Month: August 2021

The Food Systems and Safety program area has been busy over the past few months working to provide information to stakeholders on safely preserving their garden harvests at home.  We have tested numerous pressure canner gauges and hosted home food preservation workshops.  Many of you have also called in with specific questions about home food preservation.  We partnered with the Greenville State Farmers Market to highlight a few South Carolina specialty crops, were able to set up a table at the market, and talk to folks a couple of times this summer.  We provided recipe cards with preservation tips for strawberries and butterbeans.  Fall classes on home food preservation will be announced soon.

Additionally, ServSafe® Food Protection Manager classes have resumed, with our first-class filling fast in August.  ServSafe® food safety training uses material from the National Restaurant Association.  The Manager Training and Exam meets DHEC requirements for “Certified Food Protection Manager” under federal guidelines outlined in the FDA Food Code.  Upcoming ServSafe® Manager classes and exams can be found on the Clemson University calendar and are generally offered once per month around the upstate.

Rebecca Baxley, Upstate Food Systems and Safety Agent

Since January 2021, Health Extension Agent Melissa Bales has delivered various health education programs to the community. These programs include the Diabetes Prevention Program, Health Extension for Diabetes, WalkSC, and Know Diabetes by Heart. Over the first seven months of the year, these programs have reached 169 participants from across the state, most of whom live in Greenville County. These programs will continue to serve clients over the next several months. The Diabetes Prevention Program and Health Extension for groups at the end of August. Health Extension for Diabetes and Know Diabetes by Heart will start offering Spanish sessions beginning this fall, allowing for a broader reach of these programs to the community. WalkSC will also start another program this fall. In addition, Health Extension for Diabetes and Know Diabetes by Heart are going to be face-to-face classes! Programs will begin in downtown Greenville and Greer in September. We are thrilled to start going back into the community to deliver these health programs and connect face-to-face once again!

Melissa Bales, Health Extension Agent

Situation

Approximately 500,000 people have diabetes in South Carolina, or one in seven adults, which increases a person’s risk for cardiovascular complications. Around 10,000 South Carolinians died from heart disease in 2017, making it the second leading cause of death for the state. Therefore, chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease are persistent issues in both urban and rural communities of South Carolina.

Response

In response to these health issues affecting urban and rural communities, the Rural Health and Nutrition Team delivers a series of webinars titled Know Diabetes by Heart (KDBH) in collaboration with the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association. The purpose of these virtual webinars is to raise awareness and understanding of the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Through these webinars, we positively empower people across the state of South Carolina to better manage their risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

Outcomes 

KDBH program participants from January 2021-June 2021 have increased their knowledge related to diabetes risks. For example, a previous Health Extension for Diabetes program participant was referred to KDBH and subsequently joined the Hypertension Management Program. Through this participant’s involvement in health education programs, he maintains physical activity goals, has successfully lost weight (5lbs), and has lowered his blood pressure. By making these healthy lifestyle changes, he can reduce his risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease complications.

Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Rural Health and Nutrition Team offers virtual yoga classes, called Yoga for Every Body, every Wednesday. Yoga for Every Body is an all-levels, gentle yoga class designed to help you get more movement during your week. Modifications are offered to complement all abilities, with the option to participate from a comfortable seat or standing. By participating in these weekly classes, you will learn to listen to your body’s cues to find what feels good, reduce stress, increase flexibility and physical activity, and cultivate a practice of gratitude to help shift your perspective. Yoga for Every Body meets virtually every Wednesday from 12:00 – 12:30 PM. If interested, register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-little-goes-a-long-way-weekly-yoga-for-every-body-tickets-138693376623. By attending just one class, you gain access to our library of all prior recorded classes, too!

Ellie Lane, Health Extension Agent

The Water Resources Team has been busy working to provide a variety of resources for SC residents. Ponds continue to be one of our most popular topics, so in addition to responding to the numerous calls from individuals across the state, we created a three-part Healthy Pond Webinar series to provide seasonal recommended actions and considerations in a timely manner. We also published the first in a series of Land Grant Press articles related to ponds: Ponds in South Carolina.

