In response to the increasing need for food security across the CNMI, Northern Marianas College’s Cooperative Research, Extension, and Education Services has successfully concluded its third cohort of the Mama Food Forest Lite training program.
The six-session program ran virtually from Jan. 17 to Feb. 14, 2026, and culminated with an in-person Session 6 featuring a hands-on home food forest installation on Feb. 21. During this final session, participants applied their knowledge directly in the field, working alongside the NMC-CREES Agroforestry Team to design and install a functional, home-scale food forest system.
Due to strong community demand, 25 participants were selected from previous cohorts’ waitlists to join this third offering. Held every Saturday, the program weaves together live instruction, structured self-study assignments, and practical home-based application.
Between sessions, participants engage in guided homework and site-based field exercises that enable them to assess their landscape conditions, design intentional planting patterns grounded in regenerative principles, observe ecological relationships within their yards, and prepare plant materials for their upcoming food forest installation.
NMC-CREES Agroforestry Extension Agent and Mama Food Forest mentor Jesse Deleon Guerrero helps community members install a home garden for a food-secure future.
This stratified learning approach integrating instruction, reflection, and applied field practice mirrors the layered structure of a regenerative food forest. It nurtures learning retention, deepens participant investment, and builds confidence prior to the food forest installation. Beyond transforming individual yards, the broader vision is to cultivate a growing network of subsistence regenerative producers across the CNMI who contribute to long-term food resilience, biodiversity enhancement, and ecological stewardship.
Elsie Skang-Ngewakl, a participant in Cohort 3, shared “Thank you CREES and the Agroforestry team for the opportunity to join your Mama Food Forest training. I’m super excited to learn alongside the trainers and fellow participants in this cohort as I work toward becoming a sustainable home gardener. I believe the knowledge and practices from this program will benefit not only me but others who share this interest as well. I’m looking forward to cultivating my own sustainable food forest in my backyard and to help others do the same in the future.”
Participants will be assisted in installing a small home garden using the practices they learned from Mama Food Forest.
By the conclusion of the Mama Food Forest Lite training program, participants will have established a food forest at their own residences, equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain and steward their systems. Participants will also continue to receive mentorship and technical guidance from the NMC-CREES Agroforestry Team to support long-term success and sustainability.
Community members who are ready to be part of this growing movement are encouraged to express their interest in the upcoming Mama Food Forest Lite virtual cohort. The next cohort begins March 21, 2026, with sessions held every Saturday and concluding with an in-person Session 6 installation on April 25, 2026.
To join the movement toward resilient, regenerative home food production, register at: bit.ly/MMFFC4
For more information about upcoming workshops or training opportunities, contact NMC-CREES Agroforestry and Food & Nutrition Security, Jesse Deleon Guerrero at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (670) 237-6876.