The Laurens County Extension Office is currently hosting a hybrid Master Gardener course. The Master Gardener course began on August 15, 2023 and will meet each Tuesday through December 5. This year’s course has 13 students.
Students in the course will complete 16 three-hour classes on subjects including lawn care, vegetable gardening, urban tree care, soils and plant nutrition, tree fruits and small fruits, and many more. Each class is presented by an Extension Agent or a Master Gardener graduate that has experience in the subject matter, which allows them to provide practical experience along with research-based information.
This year’s course is a hybrid model, which includes 8 in-person presentations and 12 presentations by video (20 presentations in total will be presented over the 16 week course). The hybrid model is an attempt to provide the same training to Master Gardener students across the State so they will all have the same base knowledge in the “Core” subjects. The in-person classes allow coordinators to tailor the course for each county’s needs by offering local topics most useful to their students.
After completing the course the students will provide 40 hours of community service over the next 12 months to become Certified Master Gardeners.
With help from the Greenwood Soil and Water Conservation District and the Upper Savannah Land Trust, our program titled “The Future of Your Farm” was held on April 20th, 2023, at the Connie Maxwell Oasis Farm in Greenwood, SC. This program was developed due to the current issues the agricultural community in South Carolina is facing. The number of farms has been decreasing and the average age of the farmer has been increasing for years. However, due to the current economic climate, housing developments and land prices have been increasing at a rapid pace in certain rural areas of the Piedmont Region consuming farmland in the process as heirs sell inherited land and assets from relatives who have passed on. The Future Of Your Farm had these goals in mind: informing farmers and landowners of the current climate in the real estate market, about land easements and other conservation programs, and about agricultural taxes and how to transition the land from one owner to the next. Our speakers Lonnie Gillespie (Greenwood Soil and Water Conservation District), Wade Harrison (Upper Savannah Land Trust), and Adam Kantrovich (Clemson Cooperative Extension) did a great job informing the audience of the current issues and how to protect their land and resources for future generations. We had a great turnout at our first meeting with twenty-eight people attending from five counties in South Carolina. Be on the lookout for the next meeting of this series coming later this year.
Lucas Clay with Clemson Extension presenting to the Laurens Forest Landowners Association on Carbon Markets.
The last few months have been a busy time in Extension. I have offered numerous programs, field days, and visited with many landowners. Our programs have ranged from timber taxes, carbon credits, field tours, and many other current issues concerning natural resources. Office visits and landowner visits have ranged from vegetable garden problems, pine beetles, nuisance wildlife, and ponds. I always enjoy this time of year since there are more one on one landowner visits to discuss better ways to manage our natural resources.
The Laurens Forest Landowners Association has hosted three meetings this year. Our first meeting was held Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at the Laurens County Farm Bureau Office. At this meeting David Jenkins from the South Carolina Forestry Commission spoke on Insects and Diseases of the South Carolina Forest. We had 29 people in attendance at this meeting. Our second meeting was held on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at the Laurens County Farm Bureau Office. Todd Mahan from AgSouth spoke on programs available to forest landowners through AgSouth. We had 31 people in attendance at this meeting. Our third meeting of 2023 was held on August 22, 2023, at the Laurens County Farm Bureau Office. We had 28 people in attendance to hear Lucas Clay with Clemson University speak on carbon markets. We also recognized Matt Stewart, with Quail Pines Tree Farm LLC, with the Woodland Owner of the Year Award at the Spotlight on Ag.
Mr. Bennie Hallman showing the Newberry Forestry Association how he grafts buds on root stock to grow desirable trees.
The Newberry Forestry Association has hosted two meeting and one field tour this year. Our first meeting was held at the Stoney Hill Community Center on Tuesday February 14, 2023. Dr. Adam Kantrovich presented a program on timber taxes, we had 28 people in attendance. Our second meeting was held on May 9, 2023, at the Pomaria Community Center, where Lucas Clay from Clemson University presented information on Carbon Markets. We had 30 people in attendance for the meeting. We hosted a field tour on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at Hallman Farms Wildlife Nursery. We had 18 people in attendance to learn about how Mr. Benny Hallman grafts trees such as persimmon, apple, and pear. These trees are then grown and sold to landowners interested in providing quality fruit trees for better wildlife habitat. At this meeting, we also presented William Folk with the Newberry Forestry Association Scholarship of $500 to continue his education.
Cam Crawford with the Forestry Association of South Carolina speaking at the 2023 Newberry Forestry Focus Program.
This year I was also able to offer Forestry Focus again after taking 2021 off due to covid. The program was hosted on March 4, 2023, and had 63 people attend the program. Topics at this program included SC Landowner Issues, Hardwood Management, Local Market Impacts, Wildlife Food Plots, and Herbicides in Pine Management. There were 39 evaluations completed which showed that 15,789 acres owned, and 43,399 acres managed could be potentially impacted by this program.
