Jeff Fellers

Fall is busy time in Extension with local fairs and the State Fair.  I am actively involved in the Union County Agricultural Fair, so that consumes most of my time in October.  This is a time we also get a lot of calls about fall food plots.  This year we also saw the armyworms come and damage many of the early planting for fall food plots. 

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.  Fall and winter are the times when we start seeing the winter annual weeds pop up.  Landowners and homeowner often times bring samples in for identification and management recommendations.  Late summer early fall also is a time where we see a lot of foliar diseases on plants from the warm humid conditions. 

Union County Agricultural
If you have never been to the Union County Agricultural Fair you need to plan a visit next October.  This county fair has everything from rides, feature shows, livestock exhibits, home economics exhibits, and agricultural products exhibit.  Clemson Extension manages the livestock shows, home economics exhibits, agricultural products exhibit, poultry barn exhibits, and livestock exhibits.  Premiums and ribbons are given out to participants that place in the categories.  We put a lot of work in the fair to make sure it is a successful event and promotes agriculture. 

5-K Day at the Fair
5-K day is always a favorite of mine.  All the kindergarten students in the County come to the fair as a field trip for school.  We set up five minutes lessons to teach them about agriculture.  These lessons are set up throughout the barn and the classes rotate through each lesson.  We teach the students about beef cows, dairy cows, goats, horses, chickens, rabbits, bees, and crops.  My job is to teach the kids about crops.  I plant these crops in early May as a demonstration for the fair and to use for this program.  We offer this program every year on Thursday when the fair is in town. 

Newberry Forestry Association
The Newberry Forestry Association hosted meetings in November and February.  In November we had Chris Gordy and Steve Salsbury from West Fraser present a program on mill updates in Newberry County.  They spoke on the sawmill in Newberry and the OSB mill in Joanna.  The February meeting featured Kevin Burkett with Clemson Extension speaking on timber taxes and looking at claiming losses since hurricane Helene had an impact in our County. 

Laurens Forest Landowners Association
The Laurens Forest Landowners Association hosted meetings in November and February.  In November, Jeff Fellers with Clemson Extension presented a program on interpreting soil samples.  The February meeting featured Dr. Adam Kantrovich speaking on timber taxes and loses since Laurens was affected by Helene. 

4-H Shooting Sports Trailer
The 4-H Shooting Sports Trailer has been busy the last few months.  We use the trailer to raise funds for our 4-H Shooting Sports Program.  We have been fortunate to raise enough funds to purchase and maintain our supplies so the participants do not have to pay and extra fee for the clubs.  We hosted trailer at the Union County Agricultural Fair in October.  This is our big event, as we open the trailer every night of the fair.  We also hosted the trailer at the Grand American in Orangeburg and the Southeastern Treeing Walker Days in Union.  Both of these events attract participants from many states and allows us to promote 4-H and our program to many people outside our County.  In Orangeburg, over 25,000 people typically attend.  While the Southeastern Treeing Walker Days is not as big, we still see thousands of participants at that event as well.

Forest Health Workshop
On March 3^rd I hosted a Forest Health Workshop with Dr. David Coyle.  This program was geared toward forestry and natural resource professionals and offer continuing education credits that are required in their field.  Topics include Pesticide regulatory update, Pine insects and diseases, hardwood insects and diseases, market update, herbicide application techniques, and invasive species management. 

2025 Forestry Focus
2025 Forestry Focus is our 20^th biennial program.  This year the program will be hosted on March 15, 2025.  Forestry Focus is hosted by Clemson Extension and the Newberry Forestry Association.  We host this program every odd year.  This is an all-day event that is geared toward landowners and professionals.  We offer continuing education credits in both forestry and pesticides.  This year our topics included Local Market Updates, Estate Planning, Forest Health, Nuisance Wildlife, and Pond Management. 

Upcoming Events:

Newberry Forestry Association – May 13, 2025 – Drew Fasano with Arborgen will presenting on recommendations for spacing on higher end genetics with a focus on reducing pulpwood and maximizing sawtimber.

Laurens Forestry Association – May 27, 2025 – Patrick Hiesl will present on the economics of a portable sawmill for landowners.

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.

Rachel can be reached at ryoung6@clemson.edu or 803.276.0191.

