Yap Extension

Yap CRE’s climate smart food production systems feature in 2017 annual Yap Day celebrations

March 11, 2017

YAP, FSM. Dr. Murukesan Krishnapillai, Researcher/Extension Specialist, Cooperative Research and Extension.

Yap celebrated its 49^th Annual Yap Day from March 1-3, 2017. Yap Day is undoubtedly the most important celebration to acquaint everyone with the Yapese cultural milieu. It is a time of for endless enjoyments: learning about Yapese culture, history, society, and heritage on the ‘island of stone money,’ savoring local food, and acquiring traditional craft souvenirs. The most prevalent form of celebration during the Yap Day Festival is dance. This is also an occasion to highlight education activities and local development programs.

As part of its ongoing research, outreach and extension education, Yap CRE showcased various climate smart food production systems and low-cost urban garden models to impart knowledge about the importance of nutritious vegetables. This was a booth about food and nutrition security, explicitly addressing climate resilient development through adaptation efforts at the community level that reduce vulnerability by securing nutrition under a changing climate. A variety of nutritious fruit and leafy vegetables from CRE demonstration gardens and program clients, including USAID’s Pacific-American Climate Fund project on Climate Adaptive Agriculture and Resilience beneficiaries, were on display and sale. One of the vertical urban garden models – a salad wall – attracted special attention from visitors.

This collective effort of CRE staff, agriculture interns, work-study students, and CAAR project beneficiaries received wide acclaim from visiting dignitaries including the President of the Federated States of Micronesia, U.S. Ambassador, Japanese Ambassador, delegation from the Republic of Palau, and other officials, who were delighted to see a rich display of vegetables. Our booth on climate-smart food production systems was a novelty during this year’s Yap Day.

Views of Yap CRE booth displaying a spectrum of nutritious vegetables and various production methods.

Yap CRE staff and students taking a stock of vegetables and attending customers.

USAID-PACAM Climate Adaptive Agriculture Resilience Project’s beneficiaries displaying fresh home garden produce.

Salad wall: A vertical grower made out of re-purposed pallets to grow nutritious salad vegetables.

Yap CRE celebrated World Soil Day 2016

December 12, 2016

YAP, FSM. Dr. Murukesan Krishnapillai, Researcher/Extension Specialist, Cooperative Research and Extension.

Soil and land degradation is not only a physical or biochemical issue but also linked to socio-economic aspects. Poor and displaced atoll communities in Yap are the most affected by soil and land degradation as they are the ones usually occupying degraded land. Thus, achieving food security and eradicating extreme poverty requires dealing with the complexity of land degradation. Through USAID funded ‘Climate Adaptive Agriculture Resilience Project’, we empower and provide outreach, technical assistance and extension education to displaced atoll communities in volcanic soil management practices to effectively grow a variety of crops in degraded landscapes in Yap.

To commemorate and in support of World Soil Day 2016 (http://www.comfsm.fm/myShark/news/item=1681/mod=09:23:02), Yap CRE conducted two workshops on soil conservation using agroforestry practices. The objectives of these workshops were to impart the knowledge and importance of soils to the humanity and their relationship to sustainable development and food security. Over 50 community members including participants of USAID Project from community settlements in Ruu and Makiy attended this event. Using posters, hands on displays and PowerPoint presentations we educated communities the importance of soils from multiple perspectives. Later, community members from all age groups participated in a tree planting drive across the Makiy settlement (http://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/world-soil-day/wsd2016/events/en/).

First 3 winners, last photo, who planted highest number of saplings in one day received gifts of food baskets containing local produce.

And the competition winners are: (from left to right) - Begonia Lemairam, Williana Ilemangshiy and Rose Latachibemang. Bravo!

Yap CRE participated in the World Food Day 2016 celebrations

October 17, 2016

YAP, FSM. Dr. Murukesan Krishnapillai, Researcher/Extension Specialist, Cooperative Research and Extension.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of the Organization. This year, World Food Day was exceptionally celebrated on 14 October. The theme of this year’s World Food Day was “Climate is changing. Food and Agriculture must too.” Photos of this great event are below!

One of the biggest issues related to climate change is food security. Population in the small island developing states are being hit hardest by higher temperatures and in weather-related disasters. These disasters are intensified by climate change and are increasing in frequency and intensity. Without concerted action to build resilience, many of the poorest and most vulnerable island inhabitants will struggle to generate enough food and income to feed themselves and their families.

The Cooperative Research and Extension (CRE) wing of the College of Micronesia-FSM, Yap Campus participated in the World Food Day 2016 activities with usual fervor. This year, Yap observed World Food Day along with the International Day for Disaster Reduction at Yap’s Living History Museum premises. Besides Yap CRE, Yap Interagency Nutrition Education Council (YINEC), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Waab Community Health Program attended this event. Yap State organizing committee for Food Security and Catering for the upcoming 2018 Micronesian Games also participated in the event by displaying and testing out samples of healthy menus for public comments and feedback.

