Sustainable Development Institute

College of Menominee Nation Sustainable Development Institute hosted scholar Mrs. Jetro Nkengafac October 16-22 as part of her ongoing fellowship program with the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, MD. Jetro is a research officer and the head of the agro physiology lab at the Institute for Agricultural Research for Development in Beua, Cameroon. A strong emphasis of Jetro’s visit included communication and interaction with local tribal communities. A few of the visits included the Menominee History and Logging Museum, Forest County Potawatomi Museum, Oneida Nation History Museum, and Stockbridge-Munsee Museum. Her visit also focused on organic farming and compost production. SDI and Mrs. Nkengafac visited Oneida’s Tsyunhehkwa to engage in dialogue about sustainable farming, three sisters gardening, corn harvest, and other ongoing sustainable food projects.

Mrs. Nkengafac presented at CMN Keshena and Green Bay campuses on her current research which focuses on converting cocoa byproducts to organic fertilizers/composts using mixtures of various components. Green Bay students asked many questions about Cameroon and what life is like back home. Jetro noted that a big difference between the US and Cameroon was how much meat is eaten here, versus her home in Africa. She also noted that most of the vegetables she eats are locally grown and eaten in the season, whereas people in the US ship food a long way to have out of season or non-local produce.

“I just wish to thank all of you who made my journey and stay at CMN very comfortable and memorable,” said Jetro. Jetro is currently completing a Borlaug Fellowship and said she is now very busy with laboratory work.