The social media experts from Clemson University Relations led a very informative session about the University’s social media policy, guidelines and best practices.
Recording link (for the shared screen with speaker view option)
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
I hope that everyone has been able to enjoy these long summer days and indulge in outdoor activities, family gatherings, or vacation travel. It is exciting to have our field days and workshops back in full force. The Watermelon Field Day at Edisto REC was last week, the pest Scouting School workshops will be held at the Pee Dee REC on July 27, and the Turfgrass Field Day is scheduled for August 16 at the Walker Golf Course in Clemson. Our Cooperative Extension online events calendar is full of upcoming various educational offerings. Remember that your program team events must be entered into the main University calendar to ensure those appear on our calendar feeds (refer to this helpful PDF file for instructions on how to use the calendar).
For those of you who are involved with managing or contributing to a Cooperative Extension social media account, please plan to attend the Cooperative Extension Social Media webinar on August 2 at 10 a.m. The social media experts from Clemson University Relations have generously offered to help lead a very informative session about the University’s social media policy, guidelines, and best practices. The webinar will be recorded, and more information is available in the Extension Employees Blog post.
I am excited to announce the SC WAgN (Women’s Agricultural Network) Inaugural SC Women in Agriculture Conference will be held November 4–5 in Clemson. All program teams will be invited to exhibit their programmatic offerings. It will be a fantastic event that has the potential to become an annual occurrence. The schedule and keynote speaker will be announced in the coming weeks, and registration will open in early September. I hope that, in addition to our stakeholders, many of you will attend to support the mission of SC WAgN.
SC 4-H Shooting Sports Team. (Left to Right) Turner Parcell, Braxton Marr, Carter Hinson, and Brenna Miller. Image credit: Clemson University.
This will be a summer to remember regarding Cooperative Extension achievements. Our program teams are bustling with in-person and virtual programmatic offerings to serve the citizens of our state. I’d like to share a few of the accolades. Congratulations to our South Carolina 4-H shooting sports delegation (coached by Mr. Rick Willey) for winning the title of National Shotgun Champion at the 4-H Shooting Sports National Championships, the 2022 SC 4-H Pinckney Leadership program participants, the Agricultural Education Program Team for another successful SCAAE Teacher’s Conference and SC FFA State Convention, our Land-Grant Press contributing authors for a whopping 150 publications to date and doubling the number of visitors to lgpress.clemson.edu compared to this time last year, the Rural Health and Nutrition Program Team for their free statewide COVID-19 Mobile Testing and Vaccination Events, and Dr. Dave Coyle of the Forestry and Wildlife Resources Program Team for being awarded the W.D. Hagenstein Communicator Award from the Society of American Foresters.
As a follow-up to my email from last week sharing the OUR Clemson announcement regarding the general pay base increase and bonus details for Clemson University employees, please refer to the COLA and Bonus FAQs website and contact the Office of Human Resources using the online Ask-HR Chat if you have any questions. Additionally, please take the time to welcome our newest Cooperative Extension team members listed in the new hires and transfers Extension Employees Blog post.
In closing, I am writing this letter from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference this week. I am impressed with the educational offerings and grateful for the attendance of our Cooperative Extension Agents. I cannot wait to share the highlights with everyone in my August letter. We are indeed an exceptional team. We shine among gatherings of fellow Extension Agents from across the nation. And if you are looking for some new accessories to show your Cooperative Extension pride, we now have ties available through our apparel store website.
As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Cooperative Extension.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
As we head into the summer, we have confirmation of the new budget adopted by the Senate and House (and sent to Governor McMaster, who has five days to issue vetoes). The budget includes
$750,000 in recurring funding for Laboratory Services Support
$750,000 in recurring funding for Integrated Agriculture Technology
$3.626 million in nonrecurring funding for Critical PSA Infrastructure
$7 million in nonrecurring funding for Edisto Research and Education Center Research Infrastructure Upgrades and Expansion
$1.375 million in nonrecurring funding for Poultry Science Research Facility
$2 million in recurring funding for Rural Health Cooperative Extension and Research
I’d like to emphasize that the goal to achieve the Rural Health funding has been a long and arduous journey initiated eight years ago due to an imperative directive from the Provost’s Office. Our Rural Health Extension Program Team is assigned an expansive directive to improve the well-being of South Carolina through their programmatic efforts addressing chronic health conditions. There is no doubt the addition of new team members will have a direct impact on saving lives. Additionally, your Extension Leadership Team (ELT) is exploring solutions to offset travel costs for programmatic activities and support the agent work that cannot be done from behind a desk. Although we have created incredible momentum through our virtual offerings over the past two years, there is no doubt delivering high-impact programming in person to our stakeholders in their communities has infinite value.
