Month: February 2023

Newberry County 4-H continues to rebuild its post-pandemic programs using both in-person and virtual methods. Our membership year runs September through August. At the mid-way mark of the 2022-23 4-H year we boast over 900 youth participating in our clubs, school enrichment programs, and independent projects.

4-H clubs are the root of our youth development programs, providing hands-on opportunities for youth ages 5-18 using volunteer leaders. Currently we offer 3 shooting sports clubs in shotgun and air rifle, 3 cooking clubs, 1 sewing club, and 1 virtual travel club. There are 64 youth participants meeting at least monthly, sometimes weekly, led by 17 certified and vetted adults.

School enrichment programs allow us to reach a wider range of youth and introduce them to 4-H opportunities. We are still utilizing virtual method created during COVID to reach 3^rd grade classes with virtual field trips and 5^th grade classes with financial literacy lessons. In addition, we offer monthly in-person healthy lifestyles lessons to 3^rd grade classes as well as monthly in-person financial literacy lessons to 5^th grade classes. In the spring, we will add our widely anticipated chick embryology program for 2^nd grade classes which generally reaches over 500 students.

Independent projects allow youth to participate in 4-H programming on their own, without being tied to a group. Last fall, 5 youth started the Wildlife Food Plot Project which wraps up in January. Additional independent programs will open this spring, including the Small Garden Project, Honey Bee Project, and various livestock projects. While these are long term projects, youth can also choose to participate in shorter events such as our Engineering Challenge on March 1 when over 10 Newberry youth will team up to compete in robotics, rocketry, bridge building, coding, visual arts, and/or a mystery challenge. There are also presentations contests and healthy lifestyles projects available.

In addition to club, school enrichment, and projects we also offer workshops and camps during school breaks. We are currently planning activities for spring break and summer. Stay tuned to the website for those line-ups: https://sites.google.com/view/newberry-county-4-h.

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. For more information on Newberry County 4-H contact agent Alana West at awillin@clemson.edu or 803.768.8442.

Lauren Venegas Black

4H Agent for Saluda County

🗣Have you heard?! Registration for the Regional Video Presentation Contests have been extended to March 6th!

The purpose of the 4-H Presentations Contest is to allow participants to practice and perfect their presentation skills and receive valuable feedback on those skills. All junior and senior members (ages 9-19) are to participate.  🍀

Contact your 4-H agent for more information! #PresentLikeAPro #SC4H

The price of eggs is up and it is the perfect time to expand your flock. Registration is now open for the 2023 4-H Poultry Projects. Youth ages 5-18 from across the state are welcome to participate. Read all about this years opportunities and learn how to register here: https://sites.google.com/g.clemson.edu/sc4hpoultry2023/home

Congratulations Mya! She was Crowned S.C. Miss 4-H Queen !

In January, I always look forward to judging the 4-H Wildlife Food Plots that were planted by 4-H’ers in the fall of the year.  This year I visited Newberry, Laurens, and Saluda Counties to judge six different food plots.  The 4-H Wildlife Food Plot Project gives participants a bag of seed to plant a certain size food plot.  The participants then monitor that food plot through a specified time frame and complete a record book with their findings.  Many participants set up game cameras, bird houses, and blinds to monitor the wildlife that visit their plot.  They also monitor rainfall and document nutrients added to soil to help the pot grow.    If you know of youth between the ages of 5 and 19 that maybe interested in the 4-H Wildlife Food Plot Project have them contact their local 4-H Agent at Clemson Extension.
The Laurens Forest Landowners Association and the Newberry Forestry Association both hosted meetings in November of 2022.

The Laurens Forest Landowners Association meeting focused on vegetation management for the landowner, while the Newberry Forestry Association learned how to calculate and measure seedling survival on a newly planted stand. 
Wood Magic Forest Fair is a program hosted by the South Carolina Forestry Commission.  This is a great program that teaches fifth graders from across the state about forestry.  This year I had the opportunity to present at the gifts stations during the Harbison Wood Magic Forest Fair. For more information this program please visit: https://www.scfc.gov/education/wood-magic/

October is always a busy time in Union, because the Clemson Extension Office is actively involved in the local fair.  We manage the livestock shows, home economics department, agronomy department and the poultry department.  On Thursday of the fair, we invite all the 5K classes throughout the county to visit the fair and to come learn about agriculture in Union County.  Through this field trip, the students get a tour through the barn and learn about crops, bees, horses, dairy cows, beef cows, pigs, and chickens.

