Month: January 2022

Aaron C. Swank, MPH, is an applied epidemiologist working with the Fairfield County Extension Service as a Nutrition Educator under the EFNEP program. His academic background and training include Bachelor’s degrees in both Human Nutrition and Kinesiology (2015). Aaron completed a Master of Public Health at Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) in 2017. He studied the impact of chronic psychological distress on nutrition and physical activity behaviors among low-income Americans.

As an applied epidemiologist, Aaron has worked in many roles with health professionals, scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders to promote health and well-being in rural communities. Aaron’s primary focus has been building connected, accessible, culturally-competent, safe health systems in communities deeply impacted by food insecurity and physical inactivity. One of his greatest strengths is building capacity and trust within local coalitions to empower all residents to thrive together in their community. Aaron has accomplished this by delivering and implementing evidence-based health interventions developed and designed to make health a priority to individuals, communities, and organizations. Additionally, he has advocated, engaged, and trained in the education and promotion of strong social support systems that offer safe opportunities to purchase healthy foods, maintain an active lifestyle, and create an accessible, affirming, culturally-competent health care system for all.

Aaron’s most recent job was as a Health Assistant for Accolade, Inc., where he assisted customers in navigating health insurance coverage and eligibility. He served as the Nutrition & Family Finance agent for K-State Research & Extension from 2018 to 2020. He has nearly ten years of experience in direct, skilled nursing care. During this time, Aaron worked as a nurse’s assistant in senior living communities in Topeka and Manhattan, KS. During graduate school, Aaron worked as a Household Coordinator, supervising the care of a 16-resident dementia-care house at Meadowlark Hills Senior Living Community in Manhattan, KS. He supervised and trained the nursing staff, led care planning for residents and families, and oversaw the household budget and dietary planning.

Aaron is a veteran and Sergeant of the United States Marine Corps, serving from 2004 to 2012. He has published co-authorship in peer-reviewed health science journals and has written many health-related articles for local newspapers. Aaron moved to Blythewood from south-central Kansas in December 2021. He lives with his brother, sister, and four nieces and nephews.

Laura Haddon
Cherokee County 4-H Agent

Cherokee County 4-H has continued its partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Upstate by providing STEM activities to the clubs located in Cherokee County.  Youth at Blacksburg, Draytonville, Luther Vaughan, BD Lee, and Limestone-Central Elementaries have experienced Biology and Chemistry through hands-on activities.  During the month of October students dissected Barn Owl pellets to discover which animals make up the Barn Owl’s food chain.  In November, they had a tasty introduction to Chemistry as they made “Pumpkin Pie in a Bag”.

Cherokee County 4-H community clubs used their “hands for larger service” over the holidays by collecting non-perishable food items for the Salvation Army, crafting Christmas ornaments for residents at Brookview Healthcare Center, and baking Christmas cookies for Meals on Wheels.  They have also been busy learning about all the opportunities that 4-H has to offer them!

Third grade students at Corinth Elementary have been learning about how to make healthy choices by learning to read nutrition labels and how many servings of fruits and veggies they need to eat each day.  Students made and enjoyed Fruit Smoothies and a salad with a rainbow of vegetables and a low-fat Ranch dressing.  They have also learned about GO, SLOW, and STOP drinks and are ready to make healthier choices in 2022!

Looking ahead to a busy spring, Cherokee County 4-H is preparing for its First Annual Spring Livestock Show on March 11^th and March 12^th.  Youth may exhibit market hogs, beef cattle, and rabbits.  Sponsors are needed for this show to be a success.  Please contact Laura Haddon (lhaddon@clemson.edu) for more information or to offer your support!

The first annual “Down on the Farm Day” is scheduled for this spring too!  On Friday, April 1^st second graders from across the county will be bussed to Sarratt Farms where they will be introduced to agriculture, both plants and animals!  This event was made possible by a Cherokee County Community grant as well as partnerships between Clemson Extension, Cherokee County Farm Bureau, SC Farm to School, and local farmers.

For a very long time, Clemson EFNEP has been The best-kept secret, not anymore. More and more people know about EFNEP programming now. Either because they have participated as learners or because word of mouth is out there. We have successfully recruited and taught adults for the Eating Smart Being Active series. We continue providing these teachings online. In that way, we are confident that everyone stays safe.

Although in-person classes are still not permitted within the school districts, due to the non-visitor policy, we are now trying different routes to reach and provide the Nutrition Education portion to home-schooled youth. In this way, we can offer these lessons to one child at a time.

In Spartanburg County, several groups of learners throughout the second part of 2021 completed and graduated from their Eating Smart ~ Being Active classes.