Jeff Fellers – Area Forestry Agent

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. 

 https://www.newberryswcd.com/campconservation

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. 

https://www.clemson.edu/extension/forestry/media/women-owning-woodlands.html

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

Newberry Forestry Association – November 12, 2024

Laurens Forestry Association – November 26, 2024

Travis Mitchell
Livestock and Forages Agent for Newberry and Saluda Counties
Director for The South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association

 
Livestock and Forage producers around South Carolina are certainly ready for spring.  The spring bull and replacement heifer sales are in full swing, as this always seems to be a very busy time of the year.  As we move into 2024, input costs in every agriculture sector continue to rise.  Producers will face many challenges this year as they manage their budgets to navigate the rise in input costs.
The South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association held its annual meeting and convention on February 2 at the T.Ed. Garrison Arena in Clemson.  The educational components of the meeting focused on the beef cattle market outlook and investment strategies during market peaks.  Scholarships and state awards of excellence were also presented.  The South Carolina Cattlemen’s Foundation awarded four scholarships to deserving college students.
The Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association will hold its 32nd Annual Replacement Heifer Sale on Saturday, February 24.  Over 85 bred and open heifers will be auctioned from Saluda County cattlemen.
The Saluda County Cattlemen’s Association met on February 6.  Participants listened to an excellent presentation from Mr. Matthew Fischer, Clemson Extension Ag Economist.  Mr. Fischer gave producers a look into market expectations as we move through 2024.
The Saluda County Extension Service will offer a CAMM Recertification course on March 6 at the Hollywood Ruritan.  Participants interested in attending can call the office for further details on how to register.  2024 marks the end of the recertification block for producers holding a Private Pesticide Applicator license.  License holders are required to obtain five recertification credits by December 31, 2024.  A recertification course will be offered on March 6 at the Hollywood Ruritan Building.  Please call the Saluda County Extension office at 864-803-1123 to register.
 

Jeff Fellers
Area Forestry & Natural Resource Agent
Chester, Laurens, Newberry, Union, & York

One thing I love about working for Clemson Extension is the diversity of work throughout the seasons.  Rarely do we have the same tasks day after day.  It often changes with the season. The fall and winter seasons bring about fairs and festivals, along with our normal activities.

Union County Agricultural Fair
October is all about the fair in Union County.  The Union County Extension Office is heavily involved in managing the livestock, poultry, agricultural products, and home economics sections.  We also operate the Union County 4-H Shooting Sports Trailer throughout the week of the fair.  On Thursday of the fair, we also host a 5K day where all the Union County public schools bring their kindergarten classes to the fair to learn about livestock and agriculture.  I always enjoy presenting on the crops section for this field trip.  If you have never visited the Union County Agricultural Fair I highly recommend coming by and seeing us. 

Kids in the Parks Track Trail
I had the opportunity to lead a trail hike for the Newberry County Recreation Department for their grand opening of the Kids in the Parks Track Trail.  This trail is located at Lynches Woods in Newberry County.  I really enjoyed spending the afternoon with the children and helping them identify some trees and shrubs, along with learning about growth rings on pine trees.  The Newberry County Recreation Department has a nice kiosk with brochures that help educate those who take the hike.

Wood Magic Forest Fair
Wood Magic Forest Fair is a free field trip for fourth graders, hosted by the South Carolina Forestry Commission.  The program provides a learning experience about the forest industry in South Carolina that meet fourth grade school standards.  Volunteers from around the forest industry come together to teach fourth graders all about forestry.  This year I had the opportunity to teach the Gifts of the Forest station at the Harbison State Forest location.  For more information on Wood Magic visit: https://www.scfc.gov/education/wood-magic/.

Learn to Burn
In November, I had the opportunity to assist with a Learn to Burn program in Union County.  This program was hosted by the Piedmont Prescribed Fire Cooperative at a private landowner’s property.  Participants were able to actively participate in a burn on a mature pine stand.  They were able to see the process from planning, preparation, execution, and mop up.  Learn To Burn provides a great educational experience to landowners that are wanting to learn how to implement prescribe fire on their property.

Newberry Forestry Association
The Newberry Forestry Association had their last quarterly meeting in 2023 on November 14.  We met at Mt. Pleasant UMC.  Eddie Reese, with NRCS, presented on forestry cost share programs.  Our next meeting will be February 13, 2024, and our topic will be estate planning. 

Laurens Forest Landowners Association
The Laurens Forest Landowners Association had their last quarterly meeting in 2023 on November 28.  We met at the Laurens County Farm Bureau Office.  Chris Gordy, from West Fraser, presented on local and statewide mill updates.  Our next meeting will be February 27, 2024.

