Clemson Extension Upstate District

Lauren Black Venegas – 4-H Agent – 2021 4-H Summer Re-cap

We are wrapping up our current 4-H year and ready to begin the new year!

A recap this past summer… workshops, conference, and projects.

– We offered eighteen Parent and Me and six Adventure Awaits workshops, highlighting the following areas: cooking, STEM, arts, construction, and natural resources.

– Two of our Senior 4-Hers attended the State 4-H Congress held in Clemson.

– One Senior competed at the National Shooting Sports Competition held in Nebraska.

– Introduced 4-H and participated with Summer Reading in conjunction with Saluda School District for four weeks in July.

– One Junior participated in the State Garden Project.

It was a great year, and we are now planning for the new 4-H year!

This year’s theme for Saluda County 4-H is “Get Carried away with 4-H”.

We have numerous opportunities coming for youth in Saluda to get involved in this upcoming 4-H year.

 

–          On September 8th and 9th, we will be hosting the Saluda County 4-H Livestock Show.

 We will have a Meat Goat, Beef, Poultry, Rabbit and Dairy Heifer shows.

A coloring contest for all the local elementary schools to participate in will be displayed at the livestock show.

–    We are in the planning stage for after school clubs, stay tune to the Saluda               County 4-H Facebook page for more information.

 

 

–          We will be hosting four Holiday Workshop Series throughout the year.

•          Giving at Thanksgiving Workshop

Wednesday November 24th 9:00 am to 3:00pm

•          Christmas Magic Workshop

Monday December 20th 9:00am to 3:00pm

•          Luck of the Irish Workshop

Friday March 18th 9:00am to 3:00pm

•          Happy Easter Workshop

Monday April 11th 9:00am to 3:00pm

 

Travis Mitchell – Area Livestock and Forages Agent

This Summer has been a very busy season at the Saluda County Extension office.  We held our first in-person Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association meeting in June.  The meeting was held at Crouch Hardware and Farm Supply.  Producers listened to a great presentation from Purina on beef cattle nutrition.  We also held a CAMM training in August at the Hollywood Ruritan.  Mr. Lee Vanvlake with Clemson Extension gave a presentation on beef cattle watering systems.

The South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show was held on August 6th at the T. Ed Garrison Livestock Complex in Clemson.  Members in attendance received numerous educational presentations as well as the opportunity to visit with over 30 vendors at our Industry Trade Show.  This year we were pleased to have the South Carolina Angus Association join us for this special event.  Our meeting concluded with our annual awards banquet.  At the banquet, we awarded our Awards of Excellence and recognized our SC Cattlemen’s Foundation scholarship winners.  Details and photos of these award recipients will be published in the next issue of the Carolina Cattle Connection.

The South Carolina Junior Beef Round-Up was also held at the T. Ed Garrison Arena the same weekend as the Annual Meeting and Trade Show.  It was exciting to have this event take place right next door, where members could walk over to support the youth exhibiting their beef cattle.

Plans and preparations have been made for the Saluda County Livestock Shows September 8th-9th.  We look forward to seeing all the youth from around the state exhibit their livestock at these shows.

Laurens Extension Welcomes New Livestock and Forages Agent

Reid Miller, Livestock and Forages Agent
Reid Miller, Livestock and Forages Agent

Laurens Extension is pleased to announce that Mr. Reid Miller will be our new Livestock and Forages Agent.  Reid will be based in Greenwood County, and will cover Greenwood, Laurens and McCormick Counties.  Reid comes to Clemson Extension from the University of Georgia Extension Service, where he served as the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Hart County.  Reid received his Bachelor of Science from Clemson University in Animal and Veterinary Sciences and also has a Master’s of Science in Plant and Environmental Sciences from Clemson University.  Reid has worked in Georgia Extension since 2018 and brings a great set of skills and knowledge to our team.  He has family that farms in Edgefield County and has a good knowledge base for the counties that he will be covering. We are excited to have him join us in Laurens County.

Forestry and Wildlife Agent – Tom Brant

Larger Elm Leaf Beetle larva feeding on elm tree leaves. Photo credit: Tom Brant.
Larger Elm Leaf Beetle larva feeding on elm tree leaves. Photo credit: Tom Brant.

In the last six months there has been an increase in forestry and pond related calls, especially after the staff returned to the offices. I have been answering a wide assortment of questions including several about managing timber and harvesting timber stands. The usual questions are about dying pine trees with bark beetle issues, and about controlling pond weeds.  As fall approaches, questions about buying seedlings and planting trees have increased.  I continue to visit sites on request and walk over timberland properties and provide advice about those properties.  We are continuing our virtual programs, and announcements are sent to my clients as the program information is available.  There was another occurrence of an unusual pest affecting trees in the area.  As if on cue, a number of calls came in about elm trees dying.  It turns out there has been a larger than usual population of Larger Elm Leaf Beetles this late summer.  The larva of these beetles eat the green from the leaves of elm trees and cause what remains to turn brown and fall off.  Many are concerned the trees have died, but they should be fine and leaf out again next spring, though some may try to re-leaf now.   The beetles sometime out pace their natural predators, and their populations explode for a year or two, until the predator populations catch up with them.