The Water Team also developed several programs to inform and empower residents throughout the state. The most recent, Dam Ownership in SC, provides virtual, on-demand education on dam maintenance and considerations. The recently released Streambank Repair Manual provides low-cost, effective suggestions to help stabilize small streams.

Upcoming events include Farming for Clean Water: Best Management Practices for New and Beginning Farmers ($15, 8/26 @ 11:30 am), Be Well Informed ($25, 9/23 @ noon, with sample, drop off on 9/20) offers the opportunity to have private well water screened for a variety of constituents and learn the basics of well maintenance.

Heather Nix, Water Resource Agent

The Clemson Cooperative Extension Service exists to serve the resident of the state. Our purpose is to help residents meet the challenges through educational experiences that meet the needs of our ever-changing society.  Extension Advisory Councils in each of South Carolina’s 46 counties share responsibility with Extension staff in defining needs, establishing goals, and making appropriate recommendations for Extension programming.  The Advisory Council is a representative group of citizens who volunteer their time, talent, and knowledge to help strengthen the service of the county Extension program and improve the life of county residents.  The partnership between Extension staff and Advisory Councils allows for timely response to identified community needs with valid, quality programming.

Kirsten Robertson 

My name is Kirsten Robertson, and I am the Manager/Engineer for the Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District.  This means that I assist citizens with erosion, drainage, sinkhole, and flooding advice and help them understand their regulatory responsibilities.  The work includes maintaining nine dams in the county that were built by the federal government in the 70’s and 80’s.  I also work with farmers teaching conservation and soil health principles.  I teach the Soils class in the Greenville Tech Sustainable Ag program and have a farm with chickens and sheep.  My passion is soil health, and I created and ran a 20K+ member Facebook group called the reGenerative Grazing Group.  Patricia Whitener, 4-H Agent and County Coordinator, invited me to participate.

Michael Weeks

I have worked at Roper Mountain Science Center since 2006. I headed up the Living History Farm and Education programs before becoming Director in 2014. I grew up in Ohio, graduated from Kent State University, and worked in the nonprofit, living history farm world for seven years in Ohio and Pennsylvania before moving to Greenville in 2006.  I am passionate about education, local food systems, homesteading, history, sustainability, and my faith and family. My interests include gardening, homesteading in general, college football, hiking, traveling, church community, and the Star Wars and Marvel media universes. Most important to me right now is spending time with my four kids as they grow up and engaging with what their interests are. I was invited to participate by Cory Tanner and Danny Howard. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to support Clemson Extension and advocate for the great programs you all do.

Scott Parks

Scott Park is a Greenville County resident and currently leads the Upstate Forever Land Conservation Program. This nationally accredited land trust currently helps protect more than 25,000 acres of farm, forest, and natural areas in the ten-county Upstate South Carolina region. Overall, Upstate Forever is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects critical lands, waters, and the unique character of Upstate South Carolina. Outside of Upstate Forever, Scott is interested in exploring new trails with his family and friends, preparing meals from local farm products, and highlighting people that source local ingredients as a personal Instagram hobby. George Dickert, District Extension Director, and Cory Tanner, Horticulture Program Team Leader, invited Scott to the Advisory Council.

Brandon Cook

I am the Health Care for the Homeless and Medical Respite Program Director at New Horizon Family Health Services, Inc.  New Horizon is a Federally Qualified Health Center serving the Greenville and surrounding communities providing quality, affordable, patient-centered care for the communities we serve.  The Health Care for the Homeless program ensures that people experiencing homelessness can access primary care and help anyone experiencing homelessness across all 13 counties of the Upstate. My role is to manage the program, support staff, and support the mission and vision of New Horizon Family Health Services, Inc while building strong partnerships and leveraging resources for people experiencing homelessness in the Upstate. My passion is to ensure that everyone can access healthcare in this country rich in resources and opportunities.  I believe healthcare is a human right, and I also think housing is a human right, meaning that no one should have to go without either, especially in the day and age in which we live. My interests are fishing, playing guitar (I received my undergrad degree from the University of South Carolina School of Music studying classical guitar), whittling, and learning new things. Shana Madden, Health Extension agent, invited me.