This past December, I had the opportunity through South Carolina Farm Bureau to travel to Washington DC with a few other Young Farmer and Ranchers from across our state to meet with our legislators, government ag agencies, and Farm Bureau staff. It was eye-opening and humbling to see how policy for our country is made. We had the privilege to sit down with policymakers and tell them exactly what we do as well as the challenges we face as farmers.  They were eager to listen and provide feedback on legislation that will keep Agriculture the number one industry in our state. Many of the discussions led back to farmland loss as we learned that South Carolina is 8th for the fastest loss of farmland. That was statistic was alarming. I work with many multi-generational farmers that have no succession plans. I also work with first-generation farms that are clawing to get access to land. Both are affected by the increased urban sprawl in our state. This trip was a reminder to help my producers to be able to tell their stories and communicate with people who don’t understand farming. Also, this sparked a renewed interest in promoting ways to keep the farm viable to keep farmers on their land. This past December, I hosted a workshop on Farm Successional Planning that presented information on how to strategically transfer the business and the land. We also discussed conservation easements and other strategies to keep farmland affordable for new farmers as well as veteran farmers. As we look forward to the Spring, we will continue with programs that focus on the business aspect of farming because we know that profitable farms with good succession plans don’t give way to strip malls and townhomes nearly as easily.

Back Yard Poultry Processing Grant Update:
We had a very successful first workshop with our mobile processing grant. Despite the hurricane-force wind and rain, we harvested 100 broilers. Participants were able to grow the birds for 7 weeks and then learned safe and humane practices for harvesting the chickens. We teamed up with the 4H and the Food Safety team to offer a day-long program on harvesting techniques, food safety, and the economics of raising boilers. Our next program is scheduled for May. We look forward to a productive Spring, thank you for continued support of our programs.

Chris LeMaster, Area Livestock and Forages Agent

Hands on trades and hard work seem to be going out of style.  Although blacksmithing is both of these, it has grown in popularity over the past few years.  As a blacksmith, it is my desire to pass the love of this trade on to a younger generation. Out of this desire was birthed “Forged in 4-H”.  This program is designed to teach metallurgy and blacksmithing skills, as well as provide school enrichment through demonstrations, in a safe manner with the use of chemistry, geometry, physics, math, and hands on projects.

The equipment is housed in Union County which is the principal teaching location. The equipment is mobile so that it can be moved to any county in the state to conduct short term projects, demonstrations, day camps, and school enrichment. This program and equipment is being used to teach 4-H youth of all ages, as well as homeschool groups.

The use of hands-on learning techniques will allow students to experience and learn the trade of blacksmithing.  This program is “cutting edge” for several reasons.  First, we are leading the way in offering this in 4-H.  Only a few counties in the nation offer a 4-H program similar to this one.  This may be due to lack of agents and volunteers who do not have the knowledge or funding.  The interest in just my county has been overwhelming.  Second, blacksmithing is an ancient art, but we are teaching it in a new, modern and exciting way. We will be teaching the life skills of blacksmithing to the younger generation, instilling an appreciation for an ancient art form, and preserving skills that we do not need to lose as a society.  Third, we are providing hands-on knowledge and skills in a field that may become a career for some 4-H’ers.  Forging, welding, metal  working, and fabricating are not going away any time soon. As a youth development agent it is my job to help young people choose a life path.  If I can help these 4-H’ers become productive citizens, then I have done my job.

This program will impact the citizens of South Carolina by teaching an old trade and art form in a modern way to our younger generation. As a 4-H agent and team player I will provide this equipment, along with my knowledge and help, to any county in South Carolina for trainings, workshops, or day camps as requested.  In a world filled with technology, all too often we do not teach youth how to make something real and tangible. With young people spending an exorbitant amount of time on computers and cell phones, real world skills fall to the wayside.  Putting simple math and geometry skills to work, seeing chemistry and physics in action, and developing simple hand-eye coordination can easily be overlooked.  Blacksmithing puts all these skills and knowledge together in a fun and interesting way.  Keeping participants engaged and wanting to learn more has not been a problem

A note from Chris LeMaster:

I’m happy to begin a new adventure serving the livestock and forage producers of Union County.  I’ve been the Livestock Agent in Cherokee, Spartanburg, and York since 2014. I live on my family’s farm in the Grassy Pond Community of Cherokee with my wife and son. Along with my family, we background calves as well as raise horses and hay. I look forward to meeting the farmers of Union County.                   clemast@clemson.edu

Hello Everyone,

My name is Julia Newsome, and I am the new Rural Health & Nutrition Agent for Union and Cherokee Counties. I moved from Upstate New York to Upstate South Carolina in June 2022, and in November 2022 I became part of the Clemson Extension team. 
Two programs I’ll work on are the “Know Diabetes by Heart (KDBH)” and “Health Extension for Diabetes (HED)” programs.

