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.
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 24th and 25th. 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.
Drew Jeffers Horticulture and Natural Resource Agent
The South Carolina Certified Landscape Professional Program (SCCLP) is an online, self-paced certification program that provides high-level horticultural education and training to green industry professionals and operators. The program launched in 2020 and has offered spring and fall courses for the last three years. Over 385 professionals have been certified and represent nearly every county in the state. Starting in April of 2023, the course will go fully on-demand to better serve the professionals’ needs.
The course has also been incorporated into the Spartanburg Community College’s Horticulture Capstone course, providing a model for other colleges to integrate the SCCLP into their horticulture programs. We are also in the process of bringing the program to high school classrooms. The goal of the high-school integration is to grow the green industry’s shrinking workforce pool. Clemson Extension also partnered with the SC Department of Corrections, where 37 soon-to-be-released inmates were certified and were given trade skills to renter the workforce. The program will continue if funding is available to further add to the workforce pool.
The significant impact of this program has been its ability to reach a large audience relatively quickly. Many folks have asked if the state requires the certification, but we tell them we hope it will become so ubiquitous that it doesn’t need to be a requirement by law but by demand by the consumer and hiring managers.
Andy Rollins Upstate Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Agent
Currently, I’m holding all of my yearly production meetings. At my peach meeting, we had 81 in attendance, with 61 different farms represented.
Along with another agent, we hosted the first meeting of the SC Small Fruit Growers Association. I assisted Bob Hall in helping to establish the group with representation from across the state. The production meeting featured a blueberry specialist from out of state, with 50 growers in attendance.
The strawberry production meeting is coming up at the end of February, and the vegetable meeting will be in March.
I will be working on a bloom-thinning product again this year for an on-farm demonstration and I also plan to showcase my on-farm grape work this fall.
Christopher LeMaster Livestock & Forage Agent Cherokee, Spartanburg, & York Counties
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 and 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 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.
Also, I hosted a workshop on Farm Successional Planning that presented information on strategically transferring the business and the land. We also discussed conservation easements and other strategies to keep farmland affordable for new and 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.
The Water Resources Team continues to develop a variety of educational materials and programs, including these new offerings:
Pond Maintenance: Dredging a Land Grant Press article outlining potential regulations and additional factors before undertaking a freshwater pond dredging project.
Livestock Ponds in South Carolina a Land Grant Press article for livestock owners depending on a pond to provide water for their herd.
Lead Solutions – educational information showcasing simple ways to reduce potential exposure to lead in drinking water.
Water planning efforts continue throughout the state to ensure plentiful, clean water for future generations. The SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is leading the 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 Broad River Basin Council formed in 2022, and ongoing monthly meetings are open to the public; applications may be accepted for a representative from a Local Government located within the Broad River Basin.
Food Systems and Safety Agent Alex Thompson Hosts a Canning Demonstration
Food Systems and Safety Agent Alex Ryan Thompson is helping to educate Upstate South Carolina residents on various food safety topics. As a part of the Food Systems and Safety program team with Clemson Cooperative Extension, Alex Ryan Thompson hosts home canning workshops covering all forms of canning. Types of canning are boiling water baths, pickling, jams and jellies, and pressure canning. These workshops are hands-on experiences where participants will learn about the process of canning, the scientific principles behind canning, and how to identify research-based canning recipes-Alex hosts canning workshops across the Upstate. No previous canning knowledge is required to attend these workshops. For the most current schedule of upcoming workshops and to register, visit the Food Systems and Safety team page here: https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/events.html\
Upstate South Carolina residents who own pressure canners can also reach out to Clemson Cooperative Extension to have their pressure canners inspected and their dial gauges tested for accuracy. The Food Systems and Safety team recommends having pressure canners inspected and dial gauges tested annually to ensure safe pressure canning. Contact your local Extension office to schedule an appointment to check your pressure canner.
Testing a pressure canner gauge
Furthermore, the Food Systems and Safety Team hosts ServSafe Food Handler and Manager trainings and can proctor ServSafe examinations for Upstate South Carolina residents. If you or someone you know needs ServSafe training, contact your local Extension office to schedule training or an examination.
Whether you want to know if your leftovers in the refrigerator are safe to eat or want to start a food business, the Food Systems and Safety team with Clemson Cooperative Extension is here to help!
Contact:
Alex Ryan Thompson
Food Systems and Safety Agent
Clemson Cooperative Extension
352 Halton Rd Suite 302Greenville, South Carolina 29607Phone: (864) 365-0628
Email: art6@clemson.edu
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.
Food Systems and Safety Agent Alex Thompson (center) speaks with Shayna Ferguson (right) and Rebeca Ortega (left) of Shoeless Brewing Co. in Greenville, SC . Photo Credit: Everett Weaver
Throughout the Summer of 2022, the Spartanburg County Nutrition Educator worked tirelessly to deliver EFNEP curricula to youth and adults. We had the opportunity to deliver Nutrition Education lessons at different locations, following brand new partnerships created throughout our county. Amongst the youth audience, we had the privilege to teach the “Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness” (CHFFF) curriculum to the Spartanburg County Public Library, Sparty’s Kids Camp (at USC Upstate), and the Spartanburg Northside Development Group, etc.
As for Adults, various homemakers throughout Spartanburg County. Locations such as Lyman, Cowpens, Wellford, and Spartanburg have participated in the Eating Smart ~ Being Active (ESBA) classes. Although out of Spartanburg County, we were invited by The Carolina Community Action Inc. in Union County and Birth Matters.
What are our participants saying about EFNEP classes?
“Thank you, Ms. Santana; my seven years old daughter had never tried sweet peas before; today, she did! (Participant at SCPL)
“Thank you, Ms. Santana, for introducing me to my new favorite food.” (Sparty Kid’s Summer Camp)
“I love this salad. I will ask my mom to prepare it for our party next week.”
“It was a lot of fun playing Snowball Fight in the middle of summer.” (SCPL, playing with crumpled scrap paper).
Sparty Kids Camp measuring out sugar content in favorite drinks.A group of children and their parents at the SCPL Headquarters.ESBA participants at the Community Action of the Piedmont in Union SC.CHFFF learners at the Spartanburg Northside Development Group.
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. 
Drew Jeffers
Christopher LeMaster
