Hello! My name is Mallory Fulmer, and I am the new Newberry County 4-H Youth Development Agent. I am from Prosperity, South Carolina. I grew up in Newberry County and attended Newberry College where I received my degree in early childhood education. After graduating, I completed my master’s degree in reading with a focus in early childhood literacy. I am so excited for this new opportunity and look forward to serving Newberry County as the new 4-H Youth Development Agent! I look forward to providing Newberry 4-H members with lots of exciting project, club, and workshop opportunities! Make sure to follow us on Facebook to see all the fun events we will have this year!
What’s Happening in Newberry County 4-H?
2025 is off to a great start so far for Newberry County 4-H. We brought in the new year with a new agent by hosting a NYE baking workshop for youth in our county. 4-H’ers got the opportunity to mix, measure, and decorate holiday themed treats to take home and share with their families. Newberry County 4-H also has two clubs that have started up this year. The Cooking Club and STEM Club, both being offered to clovers and juniors. This year in the Cooking Club we are cooking by colors. Each meeting we make a new recipe that is the color we have selected. So far this year we have made blue cloud bread and pizza roses! Aside from having fun with color recipes, club members are learning fundamental kitchen skills and cooking techniques. STEM club is also off to a great start. We have learned about the importance of strong foundations in buildings during earthquakes by designing and building our own towers and simulating earthquakes. At STEM club we love bringing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to life by providing club members with fun hands-on learning opportunities. This spring we will be starting Embryology in partnership with teachers from Newberry County School District. We have had a blast incubating our own chicks in preparation for the project! As summer approaches we will have more workshop and camp opportunities. Be on the lookout for updates!
Alana West – Assistant Program Team Director SC 4-H Youth Development
Newberry County 4-H Hiring New Agent
For 13 years, Alana West served as 4-H Agent for Newberry County. Under her guidance, the program grew to reach 37% of youth aged 5 through 18 in the county. Opportunities have included programs in animals and agriculture, leadership, personal development, healthy living, STEM, and natural resources delivered via camps, workshops, school enrichment, clubs, and independent projects.
In March, Mrs. West accepted the position of Assistant Director of the South Carolina 4-H Youth Development Program. In this role she will work with state level staff to support the team of 4-H agents that represent South Carolina’s 46 counties. While she does have an office on the campus of Clemson University, she will keep her home office in the Newberry County Clemson Extension building.
Currently, Clemson Extension is in the process of hiring a
new 4-H Agent. Interviews should take place soon with hopes of the program
being back in full swing by Christmas.
In the meantime, there are a few 4-H volunteers keeping
clubs running and statewide projects are still available for local youth. For
more information on 4-H in Newberry County contact Alana West at 803.768.8442
or awillin@clemson.edu.
New Face at Newberry County Clemson Extension Office
When visiting the Newberry Extension Office please make sure
to welcome the new Administrative Assistant, Mrs. Rachel Horne. Rachel is
originally from Kinards, SC. She grew up on her family’s small farm and spent
many years working for Satterwhite Farms. She has a degree in Diversified
Agriculture from Piedmont Technical College and a bachelor’s degree from
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Agribusiness. She most recently worked
for Farm Bureau Insurance, but is excited to be coming back to her agriculture
roots by working for Clemson Extension. Rachel currently resides in Pomaria
with her husband, Parker.
Summer has arrived.
With it comes dry weather, high temperatures, insects, and fungal
diseases. All can stress our plants and
lead to more site and office visits to look at stressed and diseased
plants. This summer has been no
different. I always enjoy talking with
clients and trying to help them identify their problems and find ways to help
them. Below are some of the interesting
programs I have been associated with over the last few months.
Site Visits/Office Visit You never know what may come through the door at the office or what you
might expect to see at a site visit. We
receive a lot of questions on small gardens throughout the summer. These can range from blossom end rot, to
stink bugs, to powdery mildew, and many other common pests and diseases found
in the garden. I also get tree calls
from around the area. These have ranged
from lichen, dying oak trees, pine beetles, and numerous other insects and
diseases that affect our trees. Aquatic
weeds in ponds also become more of a problem in summer, and I do numerous
identifications and treatment options for landowners. I
always enjoy the specimens that clients bring in. There is always an
opportunity to learn about new insects and diseases that I have not seen
before.
Camp Conservation Camp Conservation is hosted by the Newberry Soil and Water Conservation District. I have participated in this camp for the last several years by taking the 4-H Shooting Sports Trailer. I normally take the trailer on the Friday of the Camp (June 28). Participants learn about gun safety, parts of the gun and how to shoot. The youth then get to shoot air rifles as they rotate through the different stations for the day.
Women Owning Woodlands On April 12, I assisted in a field tour for Women Owning Woodlands. This tour was held at a tree farm in Laurens, South Carolina. At the field tour they learned about wildlife food plots, soil sampling, how to interpret a soil sample, prescribe fire, pine management, and various other topics. Women Owning Woodlands aims to educate women in the stewardship of the land by connecting them to resources and trusted professionals.
