INNOVATION IN EXTENSION: Northern Marianas College

The following describes an innovative person.
Region: Western

Contact information for this innovator: Patty Coleman
Job title / position: EFNEP/SNAP

Contact number: (670) 483-1732

Email address: patricia.coleman@marianas.edu

Brief description of innovator as provided in online survey: Ms. Coleman leads our family and consumer sciences aspect of CREES. She has instrumental in developing program addressing childhood nutrition and obesity on the island.

Notes from phone interview:

We have a young lady that was the intern dean, and she does health education, and that's nothing, SNAP program. She's doing a program on body mass indicator scores on youth, because of the child with obesity problem on the island. A goal is on our research farms is to show-- because she's working on the health thing of it, and we're trying to get a research farms to work on the progress end of it. If farmers can realize that if they produce a healthier product, a nutritional product that benefits, it's better for the community. She's from the island. She is very ingrained in the island, working with the schools, working with the health department, reaching into different organizations on the island, definitely of farms, companies on the island. They truly trying to build a community approach to healthy lifestyles, again, food and nutrition. Meaning, be willing, and volunteering is not something that's done on this island. A volunteer program, a community-driven program is a new concept here. It's just never been done. Back in the olden days - as I've been told by people on the island - back when this island was under the control of the Japanese before World War II, everybody on the island really had to earn their keep. There was a big sugar cane investors.


The following describes an innovative person.

Region: Western

Contact information for this innovator: Mike Ogo
Job title / position: Extension Agent (Aquaculture & NR)

Contact number: (670) 785-5830

Email address: michael.ogo@marianas.edu

Brief description of innovator as provided in online survey: Mr. Ogo runs our aquaculture programs for both research and Extension. He is in the process of conducting research on saltwater fish production.

Notes from phone interview:

But you're looking at agriculture instead of just tilapia. You're looking at saltwater production to see if there's a way that they can enhance or generate fish, seafood, in a more economical manner and I have to spend most time in the ocean, and they're also looking at the long-term goal, "Is this a way to create seed stocks for the ocean?" When in fact, fish back into the ocean. Again, I've only been here 50 days [chuckles], I just don't have a very good grasp on the programs that we're doing and why we're doing what we're doing.

Agriculture is going to be very important to this community. Also, Mike is very good in the technical aspects of it. He is very passionate about what he does, and I said, "Mike, that's great, but what is the cost analysis?" And he goes, "What you mean?" and I go, "Is this economically viable?" There're farmers on this island. To be able to implement that project or that type of agriculture, "Is there enough return on their investment to make it worth their while to implement?" I told him, I said, "Quite honestly, no farmer is going to farm to lose money. They farm to make money." And I said, "Can you show the economic benefit?" Because he also says, "Hydroponics, aquaponics, and things of that nature." And I told him, I said, "Show the cost. What cost to do it? And show a projected income off of the agriculture that you get from hydroponics or aquaponics. So a farmer can basically sit down with a pencil and calculate the cost in income generation." I said, "Because that's going to be a hurdle which they have to get over." And I said, "Yes, you guys can do it on your research farm, because you have all the tools. But when I do it here, what's the cost to me?" So it's bringing the business side of agriculture into it. Not just the technical, but also the business side of it. And can we replicate this in other places besides just on a farmer's Grant me a Farm? So we implemented in the public school system, so we can enhance natural sizes, environmental sizes, so this kids-- you're trying to teach this young people the value of our natural environment. So it's beginning to look even farther than where he's at. And he's very good at it. Again, as I started mentioning this, "Jim," he said, "Yeah, you're right. I could do this here. I could try this in the school system." We get to be more invested on the production side, but more on the education side for young people." I said, "Absolutely."


The following describes an innovative person.

Region: Western

Contact information for this innovator: Jang Kim
Job title / position: Food Scientist & Extension Agent

Contact number: (670) 483-1155

Email address: jang.kim@marianas.edu

Brief description of innovator as provided in online survey: Dr. Kim has been conducting research on indigenous fruits as a fermented beverage (SourSop).


The following describes an innovative person.

Region: Western

Contact information for this innovator: Lawerence Duponcheel
Job title / position: Extension Agent

Contact number: (670) 433-0639

Email address:

Brief description of innovator as provided in online survey: Lawerence has been working with cattle producers on the island addressing grazing and animal management.

Notes from phone interview:

Yeah, one I was working on our ag sector. And he's trying to help this guys on an island, from the islands over here, increase the animal production and that's very hard. Again, it's we have to take a boat between the island. It is so expensive to ship cattle to the island that I'm on. He's in Tinian and that's where the majority of the livestock are. But they have to put them on seafaring vessels to get into Saipan to go to the slaughter plant. I was trying to figure out if there's a cost in an economical way to have producers reduce cost, so they can in essence, they make more money. They can't get around the shipping cost because you got to pay-- there's one ship a day and you're going to pay what they want [laughter], because they have the ship. It's very different than mainland US. I mean if one road is closed in Ohio, the ship cattle to a sale barn, are there slaughter plant? I'm sure there's another state highway open somewhere. We have everyone on one boat [laughter]. This is not going, you're not going.