Author: rzeider

Working Together to Offer Community Resources

The Fairfield County Clemson Extension Service advisory council met on January 12, 2023 to share available resources and discuss ideas for future collaboration.  Eight community members were in attendance representing Fairfield Behavioral Health Services, Love Never Fails, Fairfield Forward, Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce, Fairfield County School District, Fairfield County Council on Aging, and SLED. We thank these participants for sharing their perspective both as individuals and on behalf of their organizations.

Fairfield is covered by seven specialized extension agents: Agribusiness, Food Systems and Safety, Forestry and Wildlife, Livestock and Forages, Urban Horticulture and Specialty Crops, Water Resources, and 4-H. During the meeting, these agents highlighted programs offered both virtually and in-person including “Be Well Informed” (testing well water for quality and maintenance) and “Know Diabetes by Heart” (health education program). 

Visit the Cooperative Extension Service website and learn more about the Agents who serve Fairfield County. You can find more information about their upcoming events on the Extension Calendar and register. Residents of Fairfield can also access statewide programs from the Home and Garden Information Center and Rural Health team.

The advisory council’s main collaborative project suggestion was implementing more community gardens for Fairfield residents. These gardens could serve as a hosting site for programming including beginner and advanced gardening skills, student engagement with 4-H, as well as food storage and canning workshops. Partnership opportunities with groups such as the Fairfield Farmers and Artisans’ Market, Fairfield Forward, and the Fairfield Career and Technology Center’s horticulture class could also benefit from this community project.

Have suggestions for improvement or future collaborations with the Fairfield community? Clemson Extension welcomes your feedback, so please fill out our anonymous survey to meet the needs of Fairfield County utilizing Clemson Extension’s resources. To get involved with future advisory council meetings and share ideas or resources, contact Fairfield County’s Clemson Extension Service County Coordinator Stephanie Eidt: seidt@clemson.edu | 803-589-8977.  Thank you for your continued support!

Learn the basics of canning fruits and vegetables from local farms and home gardens through a unique, hands-on 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 – Participants should bring their lunch and wear closed-toe shoes.

Class Size is limited to 10 participants, with a minimum of 5.

If you are interested in attending, Register Here.

Workshop Dates:

Friday, March 24th            Pressure Canning

Saturday, March 25th        Pressure Canning

Friday, April 28th              Jams, Jellies & Soft Spreads

Saturday, April 29th          Jams, Jellies & Soft Spreads

Friday, May 18th               Principles of Pickling

Saturday, May 19th           Principles of Pickling

Friday, June 9th                Pressure Canning

Saturday, June 10th          Pressure Canning

Local Farm Tour: 
K-12^th grade 4-H Members of Fairfield and Newberry counties.

Wednesday, April 5; 10:00-12:00 (for ages 5-10) & 2:00-4:00 (for ages 11-18)

Tour Bowers Farm and see cows, sheep, goats, turkeys, rabbits, ducks, pigs, and both meat and egg-producing chickens. Cost is $10 per participant (including parents). Parents/guardians must stay with non-4-H member participants, but are welcome to stay with 4-H member participants. Transportation to and from the farm is not provided.

Register Here for the Tour.

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Poultry Project:  
K-12^th grade 4-H Members

March-December

In the 4-H Pullet Chain, youth raise day old chicks for 5 to 7 months. Project members will care for, train, and prepare their birds for show and/or final sale. The 4-H Laying Flock Project is designed for youth that have older laying hens or purchased other chicks to raise.

Learn More and Register by March 1^st (for Pullet Chain) and May 1^st (for Laying Flock)

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Rabbit Project:  
K-12^th grade 4-H Members

June- December

The 4-H Rabbit Project is an independent project open. You receive a Rabbit Record Book on caring for and raising rabbits into healthy adult rabbits, have the opportunity to participate in a regional rabbit show, gain access to the Youth Academy of Livestock Learning Rabbit Modules, as well as a regular project newsletter. Youth and families are responsible for providing their own rabbit for use in the project.

Learn More and Register by May 1^st

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Around the World with 4-H Virtual Club:  
3^rd– 8^th grade Students (but all are welcome). Membership not required.