Speaking of high impact, I would like to recognize those who received awards during the 2022 SCACAA & SCAE4-HA Joint Annual Meeting. Thank you to Kerrie Roach for compiling the distinguished list of dedicated agents featured in our awards Blog post. Many of you will attend the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) meeting in July. I look forward to hearing about the professional improvement activities offered. Your efforts are imparted to our new hires, and there are several new Extension family members we have welcomed and added to our growing list on our new hires and transfers Blog post.
Extension Senate is in place to serve you, and they need your help. Please take time today to complete a very brief but vital survey developed by your Senate members to gauge current Cooperative Extension engagement efforts with University faculty, staff and students. Data collected from this survey will be used to showcase your work and plan for future opportunities to spread awareness of our mission across internal University communications statewide.
If you need hotel accommodations for the 2022 Joint Extension Conference for Clemson Cooperative Extension occurring December 5-7 in Clemson, please make your reservation as soon as possible if you have not done so yet. Information for hotel options is available in the conference Blog post. As they are confirmed, we will continue to share more details over the coming months.
In closing, regarding nationwide discussions about whether a recession is inevitable or not, I want to confirm my and your ELT’s commitment to staying ahead of the curve and preparing for economic scenarios over the next year. There are strategies we can implement to “recession-proof” Extension to help safeguard but also enhance our programmatic planning. We must use deliberate and meticulous assessment to identify and evaluate our high-impact programming to justify there is value sustaining our mission. Forge on in an innovative frame of mind but be mindful of our precious and sometimes limited resources. We are accountable for those resources, including the hours you devote. Utilize your resources wisely, and never hesitate to look to your DEDs and PTDs for guidance.
As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Cooperative Extension.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
Congratulations to the award recipients from the 2022 SC Association of County Agricultural Agents (SCACAA) and SC Association of Extension 4-H Agents (SCAE4-HA) Joint Annual Meeting. The award categories include
SCACAA Specialty and Service
SCACAA Communications Awards
SCAE4-HA Specialty and Service
SCAE4-HA Communication Awards
SCACAA Specialty and Service
Certificate of Merit
Justin Ballew
Achievement Award (AA)
William J. Hardee III
Amber Starnes
Distinguished Service Award (DSA)
Terasa Lott
Millie Davenport
Search for Excellence in 4-H and Youth Programming
Jenny Mountford
Search for Excellence in Forestry and Natural Resources
Ryan Bean
Search for Excellence in Young, Beginning or Small Farmers/Ranchers
Zack Snipes
Awards Given Outside of the Association
Friend of Extension Clemson Online (Dr. Lori Kinley, Laura Scott, Chase Sanders, and Rachel Greene)
R. Bryant Sansbury
Blake and Sherri Wisher
Media Award Robert Stevenson
SCACAA Communications Awards
Bound Book
Amy Dabbs
Adam Gore
Audio Recording
Zack Snipes
Paul Thompson
Susan Lunt
Computer Generated Presentation
Mallory Maher
Zack Snipes
Teresa Lott
Program Promotional Package
Alana West
Susan Lunt
Ryan Bean
Personal Column
Paul Thompson
Stephanie Turner
Alana West
Published Photo
Barbara Smith
Teresa Lott
Zack Snipes
Newsletter, Individual
Jaime Pohlman
Nicole Correa
Video Recording
Anthony Savereno
Zack Snipes
Jaime Pohlman
Fact Sheet
Susan Lunt
Adam Gore
Barbara Smith
Website
Charly Greenthaler
Kim Morganello
Nicole Correa
Publication
Justin Ballew
Kevin Burkett
Adam Gore
Feature Story
Alana West
Learning Module
Jaime Pohlman
Kim Morganello
Poster Session
Applied Research
William Hardee
SCAE4-HA Specialty and Service
Citizenship in 4-H Youth Development
Jenny Mountford
Excellence in Ag Literacy Programming Award
Meghan Barkley / SC Association Team Members: Molly Jones, Dawn Stuckey, Gayle Williford, Glenna Mason, Felicia Cunningham, Shannon Herndon / Additional Team Members: Hillary Pope
Excellence in Healthy Living Programming Award
Jessica Simpson
Lucy Charping
Excellence in Workforce Development Programming Award
Meghan Barkley
Denise Miller National 4-H Innovator Award
Jenny Mountford
Excellence in 4-H Club Support Award
Jenny Mountford
Jim Kahler Excellence in STEM Award
Lucy Charping / SC Association Team Members: Jessica Simpson, Jenny Mountford, Jaime Pohlman
Educational Technology Award
Jaime Pohlman / SC Association Team Members: Jenny Mountford
Excellence in Natural Resources/Environmental Education Award
Mallory Maher / SC Association Team Members: Rick Willey, Ashley Burns, Jaime Pohlman / Additional Team Members: TJ Savereno, Greg Yarrow, Parker Johnson
Jaime Pohlman / SC Association Team Members: Jenny Mountford
Excellence in Animal Science Programming Award
Jenny Mountford / SC Association Team Members: Steve Hucks, Elizabeth Snipes, Dawn Stuckey
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
We are in full swing with planning for our 2022 Joint SC Extension Conference for Clemson Cooperative Extension and our sister land-grant university, South Carolina State 1890 Research & Extension, which will be held December 5-7 in Clemson. Ms. Bundrick has emailed hotel information; however, The Martin Inn is now full. Please review the reservation information for three other hotel options on our Blog post and secure your accommodations as soon as possible. It is exciting to hear so much enthusiasm about this gathering we have waited so long for, and we will continue to share more details as they are confirmed.