As part of the celebrations, Yap CRE exhibited various vegetable cultivation models and climate-smart, low-cost food production systems. The highlight of this year’s event was the involvement of participants from USAID funded Climate Adaptive Agriculture and Resilience Project. Participants displayed and sold various farm produce grown in their home gardens as part of this project.

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) of Yap CRE displayed various value added products made from local produce such as mango jelly, pumpkin jam, native orange jelly, hibiscus jelly, breadfruit flour, breadfruit chips and banana chips. Loaves of bread, pastries and cookies made from breadfruit flour attracted special attention of the public.

**Photos of World Food Day on Yap!**
View of CRE Booth.	Fresh veggies attracted the attention of public.

More, fresh veggies attracted the attention of public.	Some of the participants of USAID Project - Climate Adaptive Agriculture and Resilience.

Participants of USAID Project displayed and sold various small farm produce besides vegetables.	Loaves of bread made out of breadfruit flour.

More, loaves of bread made out of breadfruit flour.	Pastries and cookies made out of breadfruit flour.

Healthy lunch plates prepared by Food Security and Catering Committee for the 2018 Micronesian Games.	More healthy lunch plates.

More healthy lunch plates.	More healthy lunch plates.

More healthy lunch plates.	Healthy lunch plates from YINEC.

Yap CRE conducted two workshops on chicken farming and food processing

September 4, 2016

YAP, FSM. Steven Young-Uhk, Coordinator, Cooperative Research and Extension.

Yap CRE conducted a three-day workshop on chicken farming between August 3 and 5. Twenty-seven participants including extension agents, agriculture professionals, farmers, men and women attended the workshop. On the first day, participants learned about best practices on caring for a day-old chicks, feeding and caring of pullets, and laying hens. Additionally, Yap Small Business Development Center made a presentation and held discussions on the cost/benefit analysis of raising chickens for eggs in Yap. On the second day, hands-on training on local feed processing for laying hens was provided. The 3^rd day of the workshop was devoted to field trip in which participants were introduced to several family chicken farms, giving them firsthand information about the layout, housing designs, types of waterers and feeders, litter materials, and different ways for nesting and roosting.

The second workshop on food processing was conducted from August 16 to 18. Altogether 44 participants including extension staffs, agriculture professionals, school teachers, business owners, food processors and farmers attended this workshop. This three-day event exposed participants to method of processing breadfruit into flour, local method of preserving breadfruit through fermentation called mar, and uses of flour in several recipes. Several products made from breadfruit flour, taro flour and banana flour were on display. Information on breadfruit including propagation methods, uses and value-addition, marketing, and nutritional and health benefits were also presented.

The Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) through the College of Micronesia-Land Grant Program supported these workshops.

A typical backyard chicken farm for the family; a fenced area to provide protection and space for birds to range and makeshift shelters for roosting, nesting, waterer and feeders.

Presentation on caring and feeding of pullets and layers during the workshop on chicken farming.

Locally processed food items on display during food processing workshop.

Participants tried out locally made breadfruit flour in many cooking recipes.

Cooperative Research and Extension, COM-FSM Yap Campus participated in the 2016 Yap Day celebrations

March 13, 2016

YAP, FSM. Dr. Murukesan Krishnapillai, Researcher/Extension Specialist

COM-FSM Yap Cooperative Research and Extension (CRE) staff and Agriculture students participated in the 48^th Annual Yap celebrations held at Makiy, between February 29 and March 1, 2016.

Yap Day is the biggest cultural celebration in Yap. This annual two-day event is accompanied with various cultural performances including traditional dances, traditional attire displays, stories, tattoo displays, stone money carrying, log pulling, cultural education activities, besides various stalls displaying a variety of traditional handicrafts and food items.

Yap CRE participated in the event and displayed family farming and urban gardening models, and low-cost food production systems. As it is customary, students and staff at the booth were dressed in traditional attire and promoted the importance of various local farm produce. A variety of vegetables from the CRE demonstration gardens and USDA-OAO OASDVFR Program clients were on display and sale. This includes kale, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, spinach, head cabbage, celery, bell pepper, spring onion and seedlings of eggplant, papaya, tomatoes and cucumbers. Backyard poultry farming is one of the priority areas of Yap CRE program and locally produced eggs from USDA-OAO OASDVFR Program clients’ farms were also on sale through this booth. Staff and students at the booth did their very best to give needed information to plant healthy vegetables at home and in the community.

The variety of leafy vegetables and the many growing systems on display received acclaim from many off-island visitors. Yap CRE is an active promoter of integrated family farming for food and nutrition security. Family farming is a way of life with a future and is the best way to ensure islands’ food security. It guarantees food in a sustainable manner while taking care of islands’ environment and respecting traditions and cultures. Please enjoy some images from the event!