Author: Amy Mallette

Haven Blackwell
4-H Youth Development Agent
Cherokee County

I am Haven Blackwell. I began my career with Cherokee County Clemson Extension just a short time ago in June of 2023 as the 4-H Youth Development Agent. I was born and raised in Gaffney and after graduating from Gaffney High School, I went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Limestone University. I then served as a third-grade teacher and have greatly enjoyed building relationships with students and their families over the last four years. I have also served as the Cherokee County 4-H Program Assistant for the last two years. In doing so, I have had the pleasure of teaching the youth in our county about agriculture, STEM, healthy living, etc. I am excited to step in as Cherokee County’s 4-H agent and take the program even further for the youth in this community.

Beginning September 1^st, youth ages 5-18 may sign up for the 2023-2024 4-H year online. We will offer our Cloverbud Club (ages 5-8), Bits and Pieces Horse Club (ages 9-18), Clovers in the Kitchen Club (ages 9-18), and Teen Council (ages 14-18). We will also be in our local schools for school enrichment and our partnership with Kids Club of the Upstate. In addition, we will hold our first poultry show on October 5^th and our Peach Country Livestock show March 22^nd and 23^rd. We are looking forward to all of these and the many more events planned for this year.

We are always looking for volunteers to work with our youth in Cherokee County. If you are interested in volunteering or want to hear more about these exciting activities, please contact me.

Haven Blackwell
daynab@clemson.edu
864.649.8252

Drew Jeffers
Horticulture and Natural Resources Agent
Spartanburg County

6^th Annual IPM Symposium Keeps Growing!

Horticulture agent Drew Jeffers has some exciting programs and projects coming up! The 6^th Annual Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Symposium in Greer, SC, is sold out. It is now a hybrid event where satellite locations around the state can view the event held in Greer via live stream. This popular annual program provides five pesticide recertification credits for commercial landscapers and growers who rely on pesticide license compliance to maintain their livelihood. Participants will learn about emerging invasive species, chemical and non-chemical control methods for turf and landscape pests. Professionals who follow IPM practices, benefit from long-term, cost-efficient pest management, as well as reduce environmental risks such as impact to water quality. The program is scheduled for October 26^th, 2023, and is estimated to reach over 250 stakeholders.

Clemson Extension Training Master Gardener Community Volunteers!

Our Master Gardener Volunteer training course is off to an excellent start. The Master Gardener program trains citizens who want to give back to their community by delivering horticultural education outreach and service to residents through various locally-offered programs. There are approximately 284,307 residents in Spartanburg County spread across 819 square miles in the Upstate of South Carolina. Due to county size and population, Clemson University Cooperative Extension in Spartanburg County relies on knowledgeable Master Gardeners to help meet the consumer horticulture needs of our residents. Students learn about soil conditioning, soil fertility, plant identification, weed management, storm-water runoff pollution, drainage mitigation, integrated pest management, and pesticide safety.

The Spartanburg Master Gardeners are involved in multiple projects around the county. Some include work with Habitat for Humanity, Hatcher Gardens, Spartanburg Community College, Spartanburg Farmers Market, The Landrum Farmers Market, and many others. The Spartanburg Master Gardener association, known as the Master Gardener Association of the Piedmont (MGAP), also runs a one-acre Plant-A-Row Garden, which provides over 15,000 lbs of quality produce to local soup kitchens and food pantries annually. To learn more about SC Master Gardeners, please click here. To learn more about the local association activities, please click here.

Laura Haddon
4-H Youth Development Agent
Spartanburg County

Spartanburg County 4-H has partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Upstate, now called Kids Club of the Upstate, for many years.  Through 21^st Century grant funding the Kids Club contracts with Spartanburg 4-H to provide Healthy Lifestyles, STEM, and Ag in the Classroom lessons.

During the school year the 4-H Agent offered Healthy Lifestyles lessons to fourth and fifth graders using the Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness curriculum developed by Cornell University.  Youth learned about the importance of eating the recommended servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  They also read nutrition labels and practiced choosing snacks that were lower in fat and sugar.

One of their favorite lessons was about “Go, Slow, and Stop Drinks”.  They were very surprised by some of the drinks that ended up in the “Stop” category.  After each lesson the youth made a healthy snack.  Everyone’s favorite was the fruit and yogurt parfait!

