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.

Chipen Is First Pohnpei Campus Graduate Of Revived Agriculture and Food Technology Certificate Program

Valentine awaits his award
during fall 2009 graduation.

Palikir, Pohnpei - January 12, 2009 - The College of Micronesia –– Valentine Chipen became the first graduate from the revamped Agriculture and Food Technology Certificate of Achievement program since it started in the fall 2008 in Pohnpei. Valentine is the son of Michael and Micheala Satowan of Chuuk State.

During the fall semester 2008, the College reestablished the agriculture certificate program and started offering it at Pohnpei campus in addition to Kosrae campus. According to the college, lack of interest in the program contributed to the low enrollment and eventually to the discontinuation of the offering of the program at Pohnpei campus.

In fall 2008 a total of 10 students from Pohnpei Campus enrolled in the Agriculture and Food Technology Certificate of Achievement Program. In 2009 the number increased to 34 fulltime students. Valentine is the first of the 2008 cohort to graduate.

The agriculture and food technology certificate of achievement program is operated through assistance from the FSM office of Economic Affairs; Pohnpei State Department of Agriculture; and the College’s Cooperative Research and Extension (CRE) Program, which provides much of the teaching needed and external funding through the CariPac program. The CariPac program is received by the College through the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Bill.

The CariPac fund is for educational programs in Agriculture and Natural Sciences and Food related sciences. The acronym refers to the US affiliated areas in the Caribbean and the Pacific regions. The institutions involved are: University of the Virgin Islands; University of Puerto Rico; University of Guam; American Samoa Community College; Northern Marianas College; Palau Community College; and College of the Marshall Islands and College of Micronesia - FSM.