Reid Miller, Area Livestock and Forages Agent
On April 2nd, 2024, the Greenwood County Extension office and the Greenwood Soil and Water Conservation District held a Winter Forages Field Day at the Henderson Farm in Ninety Six, SC. Planning for this event began in the fall of 2023 with the planting of a winter annual variety trial. In total, twenty-three different varieties of small grains, ryegrasses, and legumes were planted. Variety trials give producers a side-by side comparison of different forages, so they are more educated about their choices of forages before they purchase seed for themselves. Planting was conducted in late October on a plot of two acres. The field day began with a showcase of the forage variety trial given by Greg Henderson (Greenwood County Soil & Water Conservation District board member and retired Clemson Extension Agent), Dr. Liliane Severino da Silva (Forage Specialist, Clemson Extension), and Reid Miller (Livestock and Forages Agent, Clemson Extension). The next section of the field day was a pasture soil fertility discussion over an intensively grazed pasture of winter annuals given by Greg Henderson and Reid Miller. The last part of the program was an NRCS cost share program update given by Myra Jones with American Forest Management. In total, we had forty people in attendance from Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Abbeville, and Edgefield Counties, and all producers involved in the Climate-Smart program received credit for their attendance.