Dr. Francis Reay-Jones, Mrs. Deon Legette, President Jim Clements, and Dr. Kimberly Baker.
I would like to recognize three of our Extension team members for their involvement in the LEAD21 year-long international leadership program for faculty and professionals within the land-grant system, including Dr. Francis Reay-Jones, Professor of Entomology located at the Pee Dee REC, Mrs. Deon Legette, Assistant Director of Extension Field Operations, and Dr. Kimberly Baker, Food Safety Associate and Program Team Director for the Food Systems and Safety team. It is an honor to have them represent Clemson Cooperative Extension on the national level.
The deadline to submit EPMS materials to your Program Team Director is fast approaching. Contact your District Extension Director if you have any questions or need guidance about what is required for this crucial June 1 deadline. Additionally, mark your calendar for early August when CUMIS closes for the reporting period from July 2021 to June 2022.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of adding all programmatic events to the main Clemson University calendar. We have a comprehensive Extension events calendar feed featured on our website that our stakeholders can peruse. Your events will only be featured on this feed if entered into the main University calendar. Detailed instructions for adding your events are provided in a PDF file that you can print out and quickly refer to.
I hope everyone reads the monthly Staff Senate newsletter. Staff Senate is a vibrant and vital voice for all Clemson University employees. I want to thank Ryan Real of the Communications Committee and the entire Staff Senate for featuring Clemson Cooperative Extension in the Clemson Champion article for the May issue. It is a fantastic opportunity that will educate our fellow employees across colleges, departments, and offices about our work and spread the word about the reach and accessibility of our services to South Carolina citizens, such as the successful partnership that Dr. Brian Callahan and Ms. Lori Kinley have established to enhance and grow our virtual offerings through Clemson Online. Our online courses are featured on the Clemson Online website.
We are almost halfway through the year, and I want to thank everyone for their impactful and diligent work. We have made so much progress, and there are a lot of tremendous outcomes on the horizon as the projects funded by Extension Innovation Awards continue to unfold over the coming months.
As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Cooperative Extension.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
The 2022 Joint Extension Conference for Clemson Cooperative Extension and South Carolina State 1890 Research and Extension will be held December 5-7, 2022 in Clemson. Each hotel is offering the per diem rate. When calling the Courtyard Marriott, the Hampton Inn, or the Holiday Inn Express be sure to mention the “Joint SC Extension Conference” to be included in the room block rate.
Courtyard By Marriott Clemson
201 Canoy Ln. Clemson, SC 29631 Conference Reservation Link
Phone: 864-654-8833 – mention conference
For more Courtyard By Marriott information, visit the website.
Hampton Inn Clemson
851 Tiger Blvd. Clemson, SC 29631 Conference Reservation Link
Phone: 864-653-7744 – mention conference
For more Hampton Inn information, visit the website.
Holiday Inn Express Clemson
1381 Tiger Blvd. Clemson, SC 29631 Conference Reservation Link
Please note, that the Group rate will appear after you choose the dates (Group code, SCJ automatically populates in the drop-down Group Rate menu)
Phone: 864-654-9410 – mention conference
For more Holiday Inn Information, visit the website.
