New Online Course! Seasonal Pond Management If you own or manage a freshwater pond, the Seasonal Pond Managementcourse is for you! For $15, you’ll receive on-demand access to course materials for 365 days. The course focuses on actions throughout the year that can help maintain a healthy pond.
Water Chats
We are wrapping up another successful season of the Water Chats program with final sessions in September and a student-focused session in October. This partnership between Clemson Extension, S Sea Grant Consortium, and the SC Water Resources Center, has helped educate professionals across the state on a range of water quality issues and solutions.
Missed a webinar that you you wanted to see? Let us know (nix4@clemson.edu) and we’ll provide access to the recordings, when available.
The Forest Explorers 4-H Club of Greenville County are used to adventuring outside for their monthly meetings. During the past couple of months when the weather has been too cold to be outside, members met at the Greenville County Extension Office to continue their outdoor education. Members, ages 5 through 14, crafted “Bug Hotels” for insects overwintering as well as windsocks and rain gauges to learn about the weathers effect on nature. Although fun was had indoors, members are excited that the remaining meetings for the season will be held outdoors at Table Rock Center and Conestee Pollinator Garden.
Shark Camp in Greenville
Designed for young marine enthusiasts during Greenville County School’s breaks in March, students can embark on an oceanic adventure at Shark Camp! Join us for a jaw-dropping experience featuring canvas painting, shark info stations with rotating tales and facts, a thrilling shark glider contest, and exciting rounds of Shark games. Cap off the day by crafting your own shark bait to enjoy later. Don’t miss out on this fin-tastic journey into the world of sharks! Secure your spot today and make a splash with us at Shark Camp! Secure your child’s spot now for a day filled with shark-filled fun and discovery! Don’t miss out on the excitement—reserve your tickets for Shark Camp Adventure today! 🦈🌊
My name is Dylan Mott and I am happy to be continuing with Clemson Extension as the Rural Health and Nutrition Agent in Greenville County. I am a Greenville native and love Upstate SC!
I received my BS in Health Science from Clemson University (Go Tigers!) and just graduated with my Master of Public Health from MUSC. My experience with the Rural Health and Nutrition team began as an undergraduate intern turned part time program assistant working with social media, outreach, and programming. Some of my hobbies include: cycling, hiking, reading, and trying new recipes!
I am looking forward to continuing with the team in this capacity by serving the residents of my home county and teaching them more about Extension and the health of the county and state.
Rural Health and Nutrition Extension Agent, Clemson
Cooperative Extension
Clemson Extension’s Rural Health and Nutrition Team educates
South Carolinians on diabetes self-management practices through the Health
Extension for Diabetes program (HED). HED is a 4-month diabetes self-management
and support program for individuals diagnosed with diabetes. Participants
receive diabetes education and support for improved self-management from a
trained Health Extension Agent. Biweekly education sessions are facilitated
traditionally and online that include risk-reducing practices (e.g., healthy
eating and physical activity), medication and blood glucose management, and
health resource navigation.
HED curriculum follows the Physical Activity Guidelines for
Americans recommendations for adults to reach at least 150 minutes of moderate
physical activity each week, while prioritizing a balance of aerobic, strength,
and flexibility training. However, organized local and national physical
activity programs are often expensive and offered infrequently. Inability to
access physical activity support programs made it difficult for HED
participants to maintain diabetes self-management behaviors. In response, our
team developed three online physical activity support programs for HED
participants and other stakeholders in South Carolina: (1) WalkSC, (2) Yoga for
Every Body, and (3) Practical Strength.
The WalkSC program was developed to satisfy recommendations
for adults with diabetes to reach at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic
activity each week. Launched in spring 2020, the program encourages
participants to increase their step count and time spent walking each week
through weekly walking challenges. WalkSC comprises weekly step challenges
across a span of 12 weeks—the end goal: to “virtually” walk South Carolina’s
500-mile Palmetto Trail. This program has been widely successful and has gained
popularity locally and nationally.
