Year: 2022

Saluda County 4-H is celebrating the past year while looking forward to the New Year in 4-H. This past 4-H year had several great summer workshops, state winners in different program areas, and multiple youth learning new things.

Here is a recap of this summer workshops:

All things Nature camp-we planted a pollinator garden box outside our front office.

Summer Recovery Camp with Saluda School District-we learned how things grow, how things are made and where they come from, Holidays around the world, and Lunch Box fun.

Canning Camp-We learned about canning tomatoes and recipes that use tomatoes.

Cooking Like a Chef Camp-a 2-day camp where they made healthy recipes while learning knife skills and other cooking skills.

Art and Craft Camp-we learned about weaving and made our own tapestry.

STEM Camp-We went on an adventure with Journey to Mars, making scooter bots, learned about coding, and designed their own toothpick bridge.

Kids in the Kitchen Camp-We made different easy recipes that would create a great dinner or meal for the family.

Sewing Camp-Youth made their own pajama pants.

Livestock Camp-We had seven different livestock species there, the youth rotated to each animal to learn about taking care of the animal and how to show the animal.

At State 4-H Congress, Mya Chapman, was recognize as a State Portfolio Winner and won National 4-H Conference Trip and Scholarship.

We also have State Winners in the following areas:

Jonathon Chapman-State Junior Winner in Garden.

Tori Templeton-State Cloverbud Winner in Beef.

Tabitha Swygert-State Senior Winner in Swine.

Avery Quattlebaum-State Senior Winner in Healthy Lifestyles.

Thomas Corley-State Divisional HOA Winner-R in 4-H Shotgun Program.

This past school year Saluda 4-H partners with Saluda District Water and Soil Conservation to help youth learn about growing tomatoes. We passed out about 75 tomato plants to youth that participate in 4-H after school program. We had 5 youth complete the program completely with completing a record book, entering the tomato contest, and submitting demonstrations and presentations about their tomatoes.

We are excited to have this year’s State Bee Project winners in Saluda County.

Senior Division winner was Mya Chapman and Junior Division winner is Jonathon Chapman.

We are looking forward to a great New 4-H year! Starting in September we will have our after school clubs starting.

Hollywood Elementary has 2 clubs Little Leaf and Lucky Leaf.

Saluda Primary-Elementary has 2 clubs-Saluda Mini Clovers and Saluda Clovers NEW!

Saluda Middle School has 1 club-Saluda Cloverleaf!

In October we will be starting our specialty clubs:

Cooking Clubs-2 Saluda Mini Cooking and Saluda Cooking Chef Club NEW!

Livestock Club NEW!

Sewing Club!

Shotgun Club-Richland Creek Top Guns 4-H Club

If you have any questions, please let Lauren Black Venegas know at lblack4@clemson.edu.We will also be offering All Things Workshop series. Registration for these workshops will come out at soon. Our first is September 30th, All Things Fall Workshop.

Our Tractors and Implements for Forest Landowners series’s first and second articles covered tractor selection and ground contact implements (see links at the end). This third part will cover implements and attachments for property maintenance that the forest landowner should consider adding to their arsenal.

Adjustable scrape blade. Photo credit: Stephen Pohlman, Clemson University.

The first implements to discuss are box blades and scrape blades. The same principle applies to these, as did our ground contact implement article. You will want to pay attention to steel thickness and construction, added gussets and bracing, and proper width based on the size of the tractor. Typically, you will want your box and scrape blades to be at least as wide as your rear tires, just to leave a nice finished look behind you instead of tire tracks.

Box blades and scrape blades are often used for the same jobs; however, each has its intended purpose. A box blade is intended to keep things smooth/level. A scrape blade is intended to shape the ground. For example, if you plan to pull a ditch or crown a road, the scrape blade is a much better option. If you already have a surface that you are trying to maintain as smooth and level, then a box blade will be easier. Granted, you can do the same thing with a scrape blade. However, the scrape blade will roll material out one end, or both, during the process. In contrast, a box blade will store the excess material inside the boxed area to later be used for depositing in other holes/depressions. Scrape blades can come in adjustable models that make it easy for the operator to change the angle and pitch of the blade without having to change the tractor’s 3-pt hitch angles. Also, these adjustable models can be manual as well as hydraulic; however, the hydraulic versions will need to utilize the tractor’s rear hydraulic accessory block (‘remotes’ as some call them).

