Tag: May04

Information as of December 2021

General Details

• Employees who are at a higher risk for COVID-19 based on risk factors identified by the CDC should discuss their concerns with their supervisor. If additional accommodation is needed, they should discuss these concerns and possible accommodations with the University’s ADA coordinator.
• Whenever possible, meetings should continue to be virtual. When meetings must be in-person, designate a space for such purpose.
• Continue physical distancing and use of protective equipment.
• Continue closure of areas where people congregate.
• Face coverings are not required in University facilities, but remain strongly encouraged in instructional areas (classrooms, instructional labs) and research labs.
• Anyone who wants to wear a face-covering regardless of their vaccination status is welcome to do so.
• No quarantine following known exposure for fully vaccinated individuals.
• Current recommendations for physical distancing in University facilities remain in place.
  Events and large gatherings must continue to go through University protocols for approval.

Extension Offices

• Notify county government partners that the facility has reopened to the public.
• Transfer main office lines back to office phones.
• Post public health notices on all publicly accessible entrances.
• Prepare sampling areas to mitigate personal contact with the public.
• Create physical separation between all publicly accessible areas of the office and those intended to be accessed by staff only.
• Make hand sanitizer available at all entrances.
• Make supplies including, but not limited to, disinfectant wipes, disposable towels, disinfectant solution, etc. available in all commonly used areas of the office facility.
• Update sampling information on county websites and social media outlets only after the office has been deemed safely accessible to the public.
• Consider maintaining a long-term soil drop-off-only process that limits in-office interactions with the public.
• Consider delineating physical separation with marks on the floor in open spaces accessible to the public.

Extension Volunteers

Clemson Extension volunteers may return to in-person service in Stage – Yellow provided ALL the following conditions are met:

• The program-leading Extension Agent and any applicable third party or property have approved the volunteer activity.
• The volunteer follows appropriate CDC guidelines.
• Adults that have routine interaction with youth must abide by Clemson University Youth Protection Policy and Operating Standards.
• General guidance for returning to in-person volunteer service includes:
• Remain at home if you or anyone in your household is not feeling well or has a fever.
• High-risk individuals and those with significant underlying medical conditions are strongly encouraged to stay at home and take measures to limit exposure.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Try to work independently, keeping 6 feet or more apart from others.
• Frequently clean high‐touch surfaces including your cellphone/tablet, door handles, restroom surfaces, handrails, tools, etc.
• Refrain from using shared office equipment when possible. If it is necessary to use other’s equipment, sanitize between each user.

Guidance for Outdoor Service

• People should be spaced apart 6 feet or more.
• Individuals may work independently, keeping 6 feet or more apart from others in the garden.
• When possible, use your own gardening tools and equipment; shared tools and equipment should be cleaned after each use.

Communication Regarding Attendance at Educational Events

• Advise participants in advance that if they have any symptoms or feel unwell, they should not attend.

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.

My name is Kristi Bussell and I’m a mental health educator for student health services. My office recently started an online program called Wellness Wednesdays (WW). The purpose of WW is to provide students, faculty, and staff information on how to take care of their wellbeing during COVID-19. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for folks to come together – vital during this season of social distancing.

What: Weekly Wellness series where we’ll discuss how to take care of our well-being during COVID-19
When: Wednesdays, 10am – 10:30am
Where: https://clemson.zoom.us/j/345660746
Password: email Kristi Bussell at kbussel@clemson.edu to get the password!

Also, follow @TigersTogether_ and @clemsonhealthycampus on IG for regular updates!
—
Kristi E. Bussell, MPH
Assistant Director for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Initiatives
Student Health Services
Clemson University
864-656-2038

EMERGENCY/IN CRISIS/AFTER-HOURS CARE
If you or someone you know is at immediate risk of harm to self or others, contact emergency services and get help – call 911 or the Clemson University Police Department at 864-656-2222.

To reach Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) during business hours, call 864-656-2451.

For after-hours psychological emergencies, a CAPS on-call counselor can be reached through CUPD at 864-656-2222.

For help that can be accessed anywhere, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Zoom Information

Zoom is now licensed for all Clemson employees.
To access a licensed account, login in through clemson.zoom.us

Learn more about Zoom meeting best practices and tips.
https://blogs.clemson.edu/online/2020/04/03/zoom-meeting-best-practices-and-tips/

List of IT Resources

Information about all of the tools for working remotely have been compiled for employees.
https://ccit.clemson.edu/working-remotely/

Scanning Tool

If you do not have access to a scanner, you can scan from home with the Adobe Scan app to share paper documents with others. The Adobe Scan app easily captures documents and converts them to PDF right in your phone. It is included with our Adobe license. Just download the app and sign in.

