Savannah Valley District

National Farm Safety and Health Week

Marion Barnes, County Extension Agent, Clemson University Anyone actively involved in farming can tell you about the hazards and risks encountered while providing the food, fiber, and fuel this country and the world depend on. Just as consumers sometimes overlook the important role farmers play in their lives, farmers often overlook the dangers of farming. […]

Picking Up the Pieces – Managing Livestock Pastures After a Severe Weather Event

Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent- Clemson University Severe weather events like hurricanes and tropical storms remind us of how vulnerable we all are to weather events. Livestock producers are no exception. These events cause stress and problems for livestock as well as producers. When storms cause damage to personal property, dwellings, outbuildings, and other […]

Agribusiness Extension Agent

David Mansfield, Agribusiness Extension AgentAgribusiness Program Team, Orangeburg County Cooperative Extension Office I am originally from Irmo, South Carolina. I graduated with my B.S. in agribusiness from Mississippi State University. I received my M.S. in Applied Economics and Statistics from Clemson University. My research and thesis from my master’s degree dealt with modeling the land […]

First Aid Kits for Farmers

Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent As summer activities pick up on the farm, the likelihood of injuries also increases. Cutting, sprains, insect stings, and other everyday mishaps are standard on the farm. Emergency preparedness and first aid should be part of every farm’s standard operation plan. Due to the wide range of farm sizes […]

Sun Safety: Tips for Staying Safe in the Sun

  Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent – Colleton & Hampton Agriculture relies on sunshine for growing and harvesting crops, raising healthy livestock, and providing adequate work conditions. However, the sun may be one of the biggest health hazards farmers and ranchers face. Farmers spend enormous amounts of time in the sun to get their […]

Eastern Tent Caterpillars Are on the Move

Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent – Clemson University Spring has arrived in the low country; home gardeners are working in their gardens, azaleas, and dogwoods have been blooming for several weeks, and tent caterpillars are appearing on our trees’ foliage and shrubs. The eastern tent caterpillar, Malacosoma americanum, is a native pest of North […]

Virtual Dicamba Certification Programs

Jonathan K CroftAgriculture Extension AgentCooperative Extension/Orangeburg County The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented a rule that individuals purchasing and applying restricted-use dicamba herbicide formulations participate in an approved certification-of-use program to obtain a Dicamba use license. The required training was due to the thousands of cases of dicamba herbicide injury to non-target plants across the […]

Farm Safety: New Years Resolutions

Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent Clemson University The New Year brings with it the talk of resolutions. Resolutions, however, have a reputation for being declared and then forgotten. Why not make a promise this year involving your family and their future? Make a promise to create a safer work environment for your farming operation. […]

Attention Lowcountry Meat Producers!

Steve Richards, Director of SC Center for Cooperative and Enterprise Development Livestock farmers have been struggling to find animal processing spots since before the COVID-19 pandemic. And while things have gotten marginally better, there are no easy answers on increasing meat processing capacity in South Carolina. That’s why we need to cooperate! With the help of […]

Tobacco Good Agricultural Practices Training

Hannah Mikell, Clarendon County Agronomy Agent The U.S. Tobacco Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program is an industry-wide program supported and funded by all tobacco buying and manufacturing companies in the United States. Growers are encouraged to provide ongoing training and education to workers in all elements of GAP to ensure that everyone involved in tobacco […]