Box blade. Photo credit: Stephen Pohlman, Clemson University.

Box blades and scrape blades are also great prescribed fire management equipment, provided you already have pre-existing fire breaks. Dragging a box blade or scrape blade on these maintained fire breaks will keep you from fracturing the soil surface with a plow. This allows you to keep a hard soil surface that prevents soil erosion and gives you the bare mineral soil that you need to avoid fire from walking across your fire break. The one flaw with this is that leaf/needle litter will quickly fill a box blade and a scrape blade, causing it to ‘jump’ over a rolled-up pile of this material. Thus, the build-up of leaf/needle litter will at some point need to be pushed off to the side out of the fire break while dragging the fire break clean.

Another tool for our tractor is the front end loader. Most tractors in the 20-40hp class seem to come with loaders, but this is not always the case. A front end loader is often included as dealers add them due to customer demand. A front end loader can be a valuable tool if you need to lift things, like implements on and off trailers or lime/fertilizer for food plots, just to name a few. A front end loader can also help walk a stuck tractor out as well, though painstakingly slow. Do keep in mind that many of today’s front end loaders can take advantage of different front end attachments once you take the bucket off. Attachments such as grapple buckets, loader forks, rock buckets, 3-n-1 buckets, post hole diggers, etc., are most common for forest landowners. Some brands utilize the skid steer style attachment method, while others use their own proprietary system. Those with proprietary systems typically have a conversion kit or adaptor if the owner would rather have the skid steer style instead.

Grapple bucket. Photo credit: Stephen Pohlman, Clemson University.

One of the front end loader attachments mentioned above, grapple buckets, makes my life much easier as a forest landowner. Coming from someone who has bent their fair share of grapple buckets, know that they make different ones: standard duty, medium duty, heavy duty, and extreme duty. Each one has thicker and more metal, shields, braces, etc. One major factor to consider when buying a grapple bucket is weight. Make sure that your loader capacity meets not only the weight of the grapple but also the weight of the material you’ll be lifting. There are two kinds of grapple buckets, a brush grapple and a root grapple. By design, one is more clam-shaped, and the other is better at acting like loader forks for picking up and stacking things. Also, grapple buckets tend to have either one big grappling device or two separate clamping devices. The advantage of the two clamping devices is you will get a better bite/grasp on whatever you are trying to hold. Lastly, do know that your tractor will need to have a third function valve added for the front end loader to have the ability to open/close the grapple.

The next article in this series will be about vegetation management. We will get into things like sprayers, rotary cutters, and tree cutters in that article.

In case you missed them, here are the prior articles in this series:
Tractors and Implements for Forest Landowners- Part 1: Tractors- https://blogs.clemson.edu/fnr/2021/10/21/tractors-for-forest-landowners/

Tractors and Implements for Forest Landowners – Part 2: Ground Contact Implements- https://blogs.clemson.edu/fnr/2021/12/13/tractors-and-implements-for-forest-landowners-part-2-ground-contact-implements/

Author(s)

Stephen Pohlman, Cooperative Extension, Forestry and Wildlife Agent

This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. 

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

Carolyn Dawson
Forestry & Wildlife Agent

Do you have 1 to 10 acres of woods in your backyard? Would you like to reduce your lawn, plant trees, and invite wildlife to your suburban lot all while becoming a better steward of your small parcel of land? The Woods In Your Backyard workshop is designed with the small landowner in mind. It will help you to effectively care for forests and wildlife and increase your enjoyment of the land. You will learn to recognize and manage invasive plants & pests. It will identify potential income sources, and help you understand how your land relates to the land around you. Owners of even just a few acres can make a positive difference in their environment through planning and implementing the simple stewardship practices you will learn at The Woods In Your Backyard Workshop. Participants who own land that is forested, have natural areas, or are interested in turning mowed lawns into natural areas, are invited to attend! This workshop is designed specifically (but not exclusively) for smaller landowners, those with 1-10 acres. Please contact Carolyn Dawson, Clemson Extension Forestry agent, at Dawson4@clemson.edu for more information.

