Farm to Table Guam is a local non-profit organization that aims to have every kitchen, cabinet and pantry to contain and produce made on Guam from crops grown on Guam.

The organization was founded in 2011 by Doris Maanao Aguon, Jennifer Mendiola, Zina Ruiz, and Linda Reyes, local farmers and business women.

The mission of Farm to Table Guam is to promote the expansion of farming in the community, and to expand businesses related to the support of farmers on Guam. They also emphasize creation of new jobs and businesses in the community related to food-related businesses using locally grown food products.

Cassie Brady, Thalia Gange and Melanie Mendiola, members of the organization, share their thoughts.

“I actually reached out to this organization when I was on a hunt to source local eggs for personal consumption, as I am very interested in trying to eat real food,” Brady said.

Cassie explains that she found this organization because she wanted to eat less processed foods with no growth hormones, antibiotics, additives and preservatives.

“Initially, I consulted on the project, and then after my sister’s untimely death in 2013, I took over as project director”, Mendiola said.

Mendiola’s sister, Jennifer Mendiola, one of the founder’s of the organization, asked her to assist with writing the actual grant and helped with a few details to come up with the name of the organization.

“I personally became involved with Farm to Table Guam in 2012 to assist with one of the first Federal Grants the organization received as its Fiscal and Business manager,” Gange said.

Gange has a background on accounting, budgeting, and financial planning which helped her collaborate on the project of Farm to Table Guam.

The organization has held many events over the years like the Mangilao Donne Festival, the Mangilao Night Market, May Harvest, Farm Tours, and even partnering with other organizations.

“The people of Guam become more knowledgable, successful, profitable, sustainable and healthy. We hope the knowledge is passed along and shared,” Brady said.

Gange adds, “Restaurant owners and stores benefit by being able to make contact with our network of farmers and value added producers, for whom we have produced directories on a regular basis, to better enable sales of locally grown produce.”

The organization has added to many benefits to Guam’s community.

“When you support your local farmers and local businesses, more money stays in Guam, more jobs stay in Guam, and overall, our island becomes a more sustainable place,” Mendiola says.

Farm to Table Guam has monthly community awareness meetings on Mondays 6 p.m. at the Mangilao Senior Center or Tuesdays 3 p.m. at the TuRe Cafe.

For more information, contact Farm to Table Guam at www.farmtotableguam.org

The post Local Organization Helps Guam’s Community Thrive appeared first on The Triton's Call.

Tamuning Community Center on Saturday, Oct.22.

The event is an alternative lifestyles beauty pageant.

The current titleholders and last year’s Miss Queen and Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific used

their positions in other meaningful ways.

Naveah Lashay, Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific 2015, joined when she was just a senior in high

school.

“The first ever Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific actually reached out to me and asked me if I

would be interested in joining the pageant,” Lashay said.

Lashay had no second thoughts about joining as she asked her parents for permission to join the

pageant.

Lashay used her title to promote equality.

“I won the crown so I used that as an advantage to talk to my peers,” Lashay said.

She wanted to provide the people of Guam with more information about the transgender

community and how it works.

“We’re just people like everyone else. We love everyone and we’re here the same reason why

everyone is here,” Lashay said.

Alongside Lashay, Kylie Diosa Duenas, Miss Queen of the Pacific 2015, also explained that the

pageant is more than just glitz and glam.

“There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with holding a title after winning the pageant,”

Duenas said.

“It really takes a lot of brain and a lot of dedication to think of the things that you are going to do

to impact the island and pull through and execute.”

Duenas emphasizes that this pageant is also a great way to bring people together.

“When we compete in the pageant and we’re on stage looking out into the ballroom, it’s not just

a ballroom with LGBT people,” Duenas said.

Duenas explains that the ballroom is filled with Guam’s community. She appreciates the

different cultures and beliefs of the audience members. She is happy to see that the Guam

community is diverse and supportive for the LGBT community. She also says that the support of

the audience gives the confidence the contestants need to compete in the pageant.

“It shows people that we’ve come a long way with acceptance and equality. There are people

who support you and you’re going to encounter people that don’t, but just remember that there

are always more who will,” Duenas said.

The Miss and Miss Teen Queen 2016 Preliminaries was a competition on Talent and Recycled

costumes.

The Coronation of the Miss and Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific will take place at the Grand Vrio

Hall in the Fiesta Resort on Saturday, Oct.29 at 6 p.m.

For more information, please contact Leah at leahsfabulousproductions671@gmail.com or call

(671) 487-8356/6839.

The post Miss Queen and Miss Teen Queen of the Pacific Preliminaries 2016 appeared first on The Triton's Call.

Before Wei began teaching at UOG, she was a graduate student at the University of Texas as Austin. At UT, she conducted research and taught other grad students while completing her dissertation.

“My life was pretty much running between classrooms and doing research for my labs,” Wei said.

Before choosing biology as her graduate studies, she was previously a chemistry major. She studied medicinal plants and analyzed their chemical components.

To analyze their chemical components, Wei was required to do field work to collect medicinal plants. This exposed her to more biology concepts.

“That’s where I was hooked,” Wei said.

She remembers the specific date, Aug.18, 2014, the day she began teaching at UOG. Before Wei arrived at UOG, there was no one teaching plant biology.

She is currently teaching two sections of environmental biology and has previously taught botanical courses, like plant taxonomy and plant diversity.

“Biology is exciting,” Wei said. She explains that it can tell stories. These stories can unravel history, a person’s current life, and how one should live responsibly in the future.

One of Wei’s goals as an instructor is to have her students gain the basic training in biology, like the basic foundations in biology.

Wei points out that a student does not have to be an expert, but a student should at least know how to improve themselves.

She explains that a class that is not interesting will result in students ignoring the subject.

“You have to have the passion for it. In my class, it’s very important for me to show my passion and interest in my teaching subject first,” Wei said.

Next semester, Wei is excited to be teaching scientific writing for the first time.

The post Professor Xiao Wei unravels world with biology appeared first on The Triton's Call.

Flores Memorial Park in Tumon on Sunday, Oct. 30.

The road races include a half-marathon, four-person Ekiden relay, and a 10k run/walk. The half-

marathon show-time is 3 a.m. and go time is 4 a.m. The 10k run/walk show-time is 3 a.m. and go

time is 4 a.m. The Ekiden relay teams show-time is 4 a.m. and go time is 5 a.m. All three races

will start and end at the Governor Flores Memorial Park.

Runners from Guam, the US and Asia will be participating in this annual event.

This event will also include a costume contest, water stops, entertainment like dance numbers,

and a themed race course. Those in costumes will be automatically entered in a contest for most

original, best superhero, and scariest.

For more information, contact Kraig Camacho at kraig.camacho@visitguam.org or visit

http://guamkokoroadrace.com.

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