Health Extension for
Diabetes recommends people with diabetes reduce stress to better manage blood
glucose levels, and the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggests
adults with diabetes reach 1-2 days of balance and flexibility training each week.
Yoga for Every Body (YEB) was launched in spring 2021 to address these
recommendations; the program’s goals are to offer a consistent and accessible
yoga practice facilitating stress management and increased physical activity
across all age and health categories.
Lastly, it is
recommended for adults with diabetes to reach 2-3 days of strength training per
week to better manage blood glucose levels. Practical Strength was launched in
summer 2023 to provide HED participants and SC stakeholders with a safe and
effective strength training program appropriate for all ages and mobility
levels.
Rural Health and
Nutrition Team physical activity programs have reached wide audiences within
South Carolina, and beyond, emphasizing their stand-alone value for health
promotion and management. Importantly, these programs also facilitated
cross-pollination of participants across Health Extension programming including HED. For example, at least 208
HED participants participated in one or more of the physical activity programs
from 2020-2022, empowering them to continue to strive for sustainable diabetes
self-management goals. Finally, the physical activity programs have increased
HED recruitment, likely through targeted marketing of shared health goals. We
conclude that increasing accessibility of physical activity programs within
Extension has promoted chronic disease awareness, prevention, and
management statewide and nationally.
Roxanne from Clover, SC on her experience with WalkSC: “My mantra is “more”. I may not reach all the daily step goals, but I get more steps each day than before, enjoy more of the outdoors, and feel more energized. I have been faithfully keeping track of each day’s steps on a designated calendar so I can stay accountable. Great program!” Roxanne started as a YEB participant and has since joined WalkSC and Practical Strength. Roxanne has remained consistent with all three programs and even began facilitating chair yoga classes at her local library based on the education and tools she received from Rural Health and Nutrition Team programming.
2023 South Carolina Master Food Preservers and members of the Clemson Cooperative Extension Food Systems and Safety team
The first cohort of South Carolina Master Food
Preservers graduated at the Philips Market Center in Columbia, South Carolina
on January 24th, 2024. The South Carolina Master Food Preserver
program began in Fall 2022 and aims to expand the reach of Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Food Systems
and Safety team. Master Food Preservers were trained in various disciplines of
food preservation including canning, dehydrating, freezing, and fermentation.
Participants completed an 8-week online course, a 2-day intensive training, and
completed 30 hours of volunteer service to earn the title of South Carolina
Master Food Preserver. Participants assisted Clemson Cooperative Extension
agents across South Carolina. Volunteer activities included assisting Food
Systems and Safety agents with home food preservation workshops, participating
in information booths at local farmers markets, creating instructional videos,
writing articles about food preservation, judge county fair canning
competitions, and many other exciting volunteer opportunities. The 2024 cohort
of South Carolina Master Food Preservers have recently completed their 2-day
intensive and are beginning their volunteer hours. To learn more about becoming
a Master Food Preserver contact Food Systems and Safety Agent Alex Ryan
Thompson by phone (864-365-0628) or email (art6@clemson.edu).
Drew
Jeffers is the new Horticulture agent in the Greenville County office. A native
of the mountains of eastern Tennessee, he holds a B.S. in Plant and Soil
Science and an M.S. in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Tennessee.
Jeffers comes to us from the Spartanburg office, where he was in a similar
position for seven years. Before coming to Clemson Extension, Jeffers was a
perennial plant grower for Zelenka Nurseries, a production manager for
Brussel’s Bonsai Nursery, a bedding plant grower for Van Wingerden
International, and an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) coordinator for Costa
Farms – Costa Carolina.
Drew
holds classes for both homeowners and professionals, with topics such as:
Home
vegetable gardening
Home
fruit gardening
Integrated
pest management (IPM) for home landscapes
Pesticide
Safety and education classes
Commercial
and Private Pesticide License classes
Ornamental
plants and their care
As a
resident of the Greer community, Jeffers is excited to be working and serving
in the county where he lives. Be sure you click this link Clemson
University Cooperative Extension (list-manage.com) to get on his email blast list to be alerted to
programs.
