire sealer.

Also, on October 8, 2022, and November 26, 2022, people were taught how to use equipment and make chrysanthemum tea. The Head of the village, the Head of BUMDes Arih Ersada, and members of BUMDes Arih Ersada and the PKK of Raya Village all went to the training. Karya Bakti, the Chairman of BUMDes Arih Ersada, opened the training on making chrysanthemum tea.

In his remarks, Karya expressed gratitude for the implementation of the activity and expressed his desire to assist farmers in utilizing unsold chrysanthemums. Prof. Elisa Julianti said that the training aims to teach people how to make chrysanthemum tea so that the price of chrysanthemums grown in Raya Village can be raised. The research done by the team led to the creation of the training materials. This is because many of the chrysanthemums grown by BUMDes Arih Ersada in Raya Village need to be used. So, if they aren't sold, they can be processed.

Elisa said in her written statement, "The processing of chrysanthemum tea can be done with simple steps, such as preparing the raw materials, drying them, reducing their size, mixing them, and then packaging the finished product."

Audira Yasmin Afra, EkaYusri Elfryani, Jihan Yustika Siregar, Michael Gunawan, and Handy Kuwangga were the five students from the Food Technology Study Program who took part in this activity. They did their final project on processing chrysanthemum tea. The research goal was to find the best time to pick chrysanthemum flowers and the best way to dry them, including the temperature and length of time. The bioactive content and antioxidant activity were also tested.

Five USU Faculty of Agriculture students are doing research, and another five are doing MBKM activities in the form of the Thematic Community Service Program. Elisa said that through this Kedaireka Matching Fund activity, three Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for higher education were made: KPI 2, KPI 3, and KPI 5.

Elisa said this activity would continue until BUMDes Arih Ersada can make its chrysanthemum tea and turn it into one of its business units. Then, BUMDes Arih Ersada will give the chrysanthemum tea to people who visit the Taman Seribu Bunga Agrotourism in Desa Raya Berastagi as a souvenir. (RJ)