The Forestry and Wildlife Team hosted another hybrid Master Tree Farmer program this spring. After completion of the virtual part of the program we hosted several field days across the state. On April 21, 2023, we held a field day at Mike Meetze’s tree farm to visit various sites and see numerous timber practices being put into place. We had a good turnout at this field day with 17 in attendance.
Mike Meetze presenting at the Master Tree Farmer Field Tour.
The Indian Creek Quail Restoration Committee held a field day on Friday June 16, 2023. This field day allowed participants to see what private landowners and the US Forest Service has done to improve quail habitat management. We visited old agricultural fields converted over to pollinator habitat, completed prescribed burns, and timber stands where herbicides had been used to control invasive weeds. We had 23 people in attendance for this field day.
I also had the opportunity to take the 4-H Shooting Sports trailer to the Newberry Camp Conservation. Campers had the opportunity to learn about gun safety while learning how to shoot air rifles. There were 30 plus campers in attendance at the camp.
Jake McClain, the South Carolina Quail Focus Area Coordinator, leading a field tour for Indian Creek Quail Restoration Committee.
As summer turns into fall, festivals and fairs will pick up along with site visits. The Union Extension Office had the opportunity to set up a booth and demonstration at the Environmental Art and Music Festival at the Piedmont Physics Garden on April 25, 2023. Participants were able to see the Forged in 4H program, Home and Garden Information, Natural Resource Information, and Rural Health Information. You will also be able to find us some of the upcoming events like the Union County Antique Farm Show and the Union County Agricultural Fair. Make sure to check out the upcoming events in our newsletter to see what is coming this fall and winter.
Champion continental calf from the 2023 Laurens County Youth Livestock Show shown by Dacey Abruzzino of Enoree, SC.
The Laurens County 4-H Program in conjunction with the Laurens County Cattlemen’s Association hosted the annual Youth Livestock Show on August 24-26. The show is traditionally held at the Exchange Club Building on Fairgrounds Rd, but due to renovations, this year’s event was held at the Laurens County Park.
The show began on Thursday evening with a youth dog show, featuring a costume class, showmanship, obedience, agility, confirmation, and rally. Maureen McKowen of the Greenville Kennel Club served as judge.
Friday night was the Junior Beef Show, judged by Greg Anderson of Marion, NC. Besides showmanship classes, there were bucket calf, steer classes. There were also breed classes for British, Continental, and Crossbred heifers.
In addition to the beef show, Friday was the night of our youth rabbit show. Due to the heat, this was held at the Joe R. Adair Outdoor Education Center in Laurens. Showmanship and breed classes were judged by Alicia Grondski and Tina Reif.
Our Junior Dairy Show was held on Saturday morning, including a costume class, showmanship, and breed classes featuring Holstein, Jersey, and Brown Swiss. Our dairy judge was Glen Easter of Laurens.
Saturday afternoon saw our Junior Meat Goat Show closing out the day. Noah Henson of Canton, NC served as judge and following costume and showmanship classes, we had SC4ME, open SC Meat Goat Project, and open market wether classes. The show concluded with our market doe classes.
The Laurens County 4-H program thanks all sponsors, volunteers, and parents for their support and assistance with making this a successful opportunity for our 4-H youth. We are especially grateful for the cooperation with the Laurens County Parks and Recreation Department that helped make the show possible. We would also like to congratulate all participants and winners on a job well done.
The winners of the 2023 SC 4-H Showcase were: Miss 4-H Queen – Mya Chapman; Miss 4-H Teen – Ellen Rose Shaw; Little Miss Cloverleaf – Shelby Birkenstock; & Little Miss Cloverbud – Eden Reece Lindsey
Adam Petty Laurens County 4-H Youth Development Agent
On Saturday, January 14th Laurens County 4-H hosted the 2023 SC 4-H Showcase at Clinton High School. The Showcase (formerly the Miss 4-H Pageant) is a unique event that is meant to highlight the achievements of 4-H’ers across the state. The goal of this long-running fundraising program is to assist contestants in developing confidence, building public speaking skills, and encouraging 4-H’ers to step out of their comfort zone to try something new. This year’s program included eleven contestants ranging in age from 7 to 18.
Our contestants competed in three onstage categories: business wear, 4-H project wear, and formal wear. In addition to these categories, our 4-H Teen and 4-H Queen contestants participated in an interview with the judges earlier in the day. This was a great opportunity for them to practice public speaking skills and gain self-confidence.
Members of the local community were chosen as judges:
Finica Floyd – Michelin Tire, Mountville
Peden Styles – Running G Farm and Arena and South Greenville Fair
Courtney Stonell – Keep Laurens County Beautiful
Matthew Brownlee with Allen Tate Realtors served as our Master of Ceremonies.
Mr. Adam Petty accepted the Laurens 4-H and Youth Development Agent position this fall and began working in Laurens on October 5, 2022.