Now that deep winter is upon us, and the trees are bare of leaves, it is extremely easy to see the round, green balls of leaves scattered throughout the tree canopies. This is mistletoe.
Is it harmful to trees? Well, kind of. It is considered a parasite, a hemiparasite, to be exact. A hemiparasite makes some of its own food through photosynthesis but takes water and most of its nutrients from the host tree. American or Oak Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum) is commonly found on deciduous trees such as pecans, oaks, elms, hackberries, maples, and wild cherries. In the fall, it produces white berries that contain toxic chemicals poisonous to people and domestic animals.
Where did it come from? Birds are the most common culprit. They consume the sticky, white berries, and then transport the seeds to other trees where the seeds can germinate and begin their parasitic journey.
Mistletoe uses specialized roots called haustoria, which penetrate the host tree’s bark, allowing them to embed themselves in the vascular tissue. Through this connection, mistletoe siphons off nutrients from its host, sustaining itself.
What should you do if you have mistletoe? The primary method of management involves pruning out the infected branches. Prune the affected branch at least 18 inches beyond the point of attachment. Simply removing the mistletoe plant, without removal of the infected branch, will provide some protection from spreading. However, if you remove only the mistletoe, it will probably regrow.
For more extensive infestations higher in the tree, it’s advisable to enlist the services of a professional Certified Arborist. For some older, larger, heavily infested trees, it may not be feasible to remove such large portions of the canopy, and best just to let the tree live out its natural life or have it removed.
If you’d like to learn more about tree insects, diseases, and issues, or perhaps invite Carolyn Dawson, Clemson Extension Forestry Agent, to speak at your event, please contact her at dawson4@clemson.edu.
New Online Course! Be Well Informed If you rely on a private well to provide drinking water for your home, the Be Well Informed course is for you! There is no cost and it’s available anytime. Figure 1. Example of a healthy riparian buffer with livestock-safe plants. Image credit: Sarah White
Prepare your pond for spring!
The winter is a great time to start preparing for a healthier pond
when warm weather arrives! Here are some actions to consider.
Consider adding plants to the shoreline of
streams and ponds. Riparian buffers with healthy, native vegetation support
clean water and help prevent erosion along the shoreline. If the waterbody is
in a pasture, see our new Land Grant Press article on Livestock-Safe
Buffers!
When vegetation decays in ponds, the
nutrients from the plant tissue are returned to the water – and can spur future
plant growth. Remove decaying vegetation and compost in an upland area to help
reduce in-pond nutrients.
Consider installing an aerator in ponds that
stratify (or, to simplify, that develop layers of different temperature water)
and in areas with slow or stagnant water. Pumping air to the bottom of a pond
and letting it bubble to the service can increase dissolved oxygen levels and
support healthy fish populations.
The South Carolina Dairy Heifer Project began in 1974 and is one of the oldest 4-H projects of its kind in the Nation. This project was designed to provide youth in South Carolina an opportunity to raise a dairy heifer and experience the dairy industry, and then sell their heifer at the South Carolina Dairy Heifer Project Bred Heifer Sale. Throughout the years, thousands of South Carolina youth have taken part in 4-H dairy work. These 4-H and Dairy Heifer Project alumni can be found in all “walks of life.” Many are outstanding farmers and leaders of the dairy industry, while others are doctors, veterinarians, and teachers. In nearly every case, these people look back on this 4-H dairy experience as an outstanding part of their youth.
As the dairy industry has changed and evolved over the years, so has the South Carolina Dairy Heifer Project. Due to COVID restrictions, the 2020 Bred Heifer Sale was held online for the first time with great success. Due to that success, the sale has been permanently moved to an online format and the event dates have been adjusted to better suit the needs of the dairy industry. Through all the changes, the South Carolina Dairy Heifer Project has continued to thrive and reach youth across the state. Thirty-seven heifers are currently in project and under the care of 4-H youth and eighteen of those youth are from York County.
