Author: Ben Boyles

Written By Bethany FunkhouserEdited by Charley Maxwell In 2024, Hurricane Helene impacted millions, including countless farms in South Carolina and surrounding states. Applications are now open for the South Carolina State Disaster Relief Block Grant for Helene. This grant is an online-only application open from May 12, 2026, through July 11, 2026. “An eligible producer […]

Written By Charley Maxwell Hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30. You may be thinking that we could really use a hurricane to get us out of this drought. While a hurricane can bring substantial rainfall and storm surges, it is important to remember that hurricanes are actually considered wind events. The speed […]

Author: Bethany Funkhouser, Area Agribusiness Agent According to Farm Bureau, multiple studies show that farmer suicide rates are 2-5 times higher than the national average. There are countless factors, such as natural disasters, fluctuating prices, and much more, that make farming an extremely stressful occupation. May is mental health awareness month. This year has been […]

Charley Maxwell, Area Agribusiness Agent We are less than 50 days into 2026, and you may feel like it’s been at least twice that long. The weather has been wild, market news has not been particularly favorable, and data centers are trying to pop up like Dollar Generals. Right now, you may be feeling a […]

The fourth quarter of 2025 brought changes to both the national beef cattle markets and the South Carolina auction market. In mid-October, the feeder cattle futures price fell sharply, disrupting the steady increase in prices seen since summer 2024. This reflects changes to beef cattle markets more broadly. For South Carolina auctions, feeder steer and […]

The Clemson Extension Agribusiness Team congratulates Jeff Wilson of Cotton Hills Farm on being named the 2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year. Jeff was nominated by Clemson Extension Agribusiness Program Team Director Dr. Adam Kantrovich and Ben Boyles, Clemson Extension Agribusiness Agent, in recognition of his outstanding leadership, innovation, and long-standing […]

Strong prices for steers and heifers continued into Q3 for 2025. Average prices for both steers and heifers across 4-, 5-, and 6-weights gained $29/cwt over the quarter. Across all steer weights and for 4-weight and 5-weight heifers, prices over the last three months averaged over $300/cwt. Prices observed this quarter continue to mark a […]

Written by Bethany Funkhouser, Area Agribusiness AgentEdited by Ben Boyles, Area Agribusiness Agent To say there are forever-growing ways to get your agribusiness in front of more and more people would be an understatement. From word of mouth to a website, and now, social media. When we say social media, we aren’t only talking about […]

Written by Bethany Funkhouser, Area Agribusiness AgentEdited by Charley Maxwell, Area Agribusiness Agent There are countless times on and off the farm that we have avoided having a conversation. Maybe you thought the repercussions of the conversation weren’t worth it, or you didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. No matter the reason, everyone is still […]

Written by Bethany Funkhouser, Area Agribusiness AgentEdited by Charley Maxwell, Area Agribusiness Agent Every day in life, something happens that we didn’t expect. Sometimes these are small, minuscule things that we might not even recognize, and at other times, those unexpected events turn our world upside down and change the course of our lives. We […]