Date: October 15, 2022

Place: Hayden Conference Center, Clemson, SC

Christopher LeMaster
Livestock and Forage Agent
Cherokee, Spartanburg, and York

Finding a facility to harvest and process your livestock is a challenge for producers of any scale. This challenge has been exasperated by labor shortages and increased local meat demand. Fortunately, an exemption for small-scale poultry producers allows them to harvest and sell their meat. Many South Carolinians bought poultry during the pandemic as a hobby and our call volume regarding poultry harvest and processing has certainly increased. To safely and humanely process chicken requires hands-on training. This can be a complex skill and is certainly not something you’d try to handle “virtually”.

Through an extension innovation grant, we have secured funding to put together a mobile processing unit. This consists of an enclosed trailer that houses the necessary equipment to teach producers on-farm the proper practices of processing. We are still outfitting the trailer but have planned its first two outings. We will use the mobile processing unit at a “train the trainer” meeting and then will offer a poultry processing workshop to the public on November 11th. The goal of the mobile processing unit is to educate producers of any size on humane harvest, efficient processing, safe food handling, good marketing practices, and even some good cooking recipes.

I anticipate a busy fall with livestock shows, cattlemen meetings, and our extension workshops. Thank you for your support of Clemson Extension.

Heather Nix
Upstate Water Resources Agent

Questions about pond weeds are common throughout the summer. As water temperatures warm, cyanobacteria blooms can occur more frequently. While there are many cyanobacteria species that can look different in a pond – all are capable of producing toxins, so care should be taken to avoid or limit contact with these blooms as much as possible. The Land Grant Press (LGP) article Introduction to Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in South Carolina Freshwater Systems provides more detailed information.

The CU Plant & Pest Diagnostic Clinic can evaluate samples to confirm if a bloom is cyanobacteria and will provide specific control recommendations. See Submitting an Algae Sample for Identification for more information. In the meantime, there are a couple do it yourself tests that help indicate if a bloom is cyanobacteria; instructions are provided in the recently published HGIC Fact Sheet Do It Yourself: Visual Indicators, Stick Test, and Jar Test for Cyanobacteria.

Water planning efforts continue throughout the state to ensure plentiful, clean water for future generations. The recently published LGP article Water Withdrawal Regulations in South Carolina provides an overview to increase understanding of the current rules. The SC Department of Natural Resources is leading creation of River Basin Councils in each of SC’s eight major river basins; these Councils will work over a two-year period to draft a River Basin Plan. The Edisto RBC is nearing completion of the first draft of the Edisto River Basin Plan. The Broad River Basin Council started meeting earlier this year and is currently accepting applications for representatives from Local Government, Industry, or Economic Development.

Upcoming events include the SC Water Chats webinars focusing on Source Water Protection (Free! 9/20 and 9/22, @1:00pm) and several free Adopt-A-Stream volunteer water quality monitoring trainings are offered in Spartanburg this fall. See the Clemson Extension Events Calendar for the latest water-related event information.

Laura Haddon
Cherokee County 4-H Youth Development Agent

Cherokee County 4-H hosted its first annual “Down on the Farm Day” event for all the second graders in the county.  Laura Haddon and Christopher LeMaster wrote a grant in the spring of 2021 and received $1,000 to cover the cost of transportation for the public schools within the district.  After meeting with school district staff, the date was set for Friday, April 1, 2022.

Almost 600 second grade students (public, private, and charter) attended the event hosted at Sarratt Farms in Gaffney.  Children rotated with their classes through six stations where they learned about different areas of South Carolina agriculture.  Stations included strawberries, earthworms, sunflowers, pigs, cows, and a combine!  County extension agents from across the Upstate, teachers and students from the ag classes at Cherokee County’s Institute for Innovation, SC Ag in the Classroom, and SC Farm to School all helped to give the students hands-on knowledge about farming in our county and state.

The goal of this event was to connect youth to the source of their food and fiber and develop in each one an appreciation for South Carolina agriculture.  For many of the students, this was their first time ever seeing a cow, a pig, or even stepping foot on a farm! It was an adventure they will always remember.

Laura Haddon
Cherokee County 4-H Agent

On Friday, March 11^th and Saturday, March 12^th Cherokee County 4-H hosted its first annual spring livestock show event.  Fifty-seven youth from three states braved the rain, wind, and freezing temperatures to show off the hard work they have put into raising and training their livestock.  Market hogs, beef cattle, and rabbits were exhibited over the course of the two days. Our distinguished judges were John Barnes (hogs and cattle) of Wilson County North Carolina and Julia Waddell (rabbits) of Inman.