• KDBH is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American Heart Association (AHA). It is a free education session offered in-person or online. The program aims to help participants better understand the link between diabetes and heart disease. By participating in this one-hour session, you will learn more about risks related to diabetes and heart disease, how to take control of your risks, and learn about community and clinical resources.
• HED is a free diabetes support program recognized by the ADA as a practice-tested diabetes support program. The main goal of this program is to help participants better manage diabetes to prevent or delay complications. HED is 4 months long and includes a series of 8 education sessions and intermittent support sessions; Each session is designed to help participants learn more about diabetes and provide them with necessary skills and support to successfully self-manage diabetes. Participants will receive bi-weekly materials and weekly follow-up to help navigate resources and reach healthy lifestyle goals; A Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes diagnosis is required for enrollment.

The goal of the Rural Health and Nutrition Extension Team is to help all South Carolinians prevent and self-manage chronic disease. Our programs are valuable because they are free, mobile, and can be held virtually, in-person, or hybrid (delivery is program specific). Please feel free to email me if there is something you think I can help you with. Overall, I’m looking forward to serving Union and Cherokee counties, while maintaining the Clemson Extension standard of service.

Julia’s Contact Information:
Office – 864-424-8275
Email – Janewso@clemson.edu

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

We had a very successful first workshop with our mobile processing grant. Despite the hurricane-force wind and rain, we harvested 100 broilers. Participants were able to grow the birds for seven weeks and then learned safe and humane practices for harvesting the chickens. We teamed up with the 4H and the Food Safety team to offer a day-long program on harvesting techniques, food safety, and the economics of raising boilers. Our next program is scheduled for May.

We look forward to a productive Spring. Thank you for your continued support of our programs.

Laura Haddon
4-H Agent

Hello! My name is Laura Haddon, and I am the new Spartanburg County Clemson Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Agent. I am new to Spartanburg County but have been with Clemson Extension for three years as the 4-H Agent in Cherokee County. I am looking forward to becoming a part of the Spartanburg community and continuing to grow the 4-H program here.

Currently, Spartanburg 4-H has a partnership with the Kids’ Club of the Upstate (formerly the Boys and Girls Club). 4-H provides Healthy Habits programs at five Kids’ Club sites. Over 150 youth have pledged their “health to better living” and are learning how to take healthy steps for their futures. Their favorite part is making a tasty but healthy recipe at the end of each lesson.

As spring approaches, the 4-H calendar is filling up with events and requests for school programs. One of the most popular 4-H school enrichment programs is “Hatching Out with 4-H”. “Hatching Out with 4-H” is an embryology project that allows teachers and students to observe the life cycle of chickens from egg to chick. Each class that registers will receive 18 fertilized eggs and the use of an incubator. During the incubation time, students learn the parts of an egg, how to candle an egg and the development stages of the chicken embryo from lessons provided by 4-H. At the project’s conclusion, the students have the joy of witnessing chicks pop out of the eggs that they have been patiently watching for 21 days. For Spring 2023, we have 37 classrooms and approximately 700 students registered to participate in this hands-on program.

A new opportunity this spring is our Peach Country 4-H Livestock Show. We are partnering with Cherokee County 4-H to host this event at the Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds on March 24^th and 25^th. Friday night will be the Market Hog Show and on Saturday we will have youth exhibiting beef cattle and rabbits. Spartanburg and Cherokee 4-H Programs appreciate the Piedmont Interstate Fair Board allowing us to use their livestock barns at no cost. This gift enables us to put more money into providing the best possible experience and quality to prizes to our young competitors. Please come enjoy the show and support our youth! Admission is free!

As you can see, Spartanburg 4-H is busy “making the best better” in our community! If you would like to sponsor one of our programs, become a volunteer, or enroll a child (ages 5 to 18) in a 4-H program please feel free to reach out to Laura Haddon by email at lhaddon@clemson.edu or by phone, (864) 594-0424.

Drew Jeffers
Horticulture and Natural Resource Agent

The South Carolina Master Gardener Volunteer program is still carrying on the mission to be extensions of extension service professionals and serve the community! We had 12 participants graduate from the training program in fall 2023 and 20 from spring 2022. All have returned to their local communities and begun serving the needs of the citizens of Spartanburg County.

The Master Gardener course covers soil amendments, fertilizers, proper planting, responsible pest management techniques, and how to help homeowners diagnose and manage plant problems. These volunteers have a tremendous impact on the community providing unbiased, researched back information daily. Last year, Spartanburg county master gardeners reported over 20,000 hours of volunteer service, equating to approximately $600,000 of service contributions back to the county.