During the summer months 4-H was able to provide STEM activities to the older students and Ag in the Classroom activities to the first and second graders.  STEM offered students the opportunity to solve problems using the Engineering Design Process.  They created “Pom-Pom Poppers”, “Index Card Towers”, and “LEGO Mazes”.  In addition to problem solving skills, they developed their communication skills and practiced working together as a team.

Ag in the Classroom lessons provided youth hands-on opportunities to learn about popular South Carolina commodities through read-alouds of the Accurate Ag Book of the Month from South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation. The books were accompanied by an activity. The June lesson was all about strawberries.

The first and second graders enjoyed the book, I Love Strawberries, by Shannon Anderson.  Then they made a strawberry plant life cycle craft and mixed up a strawberry smoothie.

July’s lesson focused on chickens and eggs.  The classes read Hatching Chicks in Room Six by Caroline Arnold, dissected unfertilized chicken eggs, and petted real, live baby chicks.

Spartanburg 4-H looks forward to continuing to partner with the Kids Clubs of the Upstate as the 2023-2024 school year begins.  Together we will continue to “make the best better”!

Heather Nix
Upstate Regional Water Resource Agent
Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Oconee, Pickens, & Spartanburg Counties

Water is often taken for granted, but we depend on it for nearly everything, such as drinking water, growing food, producing electricity, recreating, and for industrial purposes. Several state agencies are working hard behind the scenes to help ensure we continue to have clean, plentiful water for future generations. If you’re interested in learning more about water withdrawal regulations or water use, please see Clemson’s recently published series of articles:

• Water Withdrawal Regulation in South Carolina a Land Grant Press article outlining regulations that apply water withdrawals of ≥3 million gallons in any month.
• Water Withdrawal Amounts in South Carolina a Land Grant Press article summarizing reported water withdrawals over a five-year period.
• An Introduction to Consumptive Water Use in South Carolina – a Journal of SC Water Resources article presenting estimates of the volume of water that is consumed by each of the major water use categories in SC.

Upcoming events: Help keep our drinking water clean! Sign up now for the “Splash Away the Trash” Lake Hartwell clean up event on Saturday, September 30, 2023. Our free Adopt-A-Stream volunteer water quality monitoring training is available on various dates and locations.  Please keep an eye on the Clemson Extension Events Calendar for information on additional events.

Laura Haddon
4-H Youth & Development
Spartanburg County

The Cherokee County 4-H Cloverbud Club is for our youngest 4-H’ers, ages 5 to 8.  This club provides a monthly 4-H activity from one of the 4-H Program Areas including Natural Resources, Healthy Lifestyles, STEM, Ag and Animals, and Leadership and Citizenship.

Other club activities have included learning all about cranberries and making cranberry sauce and cranberry smoothies, crafting Christmas ornaments to share with Meals on Wheels recipients, making Grinch pancakes, and building “snowmen” using baking soda and hair conditioner.

Our club year starts September 1^st and runs through August 31^st.  During that time, we have eight club meetings and Christmas Break and Summer Break Day Camps.

Our first meeting of the year was held at Thomson Park in Gaffney and was led by a special guest from the Cherokee County Soil and Water Conservation District.  Ms. Sarah Allen, CCSWCD Director, brought her Enviroscape and showed the youth how pollution affects the water we drink and use every day.  After her demonstration the club members enjoyed making edible watersheds.

If any of the 5- to 8-year-olds in your life would like to be a part of the Cherokee Cloverbuds please contact Laura Haddon by email at lhaddon@clemson.edu or by phone at (864) 489-3141.

Alex Thompson
Food Systems & Safety Agent
Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, & Spartanburg Counties

ServSafe is a family of training programs offered by the National Restaurants Association that trains restaurant owners, managers, and employees on food safety. ServSafe certifications are recognized by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) as meeting their standards for restaurant food safety training. Clemson Cooperative Extension offers ServSafe Food Handler and Food Protection Manager trainings and exams, as well as recertification exams for Food Protection Manager’s whose certifications have expired. Contact your local Clemson Cooperative Extension office to schedule a training or recertification.