Friday night was the Market Hog Show.  Youth showed their hogs in showmanship and market classes.  In showmanship youth were divided into age groups and judged on how well they were able to present their hog and exhibit its best traits to the judge. Anna Barrett Penland, of Laurens, won the belt buckle for top Junior Showman and Langley Vernon, of Anderson, won the belt buckle for top Senior Showman.  Market classes were determined by the weights of the hogs.  The top pig from each weight class was chosen by the judge and held over to compete for Grand and Reserve Champion Market Hog.  Grand Champion Lottery Market Hog went to Cade Simpson of Anderson and his pig, BBQ.  Jack Dill of Jonesville received Reserve Champion Lottery Market Hog for his pig Uno.  The Open Market Hog Grand Champion was Anna Barrett Penland and her pig Slushie, while Reserve Grand Champion Open Market Hog went to Carley Tolbert of Franklin County Georgia and her pig Trigger.

The competitions continued Saturday morning with beef cattle and Saturday afternoon with rabbits.  Once again, the youth were judged on their knowledge of their animal and ability to present their animal in a way that would display its best traits. Belt buckles were awarded to Lillian Wilkins of Blacksburg for top Cloverbud Beef Showman, Josey Tolbert of Franklin County Georgia for top Junior Beef Showman, Jonathan Felipe of Habersham County Georgia for top Intermediate Beef Showman, and to Hailee Campbell of Enoree for top Senior Beef Showman.  The winner of the Rabbit Showmanship Belt Buckle was a Senior Showman, Jason Conners of Van Wyck.

After the showmanship competitions were completed, the animals were divided by breeds and judged by how closely they conformed to the standard for their breeds.  A top animal was chosen for each breed of cattle and held over for the Supreme Champion Heifer competition.  At the end of the day, Jonathan Felipe and his Simmental heifer, Woodlawn Splendid, were awarded the $1,000 check and title of Supreme Heifer for the show.  The Best in Show of the Rabbit breeds was awarded to Jason Conners and his Mini Rex rabbit, Gene.

Cherokee County 4-H also presented a Herdsman Award to one youth in the Market Hog Show and one youth in the Beef Show.  This award was given to two young men who demonstrated a positive attitude, a diligent work ethic, and a willingness to help others during their time at the show.  Andrew Jewell of Gray Court was awarded the Swine Herdsman of the Year and Ross Arthur of Union was awarded the Beef Herdsman of the Year.  In addition to a beautiful plaque, each young man was awarded a cash prize of $250.

This show would not have been possible without the support of our community.  Cherokee County 4-H wishes to thank all 37 of our sponsors who made it possible for us to award over $10,000 in cash prizes to the youth for their hard work.  Chick-fil-A of Gaffney and Firehouse Subs of Gaffney provided us with concessions to raise money for our 4-H Scholarship Fund. Mr. Bill Sarratt and his staff at Sarratt Farms prepared their facilities for our use.  Mr. Peter Wilkins, Mrs. Karen Allen, and countless others were instrumental in all the behind the scenes work that goes into organizing a livestock show. A special award was given to Mr. Robert Blanton to recognize him for his hard work and dedication to the youth of 4-H and specifically to the Cherokee County 4-H Spring Livestock Show.

Andy Rollins
Upstate Commercial Fruit & Vegetable Agent

An On-Farm planting located at a cooperating farm has established new experimental grape varieties and new muscadine cultivars. Fruit harvest began two weeks ago with ‘Rhazzmatazz,’ a novel seedless hybrid muscadine-vinifera hybrid grape developed by Gardens Alive plant breeder Jeff Bloodworth.

The next grape I just started harvesting is ‘Oh My,’ another seedless cultivar from the same company. Muscadine plants we are evaluating but have not started picking are ‘Paulk’ and ‘Ruby Crisp.’ These are University of Georgia cultivars donated by Dr. Patrick Conner. Other experimental varieties will not begin fruiting till next year as plants were planted one year after initial planting. Yield and quality data on these varieties are being collected for direct farm application. Information from this planting and the demonstration grape farm at Clemson’s Musser Farm assists several new muscadine farmers in the upstate.