 Grand American
This was the first year that we took the Union County 4-H Shooting Sports Trailer down to the Grand American in Orangeburg, SC.  Along with Forged In 4-H, we set up a display to help raise funds for the two programs.  Just like at the Union County Agricultural Fair, the trailer is set up for participants to have fun shooting air rifles.  For those less experienced shooters, we spend a little extra time helping them learn the basics of shooting.  Forged In 4-H also provided forging demonstrations, while selling some of the items that were made through the program.  The Grand American provided an excellent venue to advertise our program and educate participants about what great programs we have to offer.

 4-H Food Plots
One of my favorite activities in this job is judging 4-H Food Plots.  We typically do this in January, so the weather is normally not cooperative.  This year however, we had a very nice day to be out in the woods.  We judged 1 in Newberry County and 2 in Union County.  For more information on the 4-H Food Plot Project visit the following link: https://www.clemson.edu/extension/4h/program-areas/natural-resources/wildlife-food-plot-project.html.

Upcoming Events:

Woodland Stewards Silvopasture Webinar Series – January 30 through March 5
https://forestrywebinars.net/sponsor-pages/woodland-stewards

Newberry Forestry Association Meeting February 12, 2024

Indian Creek Field Day February 22, 2024

Laurens Forest Landowners Association Meeting February 27, 2024

Broad River Watershed Landowner Interest Meeting March 7, 2024 Spotlight on Ag March 14, 2024

 

Saluda County Upcoming Events

   

 

 

 

February 24, 2024  Saluda County Cattlemens 32nd Annual Heifer Sale starts at 12:00, Noon

February 27, 2024 – Saluda 4-H Livestock Club Meeting here at the office at 4:00pm

March 3,2024 – Registration Deadline for the 4-H Pullet Chain Poultry Project

March 5, 2024 – State 4-H Legislative Day , Columbia SC

March 6, 2024  – Saluda County CAMM Training at Hollywood Ruritan for 10am to 12.
March 6, 2024 – Saluda County Private Applicators Recertification for Recert. Credits up to 3 Credits Meeting at 1 to 4pm at Hollywood Ruritan in Saluda, SC

March 8, 2024 –  Deadline to register for the 4H Dairy Judging Contest.

March 22, 2024–  4-H Dairy Judging Competition in Pendleton and Dairy Spring Show. Also, deadline to Register for the 4H Livestock Judging Competition.

April 5, 2024 – Deadline to Register For the 4-H Small Garden Project
April 5, 2024 – 4-H Livestock  Judging Competition in Pendleton

April 19-24 – Nation 4-H Conference in Washington, DC

One thing I love about working for Clemson Extension is the diversity of work throughout the seasons.  Rarely do we have the same tasks day after day.  It often changes with the season. The fall and winter seasons bring about fairs and festivals, along with our normal activities.

Union County Agricultural Fair
October is all about the fair in Union County.  The Union County Extension Office is heavily involved in managing the livestock, poultry, agricultural products, and home economics sections.  We also operate the Union County 4-H Shooting Sports Trailer throughout the week of the fair.  On Thursday of the fair, we also host a 5K day where all the Union County public schools bring their kindergarten classes to the fair to learn about livestock and agriculture.  I always enjoy presenting on the crops section for this field trip.  If you have never visited the Union County Agricultural Fair I highly recommend coming by and seeing us.

Kids in the Parks Track Trail
I had the opportunity to lead a trail hike for the Newberry County Recreation Department for their grand opening of the Kids in the Parks Track Trail.  This trail is located at Lynches Woods in Newberry County.  I really enjoyed spending the afternoon with the children and helping them identify some trees and shrubs, along with learning about growth rings on pine trees.  The Newberry County Recreation Department has a nice kiosk with brochures that help educate those who take the hike.

Wood Magic Forest Fair
Wood Magic Forest Fair is a free field trip for fourth graders, hosted by the South Carolina Forestry Commission.  The program provides a learning experience about the forest industry in South Carolina that meet fourth grade school standards.  Volunteers from around the forest industry come together to teach fourth graders all about forestry.  This year I had the opportunity to teach the Gifts of the Forest station at the Harbison State Forest location.  For more information on Wood Magic visit: https://www.scfc.gov/education/wood-magic/.

