NMC Opens new CNMI-CREES facility in Rota

Advancement in the effort of Northern Marianas College CNMI Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service in Rota works to provide information and educate the community of Rota on agriculture, aquaculture, and family related programs begins in the construction of their new research facility.
The NMC-CNMI CREES Rota facility will serve as the main office for the following programs:

Integrated Pest Management Project, under which staff members from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Integrated Pest Management island leader Alejandro Badilles, are trained to monitor and control the insect posts and weeds that are affecting the farm crops on island.

Rota Pineapple Project, through which over 4,000 pineapple “starts” from Hawaii were distributed to Rota farmers.

Vegetable Variety Trials, specialists from all over the CNMI are working with local farmers to identify the best varieties of popular vegetables for planting and marketing in Rota and the CNMI.

Artificial Insemination Project, has trained one member of the DLNR and one NMC-CREES staff member to artificially breed local sows using frozen semen imported from top quality mainland.

Aquaculture Project, possibly the showcase of what cooperation between the DLNR and NMC can accomplish is the new fish hatchery near the proposed NMC campus. This will become the center for tilapia breeding and distribution area for Rota fish farmers and possibly throughout Micronesia. Plans are currently being developed to create a demonstration “aquaphonics” system using the fish wastes from the site.

Firm Safety Project, provides educational awareness to Rota farmers of the hazards and danger to which they are exposed while farming.

4-H Club, CNMI 4-H Coordinator Michael Ogo provides Rota with one of the strongest youth groups on island, with services such as Summer Youth Programs, the sponsorship of a Rota Little League baseball team, Team Luta District All-Stars as well as involvement in many other community events. The 4-H’s stand for Heart, Head, Hand and Health.

Nutrition, Diet and Health program, Evelyn Mendiola provides individual families and the community loads of information about the importance of eating, acting and living healthy. They provide recipes, cooking methods, canning and jarring information.

Family Development and Resource Management program, provides families with information on how to manage your money wisely. Learn the proper methods and difference between spending money now and saving your money for a much more important situation.

Expanded Food, Nutrition and Education Program (EFNEP), Eleanor Taitano helps the youth and low-resource families develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior needed to improve their diet. Families learn to make informed choices about low-cost, nutritious foods, to better manage family finances, and become more self-sufficient.

For more information about the service, please visit the website at http://www.crees.org or contact the NMC Rota Campus and ask for Jim Currie, Michael Ogo, Alejandro Badilles, Evelyn Mendiola or Eleanor Taitano at 1-532-9470.