Option 1: Scan documents using Adobe Scan on your phone (easiest option)

1. Download Adobe Scan from your device’s app store.
2. Launch the application and at the bottom of the screen, click “Sign In or Sign Up”.
3. Type in Clemson email address and it should take you to Single Sign On for Clemson.
4. Allow access to your phone’s camera.
5. The software will begin to detect the edges of the page, which you can adjust with your finger.
6. Take picture when ready and then tap the image it saves.
   • To eliminate shadows, make sure your light source is in front of you and your phone, not directly above or behind (think of how the sun creates shadows).
7. You can crop, rotate, or make other visual adjustments.
8. Give the file a relevant name by clicking the pencil icon and then click save.
   • Adobe Scan automatically recognizes the text in the image to make it text searchable.

If you need any assistance with IT needs, please contact your statewide District IT consultant or the helpdesk: ithelp@clemson.edu, 864.656.3494.

Joining forces to provide STEM career exploration opportunities, South Carolina 4-H and the American Society of Naval Engineers offered a free virtual engineering mini-camp for youth in fourth through ninth grade to engage students while they are at home. The Future Leaders in Experience-based Engineering and Technology (F.L.E.E.T.) program is funded by the Office of Naval Research to scale and assess virtual ship design programs using gamification. The program seeks to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in general and naval engineering.

The series of online lessons included exploring balance, buoyancy, and stability and ended with simulated ship design and an obstacle race. Sessions ranged from forty-five to ninety minutes based on content and participation.

We had fifteen participants from around the state and even one from Mexico. This initial group was a pilot to determine whether or not it would work remotely rather than in person. The participants were energetic and eager to try the naval engineering challenges at home. Once the principles of naval shipbuilding were covered, they began completing computer-generated ship designs and completed missions to test each design.

Submitted by: Dawn Stuckey, Colleton, and Hampton Counties, 4-H Youth Development Agent

Hello all!

First and foremost, I want to give a big shout out and huge thank you to all of the Extension agents who have submitted videos for the social media quarantine updates! It is amazing, but not surprising, that they have reached close to 40k people since we began a few short weeks ago. I believe Clemson Extension clients, friends, and supporters have loved being able to see their agents’ faces and hear their words of support in these uncertain times.

Many of you have been sharing these posts, which is amazing. Keep up the good work! A reach of over 40k is all thanks to your support. However, we would love to see even more engagement! The more support you offer to your fellow Extension agents in the form of an uplifting comment (even a hello from your county) or a reaction (like love, care, etc.), the more Facebook’s algorithms will pick up these videos and the wider they will spread. More views means that more South Carolinians will be introduced not only to the Extension mission but also to a series of uplifting, positive videos and comments which, for some, is much needed right now. These videos provide a welcome message of hope along with quite a few resources for citizens who may be struggling to entertain their children or hoping to learn a new skill to keep busy during this time. Right now, videos are going out on the Clemson Extension Facebook page around noon on even-numbered days, so be sure to tune in!

For those of you who have not yet submitted a video, there is still time and we would love to see those odd-numbered days filled with your faces, too! This weekend would be another great time to film. Here’s the list of video requirements if you do decide to take advantage of this weekend to film a short clip:

1. Please film yourself with your phone in a vertical orientation.
2. Videos should be 30-45 seconds long.
3. We would prefer this to be self-filmed (don’t forget to clean off your front-facing camera before beginning!), but if that’s not possible, then try not to have the camera set much further than arm’s length away from you.
4. If possible, avoid too much background noise (such as TVs, neighbors mowing their lawns, chatty birds, etc.).
5. It would be great if you had a background related to your work! Maybe try standing in a garden or field and feel free to stand a little off to the side of the frame to show off your background if you found a really great one.
6. Introduce yourself and your title at the beginning. (ex. “[greeting] My name is Kayla Rutherford and I’m the videographer for PSA Communications.”)
7. Consider the following questions while you’re filming:
   • How are you continuing to serve the citizens of South Carolina/your community at this time?
   • What are you doing to keep the community safe?
   • Do you have some words of encouragement for the citizens of SC?

Whenever you’re finished, please email your submission to me (kmurph8@clemson.edu). If you run into any problems, let me know and I’m always happy to work to find a solution for you.

So thank you again, Extension Agents, for all that you do and for supporting this campaign. Don’t forget to like, comment on, and share your fellow agents’ posts. And to those of you who still want to submit – there is still time!

I hope you all are continuing to stay safe and positive! I look forward to seeing just how far this campaign can reach in the next few weeks.