I remain in contact with the Laurens County Forest Landowners Association Board members concerning their quarterly meetings and what their plans for these meetings would be.  It is good to say the Association has met in-person twice now and plans to meet for a third time in November.

 

 

Cherokee County Extension Advisory Council

Amy Mallette, Cherokee County Administrative Assistant

The latest meeting of the Cherokee County Extension Advisory Council met on August 19th at the Cherokee County Administrative Building. Topics included an overview of the Census, a new agent, and the Duke Energy Site.

CUCES Upstate District Director George Dickert cited the Census and stated that South Carolina’s population grew to 5 million and becoming 24th in the country for population. Cherokee County alone increased 3.3% and revealed a high poverty rate within its borders. At this point, George mentions that the Cherokee office will be receiving an Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program or EFNEP agent. He or she will cover both Cherokee and York counties. Since Cherokee has a high poverty rate, an EFNEP agent will significantly impact Cherokee food assistance programs.

Heather Nix, Upstate Water Resources Agent, discussed several upcoming events in the water resource department. They are looking to add more free online courses, such as their dam maintenance course. They are bringing Be Well Informed to our state and will test private drinking water wells for bacteria. They also plan to tackle the cyanobacteria or blue algae problem plaguing upstate ponds by using a grant to teach preventative tactics.

Livestock & Forage Agent Chris LeMaster described various completed action items from previous meetings, including adding Extension to the Administrative website and collaborations to make Cherokee more family-oriented. One of those collaborations is with the Duke Energy Site. 4-H Agent Laura Haddon has already held many successful day camps at the Outdoor Classroom this summer. She and Chris reminded council members to join Duke Energy and Clemson Extension personnel for the ribbon cutting at the Duke Energy Site.

Members of the Cherokee County Extension Advisory Council listening to speaker, Chris LeMaster.
Members of the Cherokee County Extension Advisory Council listening to speaker, Chris LeMaster.

Along with summer camps, many 4-Hers participated in individual projects, including the Honeybee Project, collaborating with Jerry Smith, Cherokee County Bee Club’s president.

Laura announced that she and Chris applied for and received a $1000 grant. This grant will fund the transportation of every second grader in Cherokee County to attend Down on the Farm Day, an idea inspired by Loretta Holmes. This event will take place on April 1st, no joke.

Chris announced a few more upcoming events, including the 1st Cherokee Livestock Show. He listed a couple of locations that present great opportunities for family-oriented activities: Broad River Electric Auditorium and Duke Energy Site.

Frannie Stockwell, Cherokee Chamber of Commerce Director, offered to share her radio time with WZZQ and Hope Broadcasting to help spread the word of Extension.

To close the meeting, Andy Rollins, Upstate Commercial Fruit & Vegetable Agent, spoke about a proposed Peach Museum for the Upstate. He requested anyone that would like to contribute ideas, pictures, or information to contact him. Andy then gave a detailed demonstration of picking the perfect peach. He brought a variety of fruit to sample, including peaches, nectarines, and pluots. The sampling was a hit, and many members left with fruit.

 

 

Dog Days of Summer

Christopher LeMaster, Livestock & Forage Agent, Cherokee, Spartanburg, & York Counties

New farmers try their hand at temporary fencing and rotational grazing.
New farmers try their hand at temporary fencing and rotational grazing.

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 a 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, 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 is targeted at 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.

Duke Energy Outdoor Education Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Laura Haddon, Cherokee County Clemson Extension 4-H Youth Development Agent

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Duke Energy Outdoor Education Center
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Duke Energy Outdoor Education Center

Youth in Cherokee County received the first opportunity to put the Duke Energy Outdoor Education Center at the Lee Site in Gaffney to use.  Twenty-six children, ages 8 to 14, attended Cherokee County 4-H’s Nature Camp each Friday in June.  The hands-on lessons covered watersheds and water quality, pollinators, aquatic wildlife, and terrestrial wildlife.

Senator Harvey Peeler with Cherokee County 4-Hers Brody Church, Owen Davidson, Piper Wicks, Lilly Wicks, and Ellory Davidson at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Senator Harvey Peeler with Cherokee County 4-Hers Brody Church, Owen Davidson, Piper Wicks, Lilly Wicks, and Ellory Davidson at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

On Wednesday, August 25th five of the campers returned to show off the beautiful location to other members of the community at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.  The children acted as tour guides for the invited guests, pointing out wildlife and sharing what they learned at camp as they followed a trail to one of the ponds on the property.