Patricia Whitener
4-H Natural Resources Program Leader
Statewide

This past fall Greenville County 4-H agent, Patricia Whitener, received $25,000 through a competitive distribution of Extension Innovation funding to further the implementation and adoption of the 4-H Thrive model.  SC 4-H Agents from both Clemson University and South Carolina State participated in professional development training sessions held regionally across the state. The impact of initiative is widespread. Sessions were designed to increase 4-H professional and volunteer capacity for designing and implementing high quality 4-H programs that promote youth thriving. SC 4-H agents worked collaboratively to identify 4-H program capacity strengths and needs. Research demonstrates youth programs must be done well if they are to make a positive difference in the lives of youth. Long-term outcomes of quality Developmental Context (i.e., 4-H programs) are academic or vocational success, civic engagement, employ-ability and economic stability, happiness, and well-being. Monthly Thrive hour zoom sessions are ongoing through the Spring of 2023. An additional Thrive session will be held for new hires as SC 4-H continues to establish itself as the leading resource of quality youth development programs and practice.

https://helping-youth-thrive.extension.org/regional-pyd-champions/

Patricia Whitener
4-H Natural Resources Program Leader
State-wide

Welcome to Patricia A. Whitener who will serve as our new Extension Associate leading the 4-H Natural Resources Program Area.    

Patricia is a native of Clemson, South Carolina.  She graduated from Clemson University where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Environmental and Natural Resources and earned her master’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology.  Patricia served as a field technician with the U.S. Forest Service, Youth Conservation Corps leader with National Park Service, and naturalist with Table Rock State Park.  Since 2014, Patricia also had the opportunity to serve as the Greenville County 4-H agent where she led a dynamic and diverse youth development program in the most populated county in the state.  Currently, Patricia is pursuing a doctoral degree in Youth Development Leadership under the College of Behavioral, Social & Health Sciences.  She holds many certifications in environmental education and is well published.  She is driven to educate, connect, and inspire others. 

Patricia can be reached at 864-650-0991 or pwhiten@clemson.edu.  Her office will be located at 279 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC 29634. 

Personal Message

I have accepted a position as the Natural Resources Program Leader for SC 4-H Youth Development and will be located on the Clemson University campus. With new opportunities, comes sadness as well, and I’ve loved this job so much.

I can’t express how much I’ve enjoyed working with you all over the last 8 years in this role. I’ve grown so much, not only personally but professionally, doing this work in our community, and helping our youth grow. I am so grateful for the support of the amazing partners, organizations, and volunteers I have had the privilege to work with. Even though I will no longer be here in this role, Greenville County 4-H still has so many exciting things on the horizon and I look forward to continuing to support this community and the new 4-H agent as best I can.

I want to personally thank you all for your help and support over the last 8 years in this role. I have truly loved every minute. I’ve met some incredible people and been touched by so many families along the way. I will greatly miss everyone. But this isn’t goodbye, just a see you later, because I still plan to be involved as a volunteer and supportive of the amazing Natural Resource programs 4-H offers state-wide!

Warm Regards,

Patricia

Alex Thompson
Food Systems & Safety Agent
Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, & Spartanburg Counties

Work on creating the Clemson Cooperative Extension Brewing Program for South Carolina is moving forward. Recently four 7.5-gallon stainless steel fermentation vessels, a glycol system for controlling fermentation temperatures, and a motorized grain mill were moved into a laboratory space in Newman Hall on the Clemson University campus. This equipment is a bench-top version of the equipment used by production breweries across South Carolina. Students in the course will learn to operate this equipment in a safe and effective way; creating a skilled workforce to aid South Carolina’s craft brewing industry. In the coming months, the team working to complete this program will work closely with Clemson University facilities and administration to bring the brewing program laboratory online.

Carolyn Dawson
Forestry Agent
Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, & Spartanburg Counties

Last summer Janet Steele and Carolyn Dawson successfully offered two Woods in Your Backyard workshops in our area. These workshops were designed specifically for landowners with 1-10 acres to help them learn how to implement sustainable outcomes for their woodlands, wildlife, water, and recreational objectives.

The focus on smaller acreages was to educate owners on how to better manage areas of their property, as well as to help them find professionals to complete the more significant tasks. Participants attending the workshop utilized the Woods in Your Backyard guide and workbook pages to learn more about their land.

Elements of The Woods in Your Backyard Workshop consisted of Understanding the benefits of managing your land, Mapping your property, assessing why you own it and what you hope it will become, Understanding how your property functions in the larger landscape, Identifying habitat units on your property, Learning basics of tree ID, forestry, and habitat management, Assessing and improving your property’s water resources, recreational possibilities, and aesthetic appeal, Choosing a few backyard projects to help meet your goals, and setting a timetable and marking your progress.

Due to the success of the workshops, the program will be offered again later in the year.

Carolyn Dawson
dawson4@clemson.edu
864.916.6202