Five farmers from several counties toured the Musser Farm to observe small fruit production. More recently, three farmers accompanied me to Gardens Alive Farm in Kings Mountain to consider newer varieties.

Grapes fit well into fall production programs, especially for anyone growing pumpkins and doing Fall field days. We know what works now, but many new varieties are being cultivated. With the information we gather from these trials. We will be ready for what is coming next.

Laura Haddon
Cherokee County 4-H Youth Development Agent

Cherokee County 4-H stayed busy all summer!  We continued to provide programming to the five Boys and Girls Clubs of the Upstate locations in Cherokee County.  Programs included Healthy Lifestyles lessons, STEM activities, and Ag in the Classroom experiences for first through fifth grades.  Our partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs is invaluable!

We also hosted day camps and workshops.  Our first day camp of the summer was Nature Camp.  It was offered to a total of 25 youth each Friday in June and covered a different topic each week.  This year the topics included Watersheds, Birds, Aquatic Wildlife, and Tree Identification.  The camp was hosted with the help of Duke Energy and Cherokee County Soil and Water Conservation District.  Each of the participants had fun and gained a greater appreciation for the natural resources in our county.

The Cloverbuds (ages 5 to 8) enjoyed a camp all to themselves as they learned about the opportunities 4-H has to offer.  They had fun with STEM, Healthy Lifestyles, Natural Resources, and Community Service activities centered around a theme for each day of camp.  The themes were Patriotism, Butterflies, and My Plate.  At the end of the week, we were able to provide the residents at Palmetto Veterans Home in Gaffney with red, white, and blue cards thanking them for their service to our country.

One of our most successful day camps took place in July at the Cherokee County Institute for Innovation.  The agriculture teachers partnered with 4-H to host an Animal Science Camp for 20 youth.  Campers learned how to restrain animals safely, give injections, and bandage and suture wounds.  We had special guests from Latti-moo’s Farm and the Humane Society of Cherokee County.  The youth brought donations of food, bedding, and cleaning supplies to share with the animals at the Humane Society and made pumpkin dog treats and recycled t-shirt toys too!

The Summer Workshops for Tweens and Teens included planting succulents and basic sewing skills.  The American Sewing Guild of the Upstate provided the supplies and expertise needed for the sewing workshop, while we continued our partnership with the Institute for Innovation for the succulent workshop.  The youth that attended enjoyed learning new skills and developing a new hobby!

Community partnerships were the key to our summer successes!  We appreciate all those who helped us make the best of Cherokee County better!

Alex Thompson
Upstate Food Systems and Safety Agent

Craft beer is coming to Clemson!

Upstate Food Systems and Safety Agent Alex Thompson, Clemson Extension Associate Chad Carter, Horticulture Agent Zack Snipes, and Dr. Julie Northcutt are working to develop and implement a brewing program to serve the South Carolina brewing industry and the public through Clemson Cooperative Extension.

According to the South Carolina Brewers Guild, 95 craft breweries in South Carolina produce 105,620 brewery barrels (3,274,220 gallons) of beer annually, with a yearly economic impact of $905 million on the South Carolina economy. The South Carolina brewing industry is a major driving force of economic development across the state. Clemson Cooperative Extension is looking to improve the lives and livelihood of South Carolinians by offering research-based solutions, workforce development programs, and product testing related to brewing science.

Clemson Cooperative Extension funds the development of the Clemson Cooperative Extension Brewing Program through the 2022 Innovation Awards. This award funds the purchase of brewing equipment, lab devices, and the creation of course materials to develop brewing science training for South Carolinians. This program will provide services for stakeholders who own and operate breweries, who currently work at breweries, hope to work in the brewing industry or are just curious about brewing and want to learn more.

Over the coming months, progress will be made towards the first offering in the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service Brewing Program for South Carolina, a “Learn to Brew” workshop that will be open to the public. This workshop will be offered both in-person and online and will teach participants the entirety of the brewing process from grain to glass. Furthermore, an optional program day will be hosted on the Clemson University campus, where participants will get a brewing experience. This workshop portion will allow students to interact with brewing equipment and learn about the brewing process in real-time as they produce beer from raw materials.

Craft beer is a major part of the South Carolina economy, and Clemson Cooperative Extension is poised to assist South Carolina brewers and consumers as the industry continues to grow.