This project has long been a goal of Cherokee County’s Senator Harvey Peeler and was achieved by partnerships between Duke Energy, SCDNR, Cherokee County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Clemson Extension.  The land is open to the public as one of SCDNR’s Wildlife Management Areas.  Cherokee County 4-H is extremely grateful to be able to use this property to encourage youth to appreciate and protect our community’s natural environment.

Cherokee 4-H Summer Workshops

Laura Haddon, Cherokee County Clemson Extension 4-H Youth Development Agent

June was our first month of in-person activities since we went virtual in March 2020 due to the pandemic.  We hit the ground running and haven’t stopped!

One of the first things on our Cherokee County 4-H calendar was our Nature Fridays hosted at the Duke Energy Outdoor Education Center.  A total of 26 youth attended at least one of the four Friday workshops.  Each Friday was devoted to a specific natural resources topic: watersheds, pollinators, aquatic wildlife, and terrestrial wildlife.  Games, crafts, and hands-on activities connected the youth to the natural beauty of Cherokee County.  We heard from guest speakers each week that offered practical applications and future career connections to the important topics being covered at camp each week.  This set of workshops was very well received and could only have been accomplished with the assistance of Cherokee County Soil & Water Conservation District, York County 4-H, Greenville County 4-H, Oconee County 4-H, SCDNR, and Duke Energy.

4-Hers complete macro-invertebrate sampling in London Creek with the help of SCDNR.
4-Hers complete macro-invertebrate sampling in London Creek with the help of SCDNR.

Cherokee County 4-H also offered Clovers in the Kitchen Workshops where youth learned basic cooking skills such as making muffins, boiling eggs, and browning ground beef.  Our youngest 4-H’ers, the Cloverbuds, had a workshop all their own where they experienced activities from all six 4-H project areas.  Their favorite activities were the ones with the animals (worms, chicks, and a rabbit) that came to visit!  Eleven girls signed up for Sewing 101 where they learned to operate a sewing machine and created several projects to take home including a pillow, bean bags, bookmarks, and drawstring bags.

Each of the workshops offered this summer has the opportunity to become a full-fledged 4-H club this fall.  We are looking forward to building on our summer successes in the 2021-2022 school year!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Laura Haddon, Cherokee County Clemson Extension 4-H Youth Development Agent

Shake, shake, shake your ice cream!
Shake, shake, shake your ice cream!
Students enjoying the process of making their own ice cream!
Students enjoying the process of making their own ice cream!

The school year ended with a sweet treat.  The youth enrolled in the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Upstate in Cherokee County concluded a year’s worth of 4-H STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) activities by making ice cream. They connected ice cream to science by discussing what factors caused the changes in the states of matter (liquid whipping cream to solid ice cream) and the part that salt plays in that change.  After 10 minutes of shaking their ingredients they had a new appreciation for the work-saving technology that allows us to make ice cream at the push of a button.  They topped their homemade vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and sprinkles.  While they enjoyed the sweet treat they listened to a read aloud of the book, Tales of the Dairy Godmother: Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish, by Viola Butler, which shares the journey of ice cream from the farm to your bowl with a twist on an old fairy tale.  It was a delicious way to wrap up a busy year!

Clemson Spring Dairy Show and Junior Dairy Weekend

The Clemson Spring Dairy Show and Junior Dairy Weekend was held April 22-25, 2021, at the T. Ed Garrison Arena.  The hopes of the show committee composed of local dairymen, Clemson Extension personnel, 4-H Dairy Club leaders, and dairy industry representatives when re-organizing the event was to make this weekend a cornerstone for our dairy youth programs across the state and a standout youth event across the Southeast.  With hard work and dedication from the committee, the event has surpassed all expectations.   The first show in 2018 had a total of 248 head from five different states and 72 youth competing in showmanship alone.  The show has continued to grow, and our 2021 show encompassed 316 head from nine different states and 108 youth competing in showmanship. Our show was seen this year on a larger stage with live feeds from Dairy Agenda Today.  Through this addition, we were able to highlight our show, our youth, and our South Carolina Youth Dairy Heifer Project.

In addition to exceptional dairy breed shows, the showmanship classes provided our South Carolina youth the opportunity to compete with some of the best youth showman in the Southeast.  The focus of the eight showmanship classes was beyond just the placings.  Providing a learning opportunity and enhancing the skills these youth had in the show ring was a priority.  Other learning opportunities for the weekend included our judging and showmanship clinics.  Because of the success of the show, we were able to provide 8 exceptional classes of cattle to be judged by over 30 youth in a dairy judging clinic.  Forty-five youth also participated in our showmanship clinic led by several of the top adult showman in the region.

Junior Dairy Showmanship                                        Spring Dairy Show