US Department of Agriculture Donates Desktop Computers to COM-FSM

COM-FSM, Palikir, July 1, 2010 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Recourses Conservation Services (USDA NCRS), in cooperation with the United States Embassy in the FSM, donated desktop computers to COM-FSM National Campus Agriculture Division.

Acting President Ringlen thanks Ambassador Prahar and Conservationist Lake in front
of a classroom full with agriculture students.

The presentation was made by the US Ambassador to the FSM, Peter Prahar, and NRCS Resource Conservationist, Paul Lake. The two U.S. officials visited the National Campus and handed over the computers to Professor Kiyoshi Phillip, the Chair of the Agriculture Division.

According to Ambassador Prahar, the computers were donated to COM-FSM to help the students when they do their researches and for their other academic needs. Acting President Ringlen Ringlen thanked the two U.S. officials on behalf of the College.

After handing over the computers, Ambassador Prahar and Conservationist Lake toured the agriculture farm where Professor Phillip showed them the farm’s waste fertilizer program.

According to Professor Phillip, this is not the first time that the NRCS has assisted the college. NRCS has helped with the designing of the division’s pig-pens and have also provided national workshops for all the FSM states in the areas of farming, vegetable gardening and fishing. The USDA NCRS has been providing such services to the Free Associated States of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia.

College puts on "Agriculture is more than Farming" 2010

The College’s Instructional Affairs department in collaboration with Cooperative Research and Extension department, conducted a 5-day Agriculture summer program with the theme ”Agriculture is More Than Farming”.

Participants of the “Agriculture is More than Farming” 2010 program at National Campus

The program organized by CariPac Coordinator Totoa Currie of Pohnpei Campus, attracted a total headcount of 116 student participants. High school students from Calvary Christian Academy, Nanpei Memorial High School, Madewlenhmw High School, Pohnpei agriculture students and some students from COM-FSM, participated in the June 14 – 18 summer program funded by USDA CariPac.

The first three days of workshops were held at Pohnpei Campus and the remaining two days at the FSM–China Friendship Sports Center. For five days, the students were engaged in activities introducing to natural science as fun. The students were also engaged in field trips to Nett Point Pearl farm and the Pilot farm in Madewlenihmw. They learned about career opportunities, new agriculture practices, learning about nutritional value of local food and ways to market it. Students were also introduced to safe water catchment, aquaculture farming such as pearl farming, and government services such as quarantine office that controls and protect the islands natural resources.

Students had fun with lots of food and outdoor games associating with agriculture. One of the student participants claimed that that was the time they had been introduced to agriculture like this, and we look forward to the next summer and hope that there will be more demonstration on how to cook local food in a more traditional way.

Professors from COM-FSM and representatives from FSM government agencies, as well as regional and local NGO’s are served as speakers and facilitators for the summer program.