Learn to Burn
In November, I had the opportunity to assist with a Learn to Burn program in Union County.  This program was hosted by the Piedmont Prescribed Fire Cooperative at a private landowner’s property.  Participants were able to actively participate in a burn on a mature pine stand.  They were able to see the process from planning, preparation, execution, and mop up.  Learn To Burn provides a great educational experience to landowners that are wanting to learn how to implement prescribe fire on their property.

Newberry Forestry Association
The Newberry Forestry Association had their last quarterly meeting in 2023 on November 14.  We met at Mt. Pleasant UMC.  Eddie Reese, with NRCS, presented on forestry cost share programs.  Our next meeting will be February 13, 2024, and our topic will be estate planning.

Laurens Forest Landowners Association
The Laurens Forest Landowners Association had their last quarterly meeting in 2023 on November 28.  We met at the Laurens County Farm Bureau Office.  Chris Gordy, from West Fraser, presented on local and statewide mill updates.  Our next meeting will be February 27, 2024.

Grand American
This was the first year that we took the Union County 4-H Shooting Sports Trailer down to the Grand American in Orangeburg SC.  Along with Forged In 4-H, we set up a display to help raise funds for the two programs.  Just like at the Union County Agricultural Fair, the trailer is set up for participants to have fun shooting air rifles.  For those less experienced shooters, we spend a little extra time helping them learn the basics of shooting.  Forged In 4-H also provided forging demonstrations, while selling some of the items that were made through the program.  The Grand American provided an excellent venue to advertise our program and educate participants about what great programs we have to offer.

4-H Food Plots
One of my favorite activities in this job is judging 4-H Food Plots.  We typically do this in January, so the weather is normally not cooperative.  This year however, we had a very nice day to be out in the woods.  We judged 1 in Newberry County and 2 in Union County.  For more information on the 4-H Food Plot Project visit the following link: https://www.clemson.edu/extension/4h/program-areas/natural-resources/wildlife-food-plot-project.html.

Upcoming Events:

• Woodland Stewards Silvopasture Webinar Series – January 30 through March 5
  https://forestrywebinars.net/sponsor-pages/woodland-stewards
• Newberry Forestry Association Meeting February 12, 2024
• Indian Creek Field Day February 22, 2024
• Laurens Forest Landowners Association Meeting February 27, 2024
• Broad River Watershed Landowner Interest Meeting March 7, 2024
• Spotlight on Ag March 14, 2024

Alana West, Newberry County Coordinator

Newberry County Clemson Extension is blessed to have a supportive Extension Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of around 15 members who serve 2-year terms. Members are representative of the communities served by Extension, including but not limited to education, agriculture, forestry and land ownership, and community government. The committee’s latest meeting was held in November of 2023 with 12 members and 6 agents present.

Prior to meetings, all members receive a survey via email asking their input on areas of interest covered by Extension programming. Answers from the survey are then used as talking points at meetings. Points of interests from the latest meeting are:

• how to promote Extension as a whole so that the public knows and understands what we offer,
• developing and implementing programs within the community and in schools that offer exposure and growth focusing on animals, farming, woodwork, etc. with the goal of sparking youth interests in different professions,
•  the possibility of hosting a livestock show in Newberry County,
• placing soils sample kits in locally owned businesses throughout the county.

Meetings are held at least once annually, with additional meetings held as necessary.

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

Travis Mitchell
Livestock and Forages Agent for Newberry & Saluda Counties
Director for The South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association

 

Summer has been a very busy season in Saluda County.  The Saluda County Clemson Extension Livestock & Forages program has assisted many producers with questions concerning hay production, pasture weed control, and fall armyworm control in pastures and hayfields.  Producers were also assisted in commingling tractor-trailer load lots for marketing their calf crop.  These load lots enabled producers to receive value-added premiums for the calves they sold.

The Clemson Extension Livestock & Forages team, in conjunction with the South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association, hosted the South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association regional meetings from August 29^th through the 31^st.  Over 250 producers from across the state were in attendance during this three-day event.  Dr. Mark Alley with Zoetis gave an outstanding presentation on the importance of vaccines and how they add value to your calf crop.  Dr. Alley then joined Dr. Che Trejo with Merck Animal Health and Mr. Randy Fordham with Boehringer-Ingelheim for a panel discussion about the importance of vaccines.  These three gentlemen answered the producer’s questions and provided further insight on overall herd health.

The Saluda County 4-H Livestock shows were held September 20^th and 21^st at the Central Milk Producers Show & Sale Arena.  Many 4-H youths from across the state exhibited their prize animals.  Seeing so many young people enthusiastically involved in agriculture is always a great time.