Author: rzeider

Want to get your kids involved with hands-on experiences that engage them AND develop their leadership skills? 

Register them today for a Fairfield County 4-H Club. 

The 2024 – 2025 4-H year began on September 1^st, and with the start of a new year comes new opportunities. Fairfield County 4-H is proud to announce their new clubs for the upcoming year. 

Fairfield County 4-H Clubs:

Horse Club – Hosted by Joyner Family Farms – Focusing on Horsemanship, Hippology, and Horse Care.

Farm Animals & Sustainability Club – Hosted by Set In Stone Sustainability Farm – Focusing on raising farm animals and other farm projects, specifically showmanship with hogs.

Homesteading Club – Hosted by Crazy Chic Heritage Farms – Focusing on farm and homesteading projects.

Homeschool Club – Hosted by Mrs. Martina – including STEM, agriculture, healthy living, and civic engagement.

Life Skills & Farming Club – Hosted by Da Spott – Focusing on best practices in farming and life skills, such as plumbing, electrical, etc.

A 4-H Club is a group of youth that get together on a regular schedule to “learn by doing”. The club can either have a central focus or be based entirely on the group’s interest, but they all work towards completing a project. Since the primary focus in a club is to “learn by doing”, kids also develop leadership skills by working with other youth to help facilitate the club.

Over the next few weeks, we will be showcasing our clubs for the upcoming year on our Facebook page, so keep checking in for more information. You can also view and register for our clubs at 4-H Online or contact Mrs. Martina for more information:

Martina Wicker: mewick@clemson.edu | 864.985.2904

Fairfield County welcomed Martina Wicker as the new 4-H Agent this spring.

Martina was born and raised in the Midlands of South Carolina where she now resides with her husband and two beautiful children. She graduated from Newberry College with a Bachelor’s degree in Middle Level Education in 2018. Since graduating she has taught English and Mathematics in the Elementary and Middle School settings. Her hobbies include spending time with family, gardening, reading, and canoeing down the Saluda River.

Her initial goals were to introduce herself to the county, begin building relationships, and start establishing partnerships, which are essential in a 4-H program. While building those relationships, she discovered how wonderful the residents of Fairfield County truly are. She has been welcomed with open arms, hearts, and minds and has been enjoying her time learning about Fairfield and 4-H.

Mrs. Martina hosted a successful and sold-out STEM Camp on July 30^th. It was a fun day filled with learning and exploration. Beyond the STEM camp, she has successfully completed the SC TEACH School Gardening Course and Seed Library Course, attended the South Carolina 4-H Congress Banquet, volunteered at the South Carolina State Horse Show and Lauren’s County Livestock Show, learned about poultry at the Midlands Poultry Clinic, helped with a Floral Arrangement Class, and shadowed 4-H Youth Development Agents from around the state. All of her experiences have helped her to gain insight and knowledge in developing a program. We are looking forward to great things for Fairfield County 4-H.

Check out the 4-H Monthly Calendar for all the upcoming clubs and events.

The ServSafe® food safety training uses material from the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and is taught by Clemson University Extension Agents who are Registered ServSafe Proctors and Certified ServSafe Instructors by the NRA. Permitted Retail Food Establishments (RFE) in South Carolina are required to have a least one Certified Food Protection Manager.

Need a class or to re-certify? Sign Up for a class!

Become a South Carolina Master Food Preserver!

Join our community of passionate food enthusiasts and extend Clemson Extension’s educational programs. Our comprehensive training includes an 8-week online course and a 2-day intensive session in January 2025. Gain 30 hours of hands-on experience and volunteer in your community to earn your certification. Sign up today and start your journey to becoming a food preservation expert!

Complete the Pre-Registration by Wednesday, September 11th.

Come join us and learn the basics of canning fruits and vegetables from local farms and home gardens through a unique canning workshop. Participants will engage in hands-on activities using current recommended techniques for preserving foods for home use. Those with or without experience are encouraged to attend. Participants will receive the item(s) they prepare in class, a resource book, other printed materials, and knowledge of safe home canning methods.

Cost is $35 per workshop. Class size is limited to 10 participants, with a minimum of 5. Participants should bring their lunch and wear closed-toe shoes.

Workshops will be held at the FCL Homemakers Building in Camden, SC from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on the following Dates:

• Friday, September 13th Pickling
• Saturday, September 14th Pickling
• Thursday, October 17th Pressure Canning
• Friday, October 18th Pressure Canning
• Friday, November 8th Pressure Canning
• Saturday, November 9th Pressure Canning
• Friday, December 13th Jams, Jellies & Soft Spreads
• Saturday, December 14th Jams, Jellies & Soft Spreads

Register for a Canning Workshop!

The Fairfield County 4-H Take-Home Kits include instructions and supplies for simple STEM and art activities each month. They have been an ongoing project since Fall 2022 to give students opportunities to design and create at their convenience. They also provide links to further explore the topics. Kits will be available at the Fairfield County Library on a first-come first-served basis starting January 3rd. They are targeted for ages 8-13, but are free to any Fairfield student K-12. Get a sneak peek of the activities below or follow the links to get an early start!