4^th Thursday of each month; 4-5 pm

Travel to a different country each month and explore its cultural recipe.  All are welcome to tour this Virtual Field Trip series which will also include craft ideas.

Register Here to join.

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Take Home Kit Club:  
3^rd– 8^th grade Fairfield County students (based on target ages of activities, K-12 welcome).  Membership not required.

Monthly through May 2023

Receive one free activity kit per month until May 2023. Each kit will explore a different topic related to natural resources, agriculture, STEM, leadership, and life skills.

Register Here for your kit.

FoodShareSC

FoodShareSC provides fresh fruits and vegetables to several counties throughout the state including Fairfield. Anyone in the community is eligible to sign up for the biweekly box, and the organization accepts SNAP cards or cash. A sheet that features quick and nutritious recipes is provided with your produce box. Learn more about FoodShareSC.

Fairfield 4-H has teamed up with FoodShareSC to distribute information and activities for families along with their recipe sheets. 4-H encourages children to get involved in the kitchen to gain new skills and participate in family meal prep. Regardless of whether you currently subscribe to FoodShareSC, anyone can access the Clovers in the Kitchen series (published and upcoming) to get your family cookin’!

The Fairfield Post

The Fairfield Post provides news to the Fairfield County School District and the community through a weekly newspaper. Many articles are written by the students taking journalism at the high school, but local organizations may also submit pieces. Fairfield 4-H has been writing a series of articles about life skills involving technology. Check out the featured articles as well as work by the teen writers of our community:

September 16: TikTok and Media Literacy

December 9: Social Media Careers

January 20: Money for Teenagers

                     Current News and Archived Editions

As pond problems tend to increase along with our summer temperatures, remember that we are always happy to help identify any problem weeds and make control recommendations. One to be on the lookout for is Blue-Green Algae. Blue-Green Algae, also known as Cyanobacteria, can range in color but is often bright green, resembling spilled paint on the water’s surface. This type of algae has the potential to release toxins into waterways as cells break down and die. This die-off of algae can also lead to low oxygen levels within a pond and can result in a fish kill.

Learn More Here about this type of algae and how you can better prepare your pond against it.

If you suspect that your pond has a Blue-Green Algae bloom and want to confirm,  Submit an Algae Sample to Clemson’s Plant Problem Clinic.

For more information on ponds or other water-related topics contact                   Charly Greenthaler Water Resources Agent: charlym@clemson.edu / (803) 520-1679

 

The Growing Our Future Annual Forestry Meeting took place on June 1, 2022.  There were nearly 200 in attendance including landowners, resource management professionals, vendors, and speakers.  Participants learned how to manage their forested lands to better meet their objectives, as well as, obtaining higher returns on their investments.

 

Speakers included Dr. Tom Dobbins (CUCES Director), Ryan Bean (CUCES FNR Agent), Scott Phillips (SCFC Director), Dr. Stephen Peairs (CUCES FNR Specialist), Dr. Cory Heaton (CUCES FNR Specialist), Scott Jones (FLA CEO), Dr. Roger Lowe (UGA Specialist), Cam Crawford (FASC CEO), Dr. Walt McPhail (SC Tree Farm), Chisolm Beckham (SCFC Cost-Share), and Eddie Reese (NRCS Cost-Share).

As the 4-H agent for Fairfield County, I’m looking forward to a busy fall of school engagement! I will help coordinate two elementary school gardens as well as facilitating environmental education lessons for classrooms at the Midlands STEM Institute and the Fairfield Career and Technical Center. This work utilizes my educational background in natural resources and offers hands-on engagement of topical science standards (with prep work and clean-up provided). If you know a classroom teacher that would enjoy supplemental activities such as hatching a chicken egg, dissecting an owl pellet, or assessing water quality, please reach out to seidt@clemson.edu to discuss collaboration opportunities!

For families looking for after-school engagement, there is no better time to join 4-H than in the fall as the 4-H calendar begins in September.  4-H membership offers access to projects where students dive deeper into interests ranging from agriculture to nutrition. Project books will guide participants through relevant tasks and completed books can be submitted for regional and/or statewide recognition and prizes. Learn more about 4-H here.  Check out the upcoming 4-H calendar here.  Register in 4-H Online here.