As we continue tirelessly working to see the numbers of COVID-19 cases decrease, we are thankful for the opportunity to serve the Spartanburg Co community.

If you or someone you know would like to receive these 100% FREE Nutrition Education Lessons, please reach out to us. We would love to hear from you.

Chris LeMaster
Livestock & Forages Agent
Cherokee, Spartanburg, & York Counties

Who would have thought that would be the headline of an Extension program? Over the past two years, we’ve seen significant technology adoption by all of our clients as we adapted to COVID protocols. While this provided some unique opportunities to bring in outside speakers and an “anywhere and anytime” form of Extension, there has also been burnout of on-demand and online learning opportunities. While we seek to find a balance, we’ve realized the personal face-to-face aspect of our workshops and farm visits cannot be replicated or replaced by virtual learning.

This fall, I worked to provide opportunities for both learning styles. The online Fall Fescue Workshop was well-attended due to the convenience of logging on via smartphone during lunch. However, the hands-on, in-person Fence Construction Workshop was my favorite. Producers from across the state attended a day-long workshop with class time and hands-on demonstrations to learn the newest and most cost-effective fencing methods. The focus of the workshop was planning and laying out the most efficient fenceline to maximize pasture and minimize efforts for gathering animals, watering, grazing, and distributing nutrients. Participants left the workshop knowing how to properly construct a brace, tie hi-tensile knots, post and select wire, and much more. This program was a success from the generous help of industry sponsorship.

This winter, I plan to keep this balance of virtual and in-person programs through the Backyard Poultry Workshop, Equine Forage, Online Forage Focus, Cattlemen meetings, and the partnership with 4H in the Down on the Farm Day and the Cherokee County Spring Livestock Show. Our livestock team continues to generate numerous learning opportunities that can be found on the Clemson Extension Livestock and Forages Facebook page. As always, be sure to check Clemson’s Land Grant Press for peer-reviewed articles on various livestock topics. I hope to see you this winter, whether virtually or in-person, at a workshop or farm visit.

Marlyne R. Walker, MS, RD
EFNEP Curriculum Coordinator/EFNEP Specialist

Studies have implied that individuals are not always practicable to attend EFNEP and nutrition classes. Transportation, childcare, and fluctuating work schedules have made regular attendance difficult for many. In addition, COVID-19 has created a whole new set of obstacles. It is imperative to offer nutrition education programs online to combat these barriers associated with traditional face-to-face classes, expand outreach and increase program graduation numbers. Clemson University’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program will deliver online EFNEP adult make-up lessons made possible with increases in Internet access and mobile devices in areas of limited resources.

Marlyne R. Walker, the EFNEP Instructional Designer, and the EFNEP State Director are developing and recording videos for the online lessons: a series of 9 lessons called The Dish: Nutrition Bite-Sized Lessons. These lessons will consist of multiple, evidence-based mini-videos addressing behavior change appropriate for EFNEP’s target audience. Each class will address the EFNEP core areas and feature a quick, easy recipe and a physical activity to promote more movement.

Brian Beer
Area Livestock Agent

Cattle producers always try to maximize the value of the calves they market. Group marketing efforts, like the Tri-County Feeder Cattle Sale, provide opportunities for farmers to improve market prices. Clemson Extension coordinated the off-farm feeder cattle sale for cattlemen in the region. Twelve area farmers sold 886 head of feeder calves (10 loads, 2 partial loads) using this alternative marketing option.  Marketing feeder calves off-farm resulted in a $0.20 per pound higher price when compared to traditional auction markets. The price increase resulted in $134 per head of additional revenue to area farmers. Marketing feeder calves using this alternative generated a total of $118,724 increase in revenue, an average of $9,834 per farm.

Stephanie Eidt
4-H Youth Development Fairfield County Extension Agent

This fall, Fairfield County 4-H has begun revitalizing its partnerships with local community groups to offer hands-on programming for students. The Fairfield County Parks and Recreation and Majestic Academy afterschool programs are conducting monthly engineering missions. So far, we have constructed miniature catapults, built marshmallow towers, and launched paper rockets!

Want to get in on the action? Consider leading a 4-H club as a volunteer under the mentorship of the 4-H office. Click here on to learn more!

The Water Resources Team continues to provide a variety of resources for SC residents. While questions about ponds may slow down over the winter, maintenance continues to be important. For example, aeration can protect fish by helping prevent your pond’s surface from completely freezing over (see picture). During the last few months, we also expanded our series of Land Grant Press articles related to ponds: Ponds in South Carolina, Recreational Ponds in SC, An Introduction to Stormwater Ponds in SC, and Pond Weeds: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment Options. Dates for the 2022 Upstate Healthy Pond Series should be announced soon, please keep an eye on the Clemson Extension Events Calendar for more information.