More conference information will be available in the coming weeks.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
On behalf of your Extension Leadership Team (ELT) and myself, congratulations to the 2022 Extension Innovation Awards recipients. Twenty-one of the most innovative, service, and applied research project proposals have been funded, and the list is featured in a post on our Extension Employees Blog. I am genuinely amazed by the novel approaches and interdisciplinary levels of teamwork presented. It is exciting to look forward to realizing the impactful outcomes we will achieve for the citizens we serve through the mission of Cooperative Extension. To those who may not have had your proposal funded, I thank you for bringing your ideas to the table and urge you to continue with your diligent work.
Additional congratulations to our Extension Emerging Leadership Initiative (EELI) 2021-2022 class for their graduation celebration the other week in Columbia. We are very proud of your commitment to Cooperative Extension. You can read the recent Clemson News story and review the list of this year’s participants on the EELI website.
I want to remind everyone that the deadline to submit EPMS materials to your Program Team Director (PTD) is June 1. It will be here before you know it, so please begin to compile your information if you have not already started. Giving yourself adequate time to do so will ensure you do not forget to report on any of your diligent work. Contact your District Extension Director (DED) if you have any questions or need guidance. Additionally, mark your calendar for early August when CUMIS closes for the reporting period from July 2021 to June 2022.
Please do not forget to hold the dates for the 2022 Joint Extension Conference for Clemson Cooperative Extension and our sister land-grant university, South Carolina State 1890 Research and Extension, to be held December 5-7 in Clemson. More information will be emailed soon. All Extension staff are expected to make every effort to attend. We are looking forward to finally being able to convene our Extension family in person, and it will be a memorable experience to see everyone together, exchange new information, and celebrate our accomplishments.
I encourage all administrative staff to attend the SC Association of Extension Administrative Professionals (SCAEAP) conference in Florence April 28-29. Registration closes on April 20. Please review the registration and conference files.
Speaking of dates, it is a crucial requirement to add your programmatic events to the main Clemson University calendar. We have a comprehensive Cooperative Extension calendar feed featured on our website that our stakeholders can peruse. Your events will only be featured on this feed if entered into the main University calendar. Detailed instructions for adding your events are provided in a PDF file that you can print out and quickly refer to. I also encourage you to visit our Clemson News feed weekly to learn more about what is happening in Extension across the state.
As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Cooperative Extension.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
Tier A – Applied Extension Research: Up to $25,000 (5 awards)
A Mobile Processing Poultry/Meat Unit (MPU) for Education and Demonstration Purposes
Agronomic Verification Trials Across South Carolina
Evaluating the Effects of Broiler Litter on Corn Productivity and Soil Health Through On-farm Trails
Saltwater Agriculture: Education and Evaluation of Salicornia europea (sea beans) Production at an Indoor Vertical Salt Water Farm in Charleston
South Carolina Leads by Igniting Adoption of the 4-H Thriving Model
Tier B – Clemson Online Virtual or Hybrid Extension Programs: Up to $15,000 (5 awards)
Development and Implementation of the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service Brewing Program for South Carolina
Development of Forages Coursework and Educational Resources to Beef and Forages Producers in South Carolina
Hybrid Education Program for Novice Foresters
Seasonal Pond Management in the Upstate On-Demand Short Course
Training Tutorials on Herbicide Application, Environmental Fate, and Herbicide Injury
Tier C – Cutting Edge Extension Concepts: Up to $5,000 (9 awards)
4-H Weather and Climate Science Project.
AgriBAM (Agricultural branding, advertising, and marketing)
Annual Statewide Women in Agriculture Conference
A Tour of South Carolina Forestry Practices and Mills
Backyard Processing Demonstration
Growing Health
Leadership Excellence, Skill Enhancement and Great Opportunities
Reestablishing the South Carolina Rice Industry through Grower Field Days
Forged in 4-H
Tier D – Existing Program Expansion or Support: Up to $2,500 (12 awards)
4-H Officer Learning Area
4-H Preparing for Independence
Asian Soybean Rust Disease Identification
Beaufort Junior Leadership
Building Confidence in the Use of Chainsaws
Expanding South Carolina Certified Landscape Professional for Inmate Education
Expansion of the Be Well Informed Program
Expansion of the Bradford Pear Bounty Program to Underserved Communities
Including CPR/First Aid Training in South Carolina (SC) Annie’s Project Programs
Joro or No? Production of a Joro Spider Educational Video
Kids Cooking Like a Chef Day Camp – Rural Community
P.A.S.S. – Practical Applications of ServSafe Training (PASST)
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
Today at noon was the deadline to submit for the Extension Innovation Awards, and I am excited to read the applications. Thank you to all who took this opportunity to advance the mission of Cooperative Extension. The awards will be announced by April 1.