Members may also form and/or join clubs where members work together to complete community service projects and engage their interests. Clubs benefit from resources from the 4-H agents, Clemson Extension network, and the national 4-H organization. All a club needs are enthusiastic volunteers and at least five students, so if your family is interested in clubs, please contact seidt@clemson.edu.

As a county resource, I am always happy to discuss community engagement projects to meet students’ needs and interests. I serve as a youth development expert for families, schools, and other family-centered organizations. Please consider completing the Fairfield 4-H survey (students, parents, and community members) to help guide the direction of 4-H initiatives within the county. Thank you for allowing me to serve you and work with the kids of your community!

-Miss Stephanie

Fairfield County Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development

96 U.S. Hwy. 321 Bypass, Winnsboro, SC 29180

804-589-8977 | seidt@clemson.edu

Based on county health rankings discovered by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Fairfield County is ranked 36th out of 46 counties in South Carolina for poor health outcomes such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.  Such issues may be due to the diet and lifestyle of its residents and the lack of resources for residents to create a balanced diet with their income.

Clemson Extension partnered with Carolina Community Actions, Inc. to provide programming to Fairfield County residents that focused on nutrition education and expanding their food dollars.  The program emphasized the nutritional aspects of “eating the rainbow”, how to read a nutrition label, knowledge on shopping smarter, and how to increase one’s vegetable, fruit, and fiber intake.  Fourteen people attended the program.

At the conclusion of the programming, an evaluation was completed to reference the thoughts and attitudes of the participants.  Seventy-six percent of the participants stated that they plan to take actions on making changes based on the information delivered.  Participants indicated an increased awareness of how to read food labels, knowledge of MyPlate, and how to prepare balanced meals on a budget.

Current statistics on the health problems that adults and their families face indicate the need to improve nutrition knowledge, to encourage hands-on experience with food, and practice healthful, practical cooking with fresh and affordable foods.

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a federally funded program delivered through the Cooperative Extension Service that aims to assist limited-resource families in acquiring the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and changed behavior necessary to improve nutritional health and well-being. EFNEP provides nutrition education in four core areas: Diet Quality and Physical Activity, Food Resource Management, Food Safety, and Food Security.

In South Carolina, experienced and trained Nutrition Educators ‘follow a recipe’ and teach Eating Smart Being Active (ESBA), an evidence-based curriculum developed by Colorado State. ESBA is tailored to meet individual needs through a series of hands-on interactive lessons and delivered individually or to groups through partnerships with local community organizations. The ‘learn-by-doing’ approach allows participants to gain the practical skills necessary to make positive behavior changes to lead a healthier lifestyle.

SC EFNEP teaches SC adults cooking skills, food resource management, and behavior changes that promote a healthy lifestyle. In 2021, SC EFNEP reached 396 families, and the outcome data revealed:

• 96% improved Diet Quality
• 94% improved Food Resource Management
• 84% improved Food Safety
• 80% improved Physical Activity

Through an experiential learning process called A Recipe for Success, EFNEP participants increase their ability to select and eat healthier foods, stretch their dollars by managing food budgets, decrease foodborne illnesses, and increase physical activity.

The South Carolina Tree Farm Committee’s Annual Field Tour & Awards Ceremony will be held at Bill McCrary’s Fairfield Co. Tree Farm in Winnsboro, SC on Sept. 15, 2022.

McCrary is 2021 SC Tree Farmer of the Year. Early in his career, as a forester working for Georgia-Pacific Corp., he received the Outstanding Young Forester Leadership Award from the SC Chapter of the Society of American Foresters. He was a two-time District 6 Tree Farmer of the Year prior to becoming SC Tree Farmer of the Year.

TOUR STOPS: Learn the history of the SC Piedmont and how the landscape was transformed into a thriving pine forest; learn about strategic integration of timber production and wildlife management objectives; gain insights on using prescribed fire for wildlife habitat management; learn about the many benefits of ponds; and learn how no-till planting can help reduce overall costs, as well as save time while rebuilding your soil.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER ONLINE

Cost is $40 per person.