The Water Team also developed several programs to inform and empower residents throughout the state. If you rely on a septic tank to manage your household’s wastewater, the Be Septic Safe website offers a wide range of information on maintenance and repairs. For agricultural water users, the Center Pivot Irrigation Test (CPIT) program offers cost-effective evaluation of the irrigation uniformity to help safe money, maximize crop yield, and efficiently utilize natural resources.

 Upcoming events include the official launch of the CPIT program at the Irrigation Workshop and Tradeshows (Free! 2/14 @8:30am in Blackville, SC; and 2/22 @ 8:30am in Florence, SC) and a Stream Restoration Workshop and Training ($20, April 19-20 in Columbia area). Our free Adopt-A-Stream volunteer water quality monitoring training is available on various dates. Registration for the Spring 2022 Post-Construction BMP Inspector certification and re-certification will be announced soon.

Spartanburg Urban Horticulture Going Hybrid

As the state begins to rebound from COVID-19, Horticulture Agent Drew Jeffers is adapting programming to the community’s needs. Data collected from program evaluations showed that stakeholders want options for extension programming. In January 2022, Jeffers began offering multiple platforms to view his extension programs. He has adapted several programs for hybrid delivery, delivering in-person and via webinar simultaneously. Further, Jeffers has developed several on-demand programs for commercial and consumer audiences. Jeffers has also worked with several agents to build a recurring free webinar series to help landscapers learn about current issues called the Landscaper’s Guide to Customer Care.

Online Courses:

• South Carolina Certified Landscape Professional Spring 2022 Course
• South Carolina Certified Landscape Professional Fall 2022 Course

Hybrid Programming: Consumer

• 2-3-2022 – All About Vegetable Gardening
• Date to be Determined – Nuisance Wildlife Pest Management

Hybrid Programming: Commercial

• 2-17-22 – Urban Tree Health Management
• Private Pesticide Applicator Exam Training – May 5, 2022
• Commercial Pesticide Applicator Exam Training – May 11, 2022

On-Demand Webinar: Consumer

• All About Vegetables
• Dealing With Drainage and Excess Stormwater
• Nuisance Wildlife Pest Management

On-Demand Webinar: Commercial

• Commercial Pesticide Applicator (Core and Category 3) Exam Training Course
• Right of Way Pesticide Applicator Exam Training
• Aquatic Weed Identification and Management

Consumer Webinars:

• 3-8-22 – Growing Great Annuals
• 3-15-22 – Growing Great Perennials
• 4-5-22 – Annuals for Pollinators
• 4-12-22 Perennials for Pollinators

Commercial Webinars:

• Landscaper’s Guide to Customer Care Series

The pandemonium at the bread and milk aisle must mean we are due for some wintry weather and milk sandwiches. At the time of this blog, forecasts call for snow, ice, and long periods of sub-freezing temps. While this is not uncommon for our area, we have a few more precautions than your average homeowner as livestock producers. The biggest concerns for our livestock in wintry weather are hypothermia and dehydration. Shelter and added calories are the best defense for hypothermia. Water is always a challenge in winter but pay close attention to ice-over and monitor animal intake as we approach Sunday.

Animals burn considerably more calories with windchill and a wet coat. Ruminants and horses (hind-gut) generate heat when they ferment forages. For this reason, consider feeding in the late afternoon to help provide max heat during overnight lows. Ice will make grass more inaccessible than snow, so be prepared to put out hay early and often. In addition, rolling out hay to provide warm, dry bedding can be a relief to younger animals. Ensure you have adequate room to lessen the chance of young animals getting stepped on. Shelter is often not feasible for our cattle herds but encourage animals to bed in windbreaks by hay placement.

Winter weather in the south means ice. Besides the loss of traction, power loss is usually imminent in an ice storm. Temporary fences will fall to the added weight of the ice and may require a battery power source. Before the weather, top off feeders that are hard to access or need electricity (augers). If you are on well water, consider putting out extra troughs in case we lose power. Make sure your machinery is ready by checking fluids, adding weights, and don’t forget your small engines (ATV, chainsaw, generator).

Although the list of preparations is long, farmers are ever-ready and solid. They are the first called to pull a neighbor out of a ditch or cut a tree off a driveway. So while you’re trudging in snow caring for your livestock, please take a second to enjoy the views and know it too will pass soon.