I want to remind everyone that we continue to follow Clemson University and CDC guidance for COVID protocols. You can find the most recent University updates on the COVID-19 website, which are provided in the OURClemson emails to employees. Please direct any questions to your supervisor.
Members of EELI Cohort 2 and steering committee, Dr. Tom Dobbins, Associate Dean and Director for Clemson Extension Service, and Dr. Edoe Agbodjan, Associate Extension Administrator for SC State 1890 Research and Extension. Image credit: Jaime Pohlman.
Clemson University’s Extension Emerging Leadership Initiative (EELI) had a very successful class session last week on the campus of SC State University, our sister land-grant university. Ms. Deon Legette, our assistant director of field operations, is the driving force behind EELI, which continues to make strides to continue this partnership in various areas throughout Extension. The graduation date for the 2021-2022 class is April 6 in Columbia. If you are not familiar with this professional development opportunity and have a minimum of three years of experience with Clemson Cooperative Extension, please visit the EELI website for more information.
It was a pleasure to welcome Extension Senate to campus the other week and congratulate our newest members who begin their term next week. Their service to support the welfare of Cooperative Extension employees is of utmost importance and greatly appreciated. Please visit the Senate website for a complete list of your Extension Senate Members for 2022.
I want to recognize the SC Women in Agriculture Network (SC WAgN) for their diligent work to re-energize this vital initiative over the past year. The first Farm Safety Day for Women will be held this Friday at Sandhill REC in Columbia. While the event is geared toward women, anyone dedicated to improving farm safety is welcome to attend, regardless of sex. There is still room for more participants, and registration is also open to Extension employees. You can read more about the event in the Clemson News story.
The PSA/CAFLS web team is working on a proposal to redesign all Cooperative Extension websites. A couple of program teams have created team committees to prepare for discussions with the web team within the next few months regarding the content on their site. It is important to identify and purge old content, files, and links to help expedite a redesign and evaluate important content for your stakeholders.
In closing, the state budget hearings for Clemson PSA were held last week. We look forward to hearing about the outcomes in May. The FY 2022-23 recurring and nonrecurring requests made by Clemson PSA are posted on the budget priorities website.
As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Cooperative Extension.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
I encouraged relentless optimism in my December letter as we headed into a new year. So much has changed for the better in our communities across the state since last year. What a difference a year can make. I can sense a new level of energy across Extension, and it stems from the improved confidence we have in our abilities. It is easier these days to take a step back to reflect upon how we achieved so much because we were challenged in a grossly unexpected way.
That is why there has never been a better time to take advantage of the momentum and introduce the Extension Innovation Awards. Your ideas for projects within the categories of innovation, service, and applied research can propel us to new levels of dynamic programming. A successful proposal identifies an emerging need of a broad audience and includes cross-team collaboration and hybrid delivery methods to ensure messaging relevancy across diverse audience segments. Do not miss this opportunity to share your vision. Proposals must be submitted by noon on March 15, and additional details are provided in the Request for Proposals summary document.
It is that time of year again for the state budget process. Please visit the budget priorities website to review the FY 2022-23 recurring and nonrecurring requests made by Clemson PSA. Meanwhile, get ready for avid displays of orange coloring the State House steps over the next month as we celebrate SC FFA Legislators Appreciation Day on February 23, SC 4-H Legislative Day on March 8, and Clemson Day in early March.
It’s very uplifting to know that we have already welcomed several new team members to our program teams and offices over the past month. We are keeping a list of our most recent hires on our Blog post. Please take the time to reach out and welcome these folks. Additionally, the search for a new Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences (CAFLS) is well underway.
We have a new proposal in the works for a social media summit webinar for Cooperative Extension. The purpose is to provide education and guidance on Clemson University’s social media policy and best practices. We will share more information about the date and agenda soon. University Relations compiled a comprehensive Social Media Guidelines handbook. I ask that anyone who coordinates social media activities for their program, team, or office review the guidebook carefully. There is crucial information about the mandatory request process for creating new accounts, ADA compliance for accessibility purposes, branding, best practices, and more.
People tend to share intriguing stories with me that make a connection to the passion of our mission. Please take a quick read of this story on the Discovery of America website that puts an old ear of corn in the spotlight. In closing, the weather report indicates that February’s weather will keep us belted into a mercurial temperature ride, rocketing us back and forth into freezing temperatures at a whim. However, I hope the signs of spring boldly emerging from the ground have caught your fancy. Daffodils are the silver lining of February.
As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Cooperative Extension.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
