Category: Fairfield

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

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

Heather Nix
Water Resource Agent

The Water Resources Team continues to develop a variety of educational materials and programs, including these new offerings:

• Pond Maintenance: Dredging a Land Grant Press article outlining potential regulations and additional factors before undertaking a freshwater pond dredging project.
• Livestock Ponds in South Carolina a Land Grant Press article for livestock owners depending on a pond to provide water for their herd.
• Dam Ownership in South Carolina – a free, self-paced six-week online course for dam owners.
• Lead Solutions – educational information showcasing simple ways to reduce potential exposure to lead in drinking water.

Water planning efforts continue throughout the state to ensure plentiful, clean water for future generations. The SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is leading the creation of River Basin Councils in each of SC’s eight major river basins; these Councils will work over a two-year period to draft a River Basin Plan.

• The Edisto River Basin Council has released a draft of the Edisto River Basin Plan for public comment.
• The Broad River Basin Council  formed in 2022, and ongoing monthly meetings are open to the public; applications may be accepted for a representative from a Local Government located within the Broad River Basin.
• The Saluda River Basin Council is currently being formed and will likely begin meeting in Spring 2023.

Upcoming events: Our free Adopt-A-Stream volunteer water quality monitoring training is available on various dates. Registration is currently open for the Spring 2023 Post-Construction BMP Inspector certification and re-certification. Please keep an eye on the Clemson Extension Events Calendar for information on additional events.

For over 120 years, 4-H Youth Development has engaged youth with high-quality developmental settings with an emphasis on academic motivation and success, social competence, high personal standards, connection, personal responsibility, and contribution to others through leadership and civic engagement. The 4-H Thriving Model is the theory of change for positive youth development in 4-H. The model illustrates the process of positive youth development in 4-H programs by connecting high-quality program settings to the promotion of youth thriving.

The Regional 4-H PYD Champion Network consists of 4-H professionals from Land-Grant Universities (LGUs) across the five Extension Regions. Clemson University Cooperative Extension is proud to support Patricia Whitener as a champion for SC 4-H and part of the southeastern regional working group. Her focus as a thrive champion is on capacity-building efforts for 4-H professionals and volunteers with both Clemson University and SC State. Her focus is on promoting a consistent, correct, and complete understanding of positive youth development throughout the state and region.

Patricia has received $25,000 through a competitive distribution of Extension Innovation funding to further the implementation and adoption of the 4-H Thrive model.  This will be accomplished through PYD capacity building with 4-H professionals and volunteers, leading to improved PYD programming, and stronger and clearer program impact. Ultimately the aim of the thrive sessions is to educate and empower 4-H professionals and to secure the position of SC 4-H as a regional leader in positive youth development programming through delivering professional development, developing effective professional development evaluation, and supporting quality program implementation standards. The impact of the initiative is widespread. 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, employability and economic stability, happiness, and wellbeing.

Patricia Whitener, 4-H Youth Development Agent

Food Systems and Safety Agent Alex Ryan Thompson is helping to educate Upstate South Carolina residents on a range of food safety topics. As a part of the Food Systems and Safety program team with Clemson Cooperative Extension, Alex Ryan Thompson hosts home canning workshops covering all forms of canning. Types of canning boiling water bath, pickling, jams and jellies, and pressure canning. These workshops are hands-on experiences where participants will learn about the process of canning, the scientific principles behind canning, and how to identify research-based canning recipes. Canning workshops are hosted by Alex across the Upstate. No previous canning knowledge is required to attend these workshops. For the most current schedule of upcoming workshops and to register, visit the Food Systems and Safety team page here:

https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/events.html\

Upstate South Carolina residents who own pressure canners can also reach out to Clemson Cooperative Extension to have their pressure canners inspected and their dial gauges tested for accuracy. The Food Systems and Safety team recommends having pressure canners inspected and dial gauges tested annually to ensure safe pressure canning. Contact your local Extension office to schedule an appointment to have your pressure canner checked.

Furthermore, the Food Systems and Safety Team hosts ServSafe Food Handler and Manager trainings and can proctor ServSafe examinations for Upstate South Carolina residents. If you or someone you know needs ServSafe training, contact your local Extension office to schedule training or an examination.

Whether you want to know if your leftovers in the refrigerator are safe to eat or want to start a food business, the Food Systems and Safety team with Clemson Cooperative Extension is here to help!

Contact:
Alex Ryan Thompson
Food Systems and Safety Agent
Clemson Cooperative Extension
352 Halton Rd Suite 302

Greenville, South Carolina 29607

Phone: (864) 365-0628

Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Rural Health and Nutrition Team offers a fantastic resource for those living with diabetes in Greenville County through the Health Extension for Diabetes (HED) program. The Health Extension for Diabetes program is an American Diabetes Association recognized practice-tested diabetes support program for people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The purpose of the program is to provide you with the knowledge and skills you need, along with the necessary support, to prevent complications associated with diabetes. The program is delivered through a series of 16 online group education and support sessions over 4 months.

Each session lasts an hour and incorporates education as well as support group components. The goal of the program is to help provide participants with the education, resources, and support they need to better manage diabetes. Session topics include healthy eating, physical activity, managing stress, medications and monitoring, and more. You must be 18 years old to participate and have a diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Please contact Ellie Lane at jelane@clemson.edu or 864-986-1138 for more information or any questions. Follow this link for additional information and to register for an upcoming class: https://clemson.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_07gV9gl3ZHOAohU.

Ellie Lane, Statewide Rural Health and Nutrition Extension Agent

Food Systems and Safety Agent Alex Ryan Thompson is helping to educate Upstate South Carolina residents on various food safety topics. As a part of the Food Systems and Safety program team with Clemson Cooperative Extension, Alex Ryan Thompson hosts home canning workshops covering all forms of canning. Types of canning are boiling water baths, pickling, jams and jellies, and pressure canning. These workshops are hands-on experiences where participants will learn about the process of canning, the scientific principles behind canning, and how to identify research-based canning recipes-Alex hosts canning workshops across the Upstate. No previous canning knowledge is required to attend these workshops. For the most current schedule of upcoming workshops and to register, visit the Food Systems and Safety team page here: https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/events.html\

Upstate South Carolina residents who own pressure canners can also reach out to Clemson Cooperative Extension to have their pressure canners inspected and their dial gauges tested for accuracy. The Food Systems and Safety team recommends having pressure canners inspected and dial gauges tested annually to ensure safe pressure canning. Contact your local Extension office to schedule an appointment to check your pressure canner.

Furthermore, the Food Systems and Safety Team hosts ServSafe Food Handler and Manager trainings and can proctor ServSafe examinations for Upstate South Carolina residents. If you or someone you know needs ServSafe training, contact your local Extension office to schedule training or an examination.

Whether you want to know if your leftovers in the refrigerator are safe to eat or want to start a food business, the Food Systems and Safety team with Clemson Cooperative Extension is here to help!

Contact:
Alex Ryan Thompson
Food Systems and Safety Agent
Clemson Cooperative Extension
352 Halton Rd Suite 302Greenville, South Carolina 29607Phone: (864) 365-0628
Email: art6@clemson.edu

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