Adam is excited to make connections in the community and to develop engaging programs to serve our youth. With a degree from Clemson, he has four years of experience in education, teaching middle and high school math in a private school. Most recently, he served as the school’s administrator in addition to his teaching responsibilities. Adam also operates a small vegetable farm in Union County with his wife, children, and their growing number of animals. He is active in his local community and church.
His goal is to make a positive impact on the youth in Laurens County and empower them to be outstanding citizens through the many programs, projects, and events offered through 4-H.
Adam can be reached by phone at 864-705-1102 or by email at akpetty@clemson.edu .
Rainfall has been a big topic of conversation over the last year. Six months ago, we would have taken any drop we could get. Now, it’s a much different story. With all this rain and feeding hay comes mud….and lots of it. Too much mud can drastically affect cattle performance and pasture conditions. A study from the University of Nebraska gives us a range for loss of gain due to mud from 7% at dewclaw deep to 35% at belly deep with shin deep coming in at 14%. So how do we manage against this?
There is no silver bullet, but here are some tips to help you mitigate mud accumulation on your operation:
Choose your feeding areas wisely. Feed hay in pastures that are well drained (higher ground), and maybe a pasture that could use a fertility boost. Waste hay and manure can provide needed fertility for the upcoming growing season (mostly beneficial for summer grasses). Updated soil tests can help with proper feeding placement. This works best in a temporary situation where the animals are not there long enough to dismantle the soil structure. Some type of drag to help evenly distribute manure and hay can help as well.
Rotate between multiple feeding or sacrifice areas if possible. If one area begins to have an excess of mud, give it a rest, and use a different area for a while. Temporary fencing can help for those with electric fence.
Avoid feeding near streams, ponds, or other water sources to prevent contamination and added potential for a muddy situation. Also, while feeding on a slope or hill can assist with drainage, consider the effects of runoff.
For high traffic or heavy use areas such as dirt roads, feed bunks, water troughs, and hay storage, it may be worth installing either concrete or packed gravel. Your local NRCS office should have information about their EQIP programs that can help with these issues.
Bryan Smith Area Extension Agent-Agricultural Engineer
Caption: A dripping faucet may help prevent freezing during cold weather. Image source: Freeimages.com
We do not often see sub-20 degree weather in the Piedmont, but when we do many people immediately become concerned about pipes freezing in their home. Several sources recommend allowing a faucet in the house to run continuously to help prevent freezing, with a pencil-lead-thick stream of water flowing from the faucet.
We measured the flow rate of this pencil-lead-thick stream of water flow in our Extension Office to see how much water would actually be used in this practice. The stream filled a 12 ounce cup in 1.8 minutes. There are 128 ounces in a gallon, so using this conversion we were able to calculate the flow rate from the faucet of approximately 3 gallons per hour. Now let’s talk about homes using wells and homes using city or county water.
If a home has a standard well with a 40 gallon bladder tank, the actual “drawdown” amount (the amount of water that leaves the tank from the time the pump turns off until it turns on again) for the tank is about 13 gallons of water. If the homeowner left one faucet running with a pencil-lead-thick water stream, the well pump will probably turn on once every 4.3 hours (with no other water use). Typical pump run times to refill a pressure tank are in the 2 to 3 minute range, so the electricity use would be minimal. Quite frankly the homeowner may want the pump to turn on a bit more often than every 4 hours.
If a home uses city or county water the concern will be about the increased water bill. 3 gallons per hour from one faucet translates into 72 gallons of water per day. For comparison, a normal SC household uses about 120 to 150 gallons of water per day per person. So a single running faucet may add 12% more water cost per day used for the home, which is very minimal since the intense cold front may only last two or three days.
Regardless of the home water source it will be fine to leave one or two faucets running during a sub-20 degree cold snap. The moving water will help prevent freezing, and the amount of water or electricity used will certainly not break the bank. Homeowners may find that allowing two faucets to flow in this manner will more adequately prevent pipes from freezing.
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.
Forest Landowner Association meeting
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.
Adam Petty Laurens County 4-H Youth Development Agent
On March 23rd, the Laurens County 4-H Program will host its annual Achievement Banquet at Hollow Oak Barn in Cross Hill. Youth, parents, volunteers, and community supporters are invited to gather for a meal and celebration of the accomplishments of our 4-H’ers in the previous 4-H year. Please contact Adam Petty at akpetty@clemson.edu or 864-705-1102 for further information. Tickets are available at https://laurenscountybanquet.eventbrite.com or at the Laurens County Extension Office. Tickets are $1 for 4-H’ers and $5 for general admission.
Mr. Adam Petty accepted the Laurens 4-H and Youth Development Agent position this fall and began working in Laurens on October 5, 2022.
Rainfall has been a big topic of conversation over the last year. Six months ago, we would have taken any drop we could get. Now, it’s a much different story. With all this rain and feeding hay comes mud….and lots of it. Too much mud can drastically affect cattle performance and pasture conditions. A study from the University of Nebraska gives us a range for loss of gain due to mud from 7% at dewclaw deep to 35% at belly deep with shin deep coming in at 14%. So how do we manage against this?
