WELCOME TO NMC CREES

"We create opportunities in areas that you may not have thought were possible"

MISSION STATEMENT

" To be the leader in providing quality programs, services, and information in order to improve the CNMI's people, environment, and economy through agriculture, family and consumer sciences."

Overview

The Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service (NMC-CREES) provides quality technical programs, services, and information to benefit the people, the environment, and the economy of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. With continuous interaction, collaboration and a unified direction, the department is dedicated to helping improve the economic well being, living conditions and overall quality of life of it stakeholders. Our stakeholders include: farmers, families, youth, individuals, government agencies, and various ethnic communities.

In relation to other Land Grant Institutions, NMC-CREES is small in size, with fewer than twenty five employees distributed amongst the three most populated islands, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. To provide equitable services to our stakeholders, NMC-CREES relies on key partnerships with government agencies, non-profit organizations and other entities throughout the region. Collaboration enables us to promote our educational programs, extension services, and research projects, while strengthening professional capacity to aid their respective organizations or agencies.

Extension services and research projects are primarily stakeholder driven as a result of the growing needs and challenges that the CNMI community must satisfy and face. These concerns raised by the CREES Advisory Council comprised of various faucets of our community to include representatives from the youth, families, government, business, and agriculture areas respectively.

The NMC-CREES mission is accomplished through a range of technical programs offered through its two programs of Agriculture Research & Extension (ARE) and Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS). NMC-CREES’ integrated approach amongst its two programs encourages a multidiscipline and multi-level collaboration that promotes efficiency and strong communication among scientists and extension faculty. This team effort aims to address the following National Goals identified by the United States Department of Agriculture:

· Goal 1: An agricultural system that is highly competitive in the global economy

· Goal 2: A safe and secure food and fiber system

· Gaol 3: A healthy, well nourished population

· Goal 4: Greater harmony between agriculture and the environment

· Goal 5: Enhanced economic opportunity and quality of life for Americans

CREES PROGRAMS

Programs involved in Agriculture Research & Extension (ARE) include:

A. Livestock Improvement

B. Soil & Water Management

C. Plant Protection

D. Crop Production Improvement

E. Aquaculture Development Program