Savannah Valley District

The Power of Whole Grains and Fiber: “Whole Grains, Whole Wins”

Akendra Garrett, EFNEP Agent – Berkeley and Charleston Counties Whole grains are tiny nutritional powerhouses, carrying the full trio of bran, germ, and endosperm. When we choose whole grains over refined ones, we choose steady energy, better digestion, and long-term health. They provide natural fiber, vitamins, and minerals that help our bodies feel full, stay energized, and […]

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Elizabeth Simmons, Public Relations Officer for Best of Berkeley 4-H Club On Thursday, October 16, 2025, the Best of Berkeley 4-H Club met to decorate pumpkins, which will be entered into the 4-H Pumpkin Decorating Contest at the Coastal Carolina Fair. Also, at the same meeting, a new president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, activities director, […]

The Mystery of Storm Drains

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 […]

4-H: The Best Homeschool Tool You’re Not Using

Tawanah Reeves-Ligon, Dorchester County 4-H Agent For many homeschool families, finding projects, curriculum, and social opportunities that have a meaningful impact and build skills as well as a love of learning in children can feel daunting, at best, and impossible, at its worst. However, there is a simple opportunity in your community that you may […]

Welcome, Tawanah Reeves-Ligon

Dorchester County 4-H Agent We’re excited to welcome Tawanah Reeves-Ligon to the Clemson Extension family as the newest Dorchester County 4-H Youth Development Agent. An Atlanta native, Mrs. Ligon fell in love with the Lowcountry as a teenager while attending a wedding. She would eventually move here and marry the love of her life, Robert […]

Canada Goose Impacts on Pond Ecosystems and Management Strategies 

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 […]

Leave the Leaves this Fall

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. […]

Growing Holiday Greens 

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 […]

Canning Mashed or Pureed Vegetables

Jessica Hardiman, Food System and Safety Agent Fall is a great time to enjoy mashed and pureed vegetables –potatoes, pumpkin, winter squash, sweet potatoes, refried beans, and more! However, if you are planning to can these foods to enjoy at a later date in the year, great care needs to be taken in order to […]