Gary Cutter

I’m Gary Cutter.  I grew up in Indiana on a small farm and was a ten-year 4-H member.  I graduated from Purdue University with B.S. in Ag Education and M.S. in Agronomy.  I earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in Plant Breeding and Genetics.  I am presently actively involved with the Greater Greenville Master Gardeners Association, having served on the Executive Committee for the past five years as Treasurer, 1st VP, President, Past President, and now as 2nd V.P. in charge of membership and communications (315 members). I was in the research department as a corn breeding manager and production research manager during my career. My passions and values center around my family and church. My wife, Karen, and I have been married for nearly 49 years, and 3 of our five children live nearby, along with 8 of our ten grandchildren.  We are also active in our church serving in the marriage ministry and leading a small group. I am not a golfer, hunter, fisherman, or boat enthusiast, but a gardener and spend lots of time outdoors and enjoy sharing my experiences and expertise with others in that area. Jordan Franklin, Horticulture agent, invited me to participate

George Fisher

George’s expertise is in consulting engineering. He is passionate about water and protecting our resources. He received his M.S. in Environmental Systems Engineering, Clemson University, a B.S. in Civil Engineering from, University of Kansas, and his B.S. in Business Administration from, University of Kansas. George has over 30 years in Water and wastewater systems, Management of Consulting Engineering, and helping communities like Greenville with economic development strategies. George served on Greenville City Council for four years, volunteers with Rotary International as the Veterans Support Chairman, and serves on many boards, including Renewable Water Resource, Appalachian Council of Governors, Greenville Symphony Board, and Southern Connector. He enjoys travel and nature photography, is the proud father of a son and daughter and boasts four grandchildren. Heather Nix, a water resource agent, invited George to join.

Other Advisory Members: Polly Powell, Sue Grubbs, Susan Walrabenstein, Ken Southerlin, Rushawnda Oden, Shirley Thompson, Butch Kirven, Lia Sanders

Heading into its 14th year, the National 4-H STEM Challenge is 4-H’s annual initiative to inspire students to take an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Each year, National 4-H Council chooses a topic — space exploration for 2021 — and coordinates with university and corporate partners to develop a fun, hands-on challenge activity.

This year, Clemson University was the land-grant institution selected to partner with the National 4-H Council to lead the design of the Challenge, a kit-based program packed with learning opportunities, which reaches more than 300,000 kids across all 50 states annually.

“Our goal is to give as many kids as possible that a-ha moment where they realize STEM can be exciting and approachable, and that they don’t need to be a genius or a math whiz to get involved,” State 4-H Youth Development Assistant Director Ashley Burns said.

Burns said the good news came via a call from Jennifer Sirengelo, National 4-H Council CEO, to announce that Clemson was the unanimous choice to be the design lead along with a $50,000 award.

“National 4-H Council received eight-strong proposals from land-grant universities across the country, making it challenging to select just one,” Burns said. “However, after an exhaustive review process conducted by representatives from Council, our team was selected as ideal partners for the 2021 STEM Challenge based on our ability to deliver activity concepts that are fun, easy to facilitate, and highly adaptable.”

Building off the success of last year’s Mars Base Camp theme, the 2021 challenge will cover many aspects of space exploration, such as the history of humans in space, the technology and resources that enable off-planet missions, and the obstacles humans encounter in orbit. Activities in development will touch on important STEM topics ranging from physics and engineering to computer science and space agriculture.

The members of Clemson’s 4-H STEM Challenge design team include Greenville County 4-H program coordinator, Patricia Whitener and activities were tested out by Greenville 4-H Robotix club members. Other members include Dr.Ashley Burns and S.C. 4-H agents Abigail Phillips, Meghan Barkley, Rosemary Martin-Jones, Dawn Stuckey, Terri Sumpter along with David Connick (Clemson faculty in Astronomy and Physics), Jeff Fellers (Clemson Extension Forestry and Natural Resources Agent), Katie Glenn (Clemson student and 4-H alumna) and 4-H’ers Jeremiah Gonzalez, Carson Marino, Daniel Marino, and Katie McCarter.

