A Brief History of Mushroom: Social-Ecological Crisis in Tempayung (1973-1997)

The expansion of monoculture plantations, especially oil palm plantations, changes the landscape and ecological conditions in a space. Its presence also changes the social relations in a kampung. The conditions social-ecological of changes are manifested in the emergence of mushrooms that grow on piles of rotten oil palm baskets. Another material form is the emergence of mushroom pickers in oil palm plantations. Then this species appears as another commodity in between the extra-economic rotation of oil palm plantations. The growth of mushrooms is beyond the control of the company. The occupation of plantations in a space is never been absolute and has a gaps. This gap is used by mushrooms to sneak through the plantation fence or company production space and into the dining room of the Orang Darat in Tempayung Village. It then becomes a source of food for the fulfillment of family nutrition in the village. The use and management of space in Tempayung has also been repeatedly reorganized. This article will examine the relationship between man and nature in a case the Orang Darat in Tempayung Village from 1973 to 1997.  This paper uses the historical method with an ethnographic approach. The author hopes that this paper can take a closer look at how the relations between man and nature occur from time to time and add to the historiography of Indonesian environmental history.