Lynches Woods
Trail Hike On August 17, I led a hike at Lynches Woods in Newberry, South
Carolina. Newberry Parks and Recreation
hosted the hike on National TRACK Trails Day.
Participants learned about tree identification, keeping forests healthy,
and various other plant related topics as we walked the trail.
Newberry Forestry Association The Newberry Forestry Association hosted meetings in May and August. The May meeting featured a presentation by Jake McClain, a wildlife biologist with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. Jake presented on creating and managing quail habitat. The August meeting featured a presentation by Scott Danskin with the SC Forestry Commission on the current status of timber markets and mills in reference to the area. The Newberry Forestry Association also gave out three $500 scholarships to local students who will be majoring in a field that benefits forest landowners.
Laurens Forest Landowners Association
The Laurens Forest Landowners Association hosted meetings in May and
August. The May meeting featured a
presentation by Jake McClain, a wildlife biologist with Pheasants Forever and
Quail Forever. Jake presented on
creating and managing quail habitat. The
August meeting featured two presentations.
Matthew Wannamaker from the Farm Service Agency presented on the agency’s
forestry related programs. The second
presentation was by Holly Welch and Devin Orr on potential free stewardship
management plans for landowners in Laurens County.
Broad River Conservation
Partnership In March of 2024, the Broad River Conservation Partnership hosted their
first landowners meeting. Landowners
attending the meeting heard testimonies from those who have benefited from
working with land trust to help conserve their properties. This is a program that is spearheaded by SC
Department of Natural Resources, with the help of numerous other
organizations. The goal is to conserve,
protect, and elevate the importance of our natural resources in the Broad River
Watershed.
Clemson
Experimental Forest Southern Pine Beetle Tour
Unfortunately, there is currently a Southern Pine Beetle outbreak in the
Clemson Experimental Forest. The
Forestry and Wildlife Team toured numerous spots on Friday August 9, 2024. This was a great opportunity to see how the
Experimental Forest was managing the problem.
The team was able to see active spots, controlled spots, and a salvage
harvest.
South Carolina Society of American Foresters Annual
Meeting The South Carolina Society of American Foresters held their annual meeting
in Newberry, SC June 12 through June 13.
I assisted in the planning and hosting of this meeting. On June 12, we had a tree farm tour with a
social. June 13 was classroom sessions
that focused on forest markets and the projected outlook.
Woodland Clinic Woodland Clinic is a forestry skills competition held at Connie Maxwell
Children’s Ministries property in Greenwood, South Carolina. High schools from across the state are
invited to attend and compete.
Participants compete in tree measurement, forestry tools, compass and
pacing, and forest pest identification.
I have helped for numerous years in the compass and pacing
competition.
Master Tree
Farmer Tour On May 10 we held a Master Tree Farmer Tour for participants of the class
at Mike Meetze’s tree farm in Newberry, SC.
Participants were able to see a typical pine rotation from planting to
harvest. They were able to see a stand
marked for pole harvest along with an operation sawmill on the property.
Upcoming Events:
Union County Farm Show – September 21, 2024, Union County
Fair Grounds
Union County Agricultural Fair – October 15 – 19, 2024,
Union County Fair Grounds
5K Day at the Union County Agricultural Fair – October
17, 2024
Hello! My name is Mallory Fulmer, and I am the new Newberry County 4-H Youth Development Agent. I am from Prosperity, South Carolina. I grew up in Newberry County and attended Newberry College where I received my degree in early childhood education. After graduating, I completed my master’s degree in reading with a focus in early childhood literacy. I am so excited for this new opportunity and look forward to serving Newberry County as the new 4-H Youth Development Agent! I look forward to providing Newberry 4-H members with lots of exciting project, club, and workshop opportunities! Make sure to follow us on Facebook to see all the fun events we will have this year!
2025 is off to a great start so far for Newberry County 4-H. We brought in the new year with a new agent by hosting a NYE baking workshop for youth in our county. 4-H’ers got the opportunity to mix, measure, and decorate holiday themed treats to take home and share with their families. Newberry County 4-H also has two clubs that have started up this year. The Cooking Club and STEM Club, both being offered to clovers and juniors. This year in the Cooking Club we are cooking by colors. Each meeting we make a new recipe that is the color we have selected. So far this year we have made blue cloud bread and pizza roses! Aside from having fun with color recipes, club members are learning fundamental kitchen skills and cooking techniques. STEM club is also off to a great start. We have learned about the importance of strong foundations in buildings during earthquakes by designing and building our own towers and simulating earthquakes. At STEM club we love bringing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to life by providing club members with fun hands-on learning opportunities. This spring we will be starting Embryology in partnership with teachers from Newberry County School District. We have had a blast incubating our own chicks in preparation for the project! As summer approaches we will have more workshop and camp opportunities. Be on the lookout for updates!