Patricia Whitener, 4-H Agent

Summertime for a livestock agent means early morning farm visits under shade trees and retreating to the air-conditioned office during the hot afternoon. Working on publications for the Land Grant Press and our blogs was an excellent way to escape the oppressive summer heat. The much-appreciated office time also allowed me to develop several rental kits to promote better use of resources for livestock and forage producers. I put together a rotational grazing toolbox containing all the necessary but uncommon components to begin better grazing methods. These kits have served as a gateway for farmers “on the fence” about using temporary electric fencing in a rotational grazing system. Other kits include a small legume spreader to promote the establishment of clovers, a GPS guidance system to promote the more accurate application of fertilizer, herbicides, seeds, and pesticides, and a plot sprayer for small, new farmers. Aside from providing a piece of equipment, the most significant benefit is developing a relationship with clients and a foothold for adding another improved practice to their farm. The necessity of these tools became apparent with the “zoom boom” or the influx of people moving into the area to escape the cities and try their hand at farming. Many of the necessary farming tools are cost-prohibitive for small or beginning farmers, and this was an excellent opportunity to meet their needs and offer an educational opportunity.

While I’m excited to see the summer heat fade away to fall, I’m even more excited about our upcoming livestock and forage programs. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Cattlemen Association meetings and anticipate good attendance for our hands-on fencing workshops. In addition, I’m offering a hay marketing workshop and a fescue fertility workshop. I’ve been working with other agents for several months to put together a course that outlines the fundamentals of beef cattle production. This course targeted beginners and those that have had cattle for a while. This is a direct response to requests from our new farmers, but I know many veteran cattle producers will find it helpful to evaluate some of the foundations of our beef industry.

Thank you so much for being so supportive, and please reach out to me with any feedback so that we can continue to develop a program to serve our county better.

Chris LeMaster, Cherokee-Spartanburg-York Counties Livestock & Forage Agent

The Spartanburg Office has a new soil sample drop box for after-hours sample drop-offs. Our new drop-off box was installed during the pandemic and has proven to be a long-awaited tool to the public. The station has soil sample bags and all needed forms. Payment for samples can be submitted with samples, mailed in separately, or taken over the phone. If you wish to complete the form before drop off, Soils sample submission forms are available here.

Drew Jeffers, Horticulture and Natural Resources Agent

SC State Regulation R.61-43 requires all confined animal facility operators to attend the Confined Animal Manure Manager (CAMM) certification program provided by Clemson Extension.  The CAMM team has worked hard to provide trainings for South Carolina’s confined animal facility operators this year.  Bryan Smith (Laurens), Brian Beer (Lancaster), Lee van Vlake (Florence), and Amber Starnes (Chesterfield) worked together to offer four initial, full day trainings and 39 recertification trainings, with four more recertification trainings yet to go this fall.

The team offered 18 two-hour Zoom online recertification trainings on various topics from January 21, 2021 through March 30. 2021, with 384 growers attending.  Dr. Julie Helm with Clemson Livestock Poultry Health in Columbia offered another three classes on Animal Biosecurity, with another 32 growers attending those classes.  Presenters included Bryan Smith, Dr. Julie Helm Dr. John Chastain (Clemson University), Dr. Sean Eastman (Livestock Poultry Health), Lee van Vlake, and Tonya O’Cain (SCDHEC).  Topics included “Getting Producers Ready for Emergency Disease Outbreaks,” “Setbacks and Filter Strips: What is really needed to protect surface water?,” “Crop Utilization of Manure Nutrients and Soil Fertility,” and “Energy from Poultry Manure: A Comparison of Anaerobic Digestion & Combustion” as well as several others.

From July 19, 2021 through August 31, 2021 the team offered 15 two-hour in-person recertification trainings around the State, with 189 growers attending those trainings.  Dr. Helm also offered another two Biosecurity trainings to 9 growers.  The team has another four Zoom online trainings planned for September 2021.

During June and July the team also offered four full-day initial training classes to provide certification to new growers and growers that may have allowed their certification to lapse.  74 growers attended these full-day trainings.  Since January 2021 the CAMM team has offered a total of 41 trainings to 683 growers around the State.

The team plans to offer two more initial, full-day trainings in February 2022 and another slate of recertification trainings for our growers from January through March 2022.  More information about the training program may be found at www.clemson.edu/camm .