Savannah Valley District

Growing Season Green Up: Is It Time for Timberland Clean-Up?

Janet Steele, Area Forestry & Wildlife Agent As days grow warmer with more daylight hours, plant, shrub and tree species begin to break dormancy and enter a new growing season. Like myself, you may be anxious to get outside and tackle some of those land management practices you have been planning all winter. These projects […]

Safe Driving Tips During Planting Season

Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent – Clemson University There are certain times of the year when farm vehicles and equipment will be more prevalent on the highways, such as spring planting and fall harvest, and motorists need to be aware of this increased activity and exercise caution and patience. With planting season underway in […]

Weekly Field Update

Phillip Carnley, Area Horticulture Agent  Strawberries are looking good around the Midlands. The biggest issue I’ve seen is still Neopest and getting plants to size up. With Neopest, stay on top of a preventative spray with Thiram or Switch. If plants are still small, row covers are your friend and will help force crown development. […]

Be Well Informed

Charley Greenthaler, Area Water Resources Agent – Calhoun and Orangeburg Counties Do you rely on a private well for your drinking water source? With more than 20% of South Carolinians falling into this category, these wells must be properly maintained to ensure safe drinking water.  Maintenance of the well is the responsibility of the well […]

Silvopasture Systems Provide Many Benefits to Landowners

Janet Steele, Area Forestry & Wildlife Agent Diversifying land use is an area of growing interest among South Carolina landowners. Increasing focus on using forested acreage to its fullest potential has some landowners and land managers wanting to blend livestock management with timber management by implementing silvopasture. Silvopasture is not turning livestock loose in the […]

Christmas Gifts for Farmers That Promote Farm Safety

Marion Barnes Senior County Extension Agent – Clemson University When choosing Christmas gifts for a farmer, think of farm safety. Protecting their health and safety is a priceless gift that one can give in the form of safety equipment for use on the farm. Small items that make a farmer’s life easier and safer include […]

ATV Safety

Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are typical on many farms and properties and are helpful for work, recreational use, and other modes of off-road transportation. However, ATVs continue to be a source of injuries and fatalities for youths as well as adult operators. According to the S.C. Department of Health and […]

Turkey Prices Looking Better Ahead of 2023 Holidays

David Mansfield, Agribusiness Agent Wholesale prices for frozen turkeys have dropped just in time for the 2023 holiday season. In August 2023, the average price for frozen whole turkeys was $1.27 per pound, which decreased to $1.25 per pound in September, marking the lowest price since July 2021. This price decrease follows a previous rise […]

Cotton Diseases & Fungicide Trial

Rogan Gibson, Dr. John Mueller, Joe Varn, & Charles Davis During the 2023 growing season, three cotton fungicide trials throughout the Savannah Valley have been monitored weekly since early July 2023. One trial is at the Edisto Research and Education Center, while the other two are on-farm demonstrations in Allendale and Calhoun Counties. Two significant […]

Fall and Winter Agricultural Programs

Jonathan Croft,  Orangeburg County Agriculture Extension Agent  As we get into the fall and winter, much of our crop harvest is completed, and the meeting season for Clemson Extension Agricultural Agents and Specialists begins.  Agents and specialists will cover program topics such as pesticide safety, agronomic crop production, ag economics and more.  At this time, […]