Following the success of its Regenerative Agriculture Workshop Series and Mama Food Forest Lite, the Northern Marianas College Cooperative Research, Extension, and Education Services (NMC-CREES) has officially launched Agrowcademy, the CNMI’s first-ever Regenerative Agroforestry certification series.
The inaugural session, held virtually on August 9 at the NMC-CREES Agricultural Research Station in As Perdido, welcomed its participants for a hybrid session.
Agrowcademy is a certification program designed specifically for the CNMI community. Teaching regenerative agriculture practices, participants of the program learn how to plan, establish, and maintain abundant food forests. Participants also gain knowledge on conducting site assessments,using no synthetic inputs, and improving food security for home or commercial use.
The course is led by regenerative agroforestry expert Dr. Craig Elevitch, a longtime visitor to the CNMI with over 30 years of direct experience in all aspects of agroforestry. The NMC-CREES Agroforestry team provides personalized coaching to participants, aiding in their food forest journeys. After completion of the course, participants will be assisted in installing their own home or commercial food forest.
Interest in the course has been strong, with more than 26 participants registering after an expression of interest form was published in May 2025. Division of Agriculture staff are also present to take part in Agrowcademy as a skill building opportunity.
Agrowcademy will take place over a course of 9 sessions, through both virtual and face-to-face sessions at the NMC-CREES Agriculture Research Station. Agrowcademy funding for students is supported in part by the NextGen Program.
For more information on future workshops, please contact Jesse Deleon Guerrero at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (670)237-6876.
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Attentive Agrowcademy students receive a presentation on the spinach tree or “chaya” (also known as “kadagan” in Chamorro), one of the perennial, highly nutritious plants that can be incorporated into a regenerative food forest.
Regenerative food forests in real life: Students of Agrowcademy take a tour of the NMC-CREES regenerative food forest.
Agrowcademy students and instructors gather for a group photo following the program’s inaugural session on August 9, 2025.