The 4-H and FFA dairy project members exhibit their dairy project animals at fairs, shows, and events in nearly every region of the state. Millions of people have seen or learned about 4-H and FFA through these youth dairy exhibits at the many fairs and events in South Carolina. This offers a tremendous opportunity for 4-H, FFA, Clemson Cooperative Extension, and the dairy industry to educate and inform the public about the dairy industry and youth dairy programs. Many thanks go out to the industry for the support of the program. Heifers for the project come from project alumni and producers across the Southeast who have seen the impact the project has had and is continuing to have on our youth.
Clemson Extension Agent and SCNBFP Director Ben Boyles shares information about extension programming at the 2023 SC Farmer Resource Rodeo.
SC Farmer Resource Rodeo Connects Farmers and Resource Providers
The SC Farmer Resource Rodeo returned in 2023 as part of the annual South Carolina Local Food Summit. Sponsored by Clemson University Cooperative Extension’s South Carolina New and Beginning Farmer Program (SCNBFP), the rodeo showcased over 40 organizations that provide farmer support, including education and Extension staff, lenders, granting organizations, land and production resources, state and federal agencies, regulatory bodies, non-profit assistance and more. Participating farmers were able to learn about these organizations and connect one-on-one.
“We are so pleased to have had the opportunity to bring back the Resource Rodeo,” says Ben Boyles, SCNBFP director. “Farming can often seem like a solitary occupation, and farmers are not always aware of. The vast number of resources available to them,” he continued. “Through this event, we are not only able to introduce farmers to invaluable sources of assistance but give them the opportunity to connect directly with resource representatives.”
All Aboard! Agritourism Workshop Coming to York County Interested in adding an exciting revenue stream for your farm business? Agritourism might be for you! Hop aboard a charted bus as we learn all about agritourism trends and resources while touring 3 unique agritourism farms in York County, SC.
Topics will include on-farm sales, u-pick operations, tour logistics, hosting workshops and events, school tours, farm dinners, food sales, and more! Get your questions answered by experienced agritourism providers!
Workshop Tour Stops • Tatanka Bison Ranch • Black’s Peaches • Five Blossoms Farm
Thursday, September 28, 2023 | In-person | 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM Meet at Clemson Extension – York County 120 N. Congress Street York, SC 29745 Workshop Contact: Ben Boyles http://boyles2@clemson.edu
SC New and Beginning Farmer Program Launches Level 3 Program
Now in its 13th year, the Clemson Extension SC New and Beginning Farmer Program (SCNBFP) has graduated over 500 new and aspiring farmers from its basic, beginning-level cohort program. The SCNBFP is excited to launch a new Advanced Level 3 Program in 2023 to offer a higher level of instruction for those who are still relatively new to farming but are looking to further their education in key areas of agribusiness and production. The SCNBFP Advanced Level 3 Program offers 20 full-day workshops and is designed so that qualified participants may choose whatever SCNBFP Advanced Workshops best suit their individual needs. These curated training events are the product of strategic collaborations within Clemson University as well as additional agricultural support organizations such as Soil & Water Conservations Districts, the Small Business Development Center, and farmer educators throughout the state.
“While our established core curriculum provides comprehensive training at a basic level, there is a need in South Carolina for continued new farmer education at a higher level,” says SCNBFP Director and York County Clemson Extension Agribusiness Agent Ben Boyles. “Our new Advanced Program provides a deeper dive into critical and/or niche topics appropriate for the experienced but still growing new farmer audience.”
The SCNBFP Advanced Level 3 Program runs from September 2023 through March 2024 with a series of full-day workshops hosted throughout the state, many at on-farm locations and several through online platforms. All workshops are also available on an individual basis to the general public not enrolled in the full program. More information about these workshops can be found here:
New Online Course! Seasonal Pond Management If you own or manage a freshwater pond, the Seasonal Pond Management course is for you! For $15, you’ll receive on-demand access to course materials for 365 days. The course focuses on actions throughout the year that can help maintain a healthy pond. 