KR

KAYLA RUTHERFORD CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
Video & Digital Media Producer
Clemson Public Service & Agriculture
132 Lehotsky
kmurph8@clemson.edu

Helping Farmers Access New Markets to Sell Local Food During COVID-19 Crisis
As market demand shifted away from wholesale restaurant and institution accounts due to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions, some South Carolina farmers had to quickly change the way they have traditionally sold their products in order to sustain their farm businesses. The Clemson Extension Agribusiness Team has helped to facilitate these market transitions by:

• Creating a curated website of COVID-19 agribusiness resources.
• Developing a rapid response resource guide to help farmers quickly identify, develop, and deploy web-based strategies to sell their farm products direct to consumers during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
• Facilitating the development of new market infrastructure and platforms, including The Catawba Fresh Market, an online farmers market serving farmers in Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, Union, and York Counties. Since this market platform allows customers to purchase local products virtually and then pick them up safely from pre-determined sites, sales have increased over 200% since the start of the COVID-19 restrictions. This growth in farmer revenue has helped to offset losses incurred in other traditional markets while providing consumers with a safe outlet to buy local, fresh products.
• Collaborating with the Livestock and Forage Team on a publication titled COVID-19 Impacts on Cattle Markets.

Helping Farmers and Agribusinesses Affected by COVID-19 Crisis Understand How to Access Federal Loans and Grants Made Available by the CARES Act

COVID-19 outbreaks and social distancing restrictions have put the brakes on the U.S. and South Carolina’s economy and disrupted the food supply chain for various commodities, food, and food/fiber products. The U.S. Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) or phase III of the federal stimulus package that provides direct payments to individuals of up to $1,200, extended unemployment benefits, and federal loan guarantees. In addition, the $2.2 trillion CARES Act has several provisions offering support for U.S. farmers and agribusiness delivered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) and USDA. With many questions and much uncertainty about the benefits and new loan/grant programs, the Agribusiness Team responded quickly by:

• Providing in-service training on the CARES Act and SBA loan programs for producers and agribusinesses affected by COVID-19.
• Developing Agribusiness Resources for COVID-19 website with links to publications and web resources including national and state disaster and COVID-19 websites, federal loan, and grant opportunities during the crisis, direct marketing for local foods, farmer stress and mental health, labor, and policy and taxes.

Developing Land-Grant Press and Timely Articles in Response to COVID-19 and CARES Act 

• Is Your Business Having Cash-flow Problems due to COVID-19? (Includes information on CARES Act Programs: SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Paycheck Protection Program)
• 2019 Income Tax Filing Extension and Payment Deferment
• Economic Impact Payment Information
• Considerations for Getting your Farm Business Online: A rapid response quick reference guide to identifying, developing, and deploying web-based strategies to sell your farm products during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond
• Update to Small Business Administration (SBA) COVID-19 Related Loans
• Managing PPP Loans for Forgiveness
• COVID-19 Related Legislation: Labor, Families First Act, CARES Act webinar and presentation slides

Collaborating with Horticulture, Agronomy, and Livestock and Forage Teams on Farmer Response to COVID-19

• Formed Hort and Agribusiness Team Agent pairings to help farmers looking at new markets
• Collaborating with LFT on planning and revisions of cow-calf enterprise budget

Impacts

• Made 9,993 Contacts through Phone Calls, Emails, Newsletters, Online Meetings, and Workshops since Mid-March
• Included an 8-week in-service training series on FINPACK farm analysis software

Submitted by: Dr. Nathan Smith, Agribusiness Program Team Leader & Ben Boyles, Senior Agribusiness Extension Agent

Livestock and Forages Program Team in Action:
Wow!! Times are surely different than they were two months ago, but some things do not change. Extension agents and specialists are still busy helping the citizens of SC. The Livestock and Forages team has offered numerous webinars over the past couple of months with attendees from over ten states and three different countries. The team has significantly increased scholarly work output with newsletters, blog posts, and Land Grant Press publication submissions. All of this work, in conjunction with continued presence through farm visits and one-on-one assistance to ensure livestock and forage producers have Extension’s help during these unprecedented and challenging times. Thank you to ALL of our Extension Team for continuing to offer high-quality innovative programs and demonstrations to producers. Below, you will see a highlight of some of their great work.

Livestock and Forage Winter Annual Plot Summary- In collaboration with the SC Grazing Land Coalition
The SC Grazing Land Coalition assisted with purchasing seed that was used to implement demonstrations at Pee Dee REC, as well as in Orangeburg, Abbeville, and in the Upstate. Clemson Extension Livestock and Forages Agents that were involved with demonstrations include Amber Starnes, Gary Coleman, Chris and Cassie LeMaster, and Lee Van Vlake.

