• SARE Nationwide
  • |
  • Funded Projects
  • |
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • |
  • Newsletter
  • |
  • Apply
  • |
  • Store Check-Out
  • |
  • Low Bandwidth
Search MySARE Reports
  • Grants
    • Types of Grants
    • Apply
    • Reporting Requirements
    • Western SARE Logo
    • About SARE Grants
    • Program Survey Results
    • Writing a Successful Grant
  • Projects
    • Search the Projects Database
    • Submit a Report
    • Funded Projects by Year
    • Funded Grants in Your State
    • Project Products
  • Learning Center
    • Multimedia
    • Conference Materials
    • Newsletters
    • Books
    • Bulletins
    • Fact Sheets
    • From the Field
    • SARE Program Materials
    • Courses and Curricula
    • Project Products
    • SARE Biennial Reports
    • SANET Listserv
  • Professional Development Program
    • Apply for a PDP Grant
    • About the PDP
    • State PDP Coordinators
    • State and Protectorate Pages
    • Fellows
  • Conferences
    • Strengthening Agriculture's Infrastructure Conference
    • Subregional Stakeholder Conferences
    • Western SARE Event Calendar
    • National Conference 2008
  • News from the West
    • Newsletters
    • Audio Presentations
    • Join Our Mailing List
    • Video Presentations
    • Articles
    • For the Media
    • Western SARE Logo
  • About Us
    • About Western SARE
    • SARE Staff
    • State PDP Coordinators
    • Administrative Council
    • What is Sustainable Agriculture?
    • Vision & Mission
  • Home»
  • Professional Development Program»
  • State and Protectorate Pages»
  • Micronesia
- + Font Size
Print
Share

Professional Development Program

  • Apply for a PDP Grant
  • About the PDP
  • State PDP Coordinators
  • State and Protectorate Pages
    • Alaska
    • Arizona
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Montana
    • Nevada
    • New Mexico
    • Oregon
    • Utah
    • Washington
    • Wyoming
    • American Samoa
    • Guam
    • Micronesia
    • N. Marianas Islands
    • State and Protectorate Websites
  • Fellows

Can't find something? Ask or send feedback.

SARE's mission is to advance—to the whole of American agriculture—innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life by investing in groundbreaking research and education. SARE's vision is...

Micronesia

SARE Professional Development Program Annual Report for Micronesia
January 1 - December 31, 2010

SARE Coordinator:

Jackson Phillip
College of Micronesia
P.O. Box 159
Kolonia Pohnpei FM 96941
691-320-6468
send email  |  Bio

Context and Overview

 The state implementation program continued to provide staff development opportunities to the Extension staff in Micronesia - Palau, FSM and the Marshall Islands. Training and staff development activities are essential to upgrade awareness, knowledge and skills of the Extension staff in the area of sustainable agriculture production and utilization. Staff in all six different groups of islands making up the three island nations in Micronesia benefitted. Most of the Agriculture Extension Agents have less than a college education and, with a few exceptions, those who attended or completed college earned only Associate’s, Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees. Many of the Extension Agents gained their knowledge through many years of working experience. It is critical to be prepared to take over from the outgoing staff by promoting education; however, it is also very important to increase knowledge and skills of the present workforce through continued staff development and training programs. For many years, Micronesia has been benefiting from the SARE State Implementation Program, and we are very thankful. Now, with the negative impact of climate change and sea-level rise, it is more important than ever to have this and similar training programs for the workforce in Micronesia.

Activities and Methods

During the reporting period, January to December 2010, three Agriculture program staff, including one Extension Agent from Palau Community College (PCC), one from the College of Micronesia-FSM (COM-FSM) and one from the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI), along with the SARE PDP coordinator were fortunate to participate in the first-ever Organic Inspectors Certification Training held at the University of Guam (UOG). Two of the four participants were newly hired; one for the COM-FSM Cooperative Research and Extension (CRE), Chuuk Campus, and the other for the CMI CRE in the Marshall Islands.

The participation of the Micronesia Extension program staff served as exposure to the organic movement which, for practical purposes, is the original farming method prior to new technologies with chemical inputs, such as commercial fertilizers, being introduced into the islands. Although there was little expectation for the Micronesia participants to be certified to become organic inspectors, it was a great experience for all the participants. All Micronesia participants submitted a pre-course assignment, participated in all training activities including a hands-on inspection of a farm applying to be certified, completed homework and participated in the final examination. There was no report indicating that any of them passed the exam. Dr. Bob Barber, who organized the certification training, indicated he expected only a couple to pass the exam. A number of professional staff including one researcher and about half a dozen with Master’s degrees attended the training.

Changes in Ag Professionals’ Knowledge, Skills and Action

All participants from Micronesia at the Organic Certification Training increased their knowledge and skills in the area of organic production. Although there was no expectation to have the Micronesia participants certified as organic inspectors, not only because of the level of the training, but also because there is no real need for any operation to be organically certified, the experience was very educational. The experience with organic inspection and reporting recommendations provided a very important learning experience.

Feedback from Farmers and Ranchers

Some of the participants indicated in their trip report that  they learned new knowledge and skills which will be useful in the extension activities in the area of sustainable agriculture. All were experiencing their first exposure to organic certification training and related information. Information on the subjects addressed, i.e. border plants, windbreak and contamination, will help as they assist farmers in making decisions on field layout and farm design

Recommendations

Extension agents in Micronesia should all be exposed to organic certification at appropriate levels of learning. A component of the completed training and actually a sort of prerequisite was supposed to be an online distance education course conducted out of UOG. The SARE Coordinator will make sure extension agents in Micronesia participate.

 

Micronesia SARE Coordinator

JPhillip

Jackson Phillip
College of Micronesia
P.O. Box 159
Kolonia Pohnpei FM 96941
691-320-6468
send email  |  Bio

 

2013 Calls for Proposals

Western SARE's 2013 Calls for Proposals have been posted. Please visit our grants page. Hard copies can be requested from the Utah office.

The "Research and Education" or "Chapter 1" Call for pre-Proposals has a new focus and format so please read the Call carefully. A new emphasis is the building of a team of scientists, producers, outreach specialists and others to use interdisciplinary approaches to address issues related to sustaining agriculture.

 

Save the Date

Conference Logo

Strengthening Agriculture’s Infrastructure: Adding Value, Breaking Down Barriers, Increasing Profits

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

December 3 – 5, 2012, Portland Oregon

Details...

Western SARE logo USDA Logo Utah State University logo

4865 Old Main Hill | Utah State University | Logan UT 84322 | (435) 797- 2257

This web site is maintained by the Western Region SARE program and supported by the national outreach office of the SARE program, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Western Region SARE program is hosted by Utah State University and the Western Region SARE PDP program is hosted by the University of Wyoming.

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education ©2010

  • Contact Western SARE