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.
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.
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.
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
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.
February 24, 2024Saluda 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.
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:
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 29th through the 31st. 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 20th and 21st 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.
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.
or 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, 
