Category: Jasper

4-H Healthy Living Committee by Ashley Verdonk Whether you’re an avid news reader, TikTok scroller, or Facebook user, you’ve likely encountered discussions about processed and ultra-processed foods (UPFs). You may have also seen content from influencers, bloggers, and journalists promoting whole food diets as a way to avoid the health risks associated with UPFs. Globally, […]

Felicia C. Cunningham, 4-H Youth Development Agent, Jasper County Keeping hydrated is crucial for health and well-being, but many people do not consume enough fluids each day. Around 60 percent of the body is made up of water, and around 71 percent of the planet’s surface is covered by water. Perhaps it is the ubiquitous nature of water that […]

Beatriss Calhoun, Water Resources Extension Agent  In your day-to-day life, you may rarely hear people say, “Have you seen that storm drain lately?” Ideally, stormwater managers would love to hear the response, “Yes — and it’s working and looking great!” However, the truth is that most storm drains go unnoticed. As development continues to expand […]

Mike Windhorn, Regional Forestry and Natural Resources Agent & Molly Jones, Regional Water Resources Agent    Canada Geese are grazers that prefer well-maintained lawns next to a body of water. They are very wary of predators, so they prefer large open areas where they can easily see an approaching predator. They also use ponds for rest […]

SAMANTHA PORZELT, WATER RESOURCES AGENT FOR BERKELEY, CHARLESTON, AND DORCHESTER COUNTIES Fall is finally here, and the yearly question comes: Should you rake the leaves or let them be? While bagging them up has long been the tradition, conservation groups like the National Wildlife Federation encourage a different approach: leave the leaves where they fall. […]

Zachary Snipes, Assistant Program Team Leader-Horticulture, Area Horticulture Agent With Christmas and New Year’s Day right around the corner, the only thing that should be on your mind is a big ol’ pot of collard greens for your holiday celebrations.  Now is the time of the year when greens should be happily growing in gardens […]

Hillary P. Carnley, Area Livestock & Forages Agent As the leaves begin to change and the temperatures cool, September signals more than just the arrival of autumn—it marks a crucial transition period for livestock producers. While warm-season pastures begin to fade and forage availability declines, hay or supplemental feed becomes necessary to maintain animal health […]

Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent National Farm Safety and Health Week serves as a yearly reminder to the public and the agricultural community of the dangers of living and working on a farm. The 2025 National Farm Safety and Health Week theme is Safety First, Avoid the Worst. During the weeklong observation, many agricultural […]

Glen Payne, Urban Horticulture Agent, Beaufort County Vines are twisting and turning this summer angling to find just the right amount of sunlight and companion plants to make reaching new heights possible to set aerial seedpods. There are several vines throughout the Savannah River Valley that can be seen while driving along roads, sitting on […]

Clemson University researchers installed air quality sensors in five locations in the Savannah Valley District: Allendale, Blackville, Hampton, Orangeburg, and Walterboro. The information from these sensors are now available online – with updated air quality readings every two minutes. The circles on the map are colored according to the current air quality (green = good, […]