The demonstration plots were planted to showcase how to utilize winter annuals in warm-season perennial grasses to extend the grazing season, improve soil health, reduce input costs, and reduce hay feeding. Several species and varieties were planted at Pee Dee REC and in Orangeburg to exhibit winter annual species/varieties that are suited for the Pee Dee Region and Low Country regions’ climate and soil types. Forages that were planted include; Crimson Clover, Alfalfa, Ball Clover, Red Clover, Durana Clover, and Arrowleaf Clover, Hairy Vetch, Ladino Clover, Turnips, Forage Oats, Jumbo Ryegrass, Prine Ryegrass, Passerel Ryegrass, Marshall Ryegrass, and Big Boss Ryegrass.

In the Upstate, ten strips of various winter annual forage species and blends were planted on a farm in Cherokee County. The pasture selected had been used as a sacrifice pasture for cattle during the drought and composition had shifted to mainly bermudagrass with some drought-damaged fescue. The plots were planted to display appropriate winter annual varieties for the Upstate, soil health benefits, and the forage response to grazing. The strips were drilled with a no-till drill and included Rays Crazy Mix by Kings Agriseeds, two ryegrass varieties- one diploid and one tetraploid, ryegrass mixed with crimson clover, and varying mixtures of crimson clover, ryegrass, hairy vetch, winter peas, and daikon radishes. When appropriate grazing height was reached in April 2020, cattle were allowed to graze. After cattle had grazed to a certain point, they were removed and forage re-growth was monitored.

Two more plots were planted by producers in McCormick and Abbeville County. These plots consisted of Marshall Ryegrass, Durana Clover, and Brook Oats overseeded on drought-damaged Fescue pastures. Fertilizer applied was 17-17-17 with pelletized lime added to it. The grazing mixture performed well, and bulls are currently being grazed on the plots.

Results from these demonstration plots displayed the difference in maturity rates at a certain date and production among the annuals in order to give producers an idea of available options that would work with their operations. Most producers in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee Region are inter-seeding winter annuals into dormant bahiagrass and bermudagrass. In the Upstate, winter annuals can be drilled into bermudagrass pastures or in mixed pastures to dilute the effects of toxic fescue however, care must be taken to not completely destroy the fescue stand.

Implementing these demonstration plots in a setting similar to how they will be planted on SC forage and livestock operations provides useful information for producers. Highlighting the benefits of a no-till drill and the role it plays in implementing a successful winter annual plan is extremely important. These plots were able to distinguish what winter annuals will work and which ones are not suited for each area. The plots also highlighted the benefits to soil health through nitrogen fixation and multispecies mixes that can be planted together to increase plant diversity. One mixture that performed extremely well includes forage oats, crimson clover, hairy vetch, and ryegrass. All of these species mature at different times, which in turn increases grazing season and gives producers options for ways to feed less hay and lower input costs. These differences could be due to weather, climate, soil type, or fertilization/management.

Submitted by: Dr. Matt Burns, Livestock and Forages Team Leader

We are now on day 47 of the COVID-19 Modified Operating Procedure for Extension, and I must commend you all on your determination to continue with innovative measures that are keeping Extension alive and visible among our communities. You have created new partnerships, rekindled old ones, and opened new doors of opportunity for delivering our programs to the citizens of South Carolina. The commitment to working effectively and efficiently during the COVID-19 epidemic has been truly amazing.

We are still able to provide our services across the board, from supporting food pantries to advising on gardening projects. The WalkSC program has implemented a new Stay-at-Home edition to keep current participants moving and engage a new audience as well. Agents have been able to continue one-on-one site visits with stakeholders by taking care to use social distancing measures and are carefully tracking their visits with ‘pin drops.’ Repackaging the majority of our programming activities into a virtual format has given us confidence as we have realized we can quickly adapt new skillsets.

As we make progress towards identifying the different stages of office re-entry, we will clearly communicate the plan to do so. Your Extension Leadership Team has been working diligently to put together a comprehensive plan that puts your safety first. That being said, we will work together as a family, as we always do, to make the phased reopening of the county offices a deliberate process. We all must practice social distancing, and rethink how we offer our programs, how we greet people, and how we clean our offices. All of us use the offices, and we all must do our part to keep the offices clean and the common areas sanitized. Dr. Burns has been working with procurement to get the initial CPE (Community Protect Equipment) supplies to ensure we can all have a safe environment. We are evaluating the possible stages of a rollout plan and will be sure to announce a start date when it is confirmed. But again, please remember that this is a fluid situation still, and new information can always alter plans.

I want to remind you that the timeline for evaluations is still in place, and we must be prepared to have these done on time. I would encourage all of you to start working on your evaluation packet, as you will need to provide them to your District Extension Director by June 1, 2020. I will send out more information about this requirement later this week.

There is a lot of information being shared in the news and among communities about the status of the COVID-19 situation in different areas and the myriad of actions that should or are being taken. This is a very uncertain time. I share the same concerns many of you may have, and I am also focused on how to keep us moving forward. As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Extension.