• September: Zipline
       Extension – STEM Minute to Win It
• October: Paper Pumpkin
       Extension – Leaf Chromatography
• November: DIY puzzle
       Extension – Crossword Puzzles
• December: Stained Glass Trees
       Extension – Pasta Snowflakes
• January: Coding Games
       Extension – Scratch Cards
• February: String Art Valentines
       Extension – DIY Pompoms
• March: Vision Board
       Extension – Word Cloud
• April: Flower Pressing
       Extension – Nine Man Morris
• May: Summer Journal
       Extension – Vacation Planner

Check out these learning opportunities available statewide from South Carolina 4-H!

STEM Challenge Day

Mark your calendar for the 2024 Engineering Challenge on April 24^th at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds. Team and Individual Challenges for youth ages 9-18 will include Mystery, Robotics, Bridge Building, Coding, Visual Arts, Rocketry, and a new Agri-Science Poster Contest. Youth ages 5-8 may enter the Visual Arts Challenge. To find out more, connect with the Chester County Agent: Abigail Phillips atimmon@clemson.edu | 803-385-6181.

Physical Activity Project

New for 2024! South Carolina 4-H has created a physical activity project to encourage healthy bodies and minds. Participants log their exercise and connect with other students and learn proper techniques from experts! The project runs from March 4^th to May 31^st. There will be an Eventbrite link to come for registration.

Also keep your eyes peeled for registration for the Small Garden, Pullet Chain, and Honey Bee Project this spring!

In case you missed it, here are some events that took place this January:

Horse Bowl, Hippology, and Creative Contests:

SC 4-H Horse Bowl and Hippology contests were held Saturday, January 20^th at the Anderson County Clemson Extension Office. This annual event allowed South Carolina 4-H members who are 9-18 years old to show off their horse knowledge among their peers. Members with a passion for horses who were looking to improve their skills were able to express it through art in the SC 4-H Horse Creative Contest as well. Categories included drawing, photography, poetry and more!

Pinckney Leadership Roundup

The Pinckney Leadership Roundup was held January 20^th at the Brookland Baptist Conference Center in West Columbia. Registration included breakfast, lunch, a t-shirt, and a day of interactive workshops. Through this event, students could connect with like-minded individuals, learn from experienced leaders, and gain valuable insights to enhance their leadership skills. This opportunity was designed to empower middle and high school students to take charge and make a positive impact in their personal lives.

Discover the benefits of using Silvopasture Systems and register for the upcoming Webinar Series and Field Day.

Webinar Sessions

The two-part webinar series will address the establishment, management, and economics of implementing silvopasture systems.

Session 1 – March 7, 2024:

• 1:00 PM – “Introduction to Silvopasture Production Systems” by Dr. John Fike, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech University.

• 2:00 PM – “Animal Health and Environmental Benefits of Use of Silvopasture Systems” by Dr. Bruno Pedreira, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.

Session 2 –  March 14, 2024:

• 1:00 to 3:00 PM – A roundtable with agricultural professionals, producers and Extension personnel will discuss relevant topics and share experiences and challenges related to silvopasture systems in South Carolina and the Southeast region.

Field Day

You can also join Extension specialists and agents for a
Field Day on April 11, 2024 from 8:30 AM to Noon.

The field day will focus on topics about the establishment and management of woodlands and forage systems and the challenges and successes in using a silvopasture system for commercial livestock production. This event will be held at Varnville, SC.

Register for these events:

• Webinar Series (free of charge)

• Field day (cost: $15)

Canning is an important and safe method of food preservation if practiced properly. The canning process involves placing foods in jars and heating to a temperature that destroys organisms that could be a health hazard or cause the food to spoil.

Participants will be engaged in hands-on activities utilizing current USDA recommended techniques for preserving foods for home use.

Persons with or without experience are encouraged to attend any workshop.

Participants will receive:

• Resource Guide
• Handouts and printed materials
• Knowledge of home canning materials
• Item prepared in class

Registration is required, so sign up today!

                          Register Here

Do you rely on a private well for your drinking water source? With more than 20% of South Carolinians falling into this category, it is essential that these wells are properly maintained in order to ensure safe drinking water.  Maintenance of the well is the responsibility of the well owner and can often get overlooked. If you feel overwhelmed when it comes to all the different well components, water quality testing, and treatment options, then you are not alone! The Clemson Extension Water Resources team recently developed numerous resources to help well owners on these very topics as part of the Be Well Informed program. This includes a three-part HGIC factsheet series – Residential Drinking Water Well: Well Components, Water Quality, and Water Treatment Options.

For a more in-depth overview for well owners, check out the new Be Well Informed Online Course. Here well owners are able to dive into three modules covering SC water resources, well maintenance, and water quality. This course is free for all and is self-paced! For more information and to sign up for the online course, Click Here.

If you have any questions regarding your well or other water-related questions, please contact:

Charly Greenthaler charlym@clemson.edu | 803-520-1679