Chris LeMaster Livestock & Forages Agent Cherokee, Spartanburg, & Union Counties
Safety data (2019) by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the agriculture sector continues to be the most dangerous in America with 573 fatalities, or an equivalent of 23.1 deaths per 100,000 workers. Even in Cherokee County, we have had two ag-related fatalities less than a year apart. As we prepare for the busyness of fall hay harvest, a reminder about farm safety is much needed.
On August 1st we held a farm safety workshop tailored for cattle and hay producers. Typically, safety talks bring about a glazed and yawning audience. However, our speaker, Marion Barnes, used many real-life examples from around our state. He shared startling facts about the dangers of youth around farms. One point that shapes the deadly youth statistics is that on most farms, there is no separation between the barnyard and the children’s play area . This leads to complacency around dangerous equipment for both the youth and the parents.
Aside from the loss of limb or life, accidents on the farm are very costly and, in many cases, can bankrupt a farm. If you want to see your farm passed down another generation, you had better make good decisions on your “calculated” risks around equipment and livestock.
After the presentation, many stories were shared with the audience about ag-related deaths and injuries in our county from the past couple of decades. I received several calls after the workshop from farmers stating they appreciated the safety talk and planned to implement changes in their operations.
Grain Bin Safety Trailer
This program stemmed from an in-service training held on June 3rd at the Sandhills Experiment Station. Agents and specialists from across the state received presentations and demonstrations on farm safety topics. The demonstrations included legally transporting equipment, Rollover protection systems, and grain bin rescue. The grain bin rescue simulator was the most impressive demonstration. It was designed and constructed by the Ag Mechanization department to fit a small grain bin on top of an enclosed trailer that houses specialized equipment for the extraction demonstration. This trailer has been all over the state to help rescue teams train for grain bin entrapment. We plan to have this trailer visit some local fire departments in our farming communities.
Farmers are hard to replace, and so many people count on us. Please slow down and think about any avoidable risks. We need our farmers, and your families need you. For more information on farm safety and mental health for farmers, visit the links below:
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
The first Health Extension for Diabetes (HED) cohort in Union County was a community success! The cohort started in September 2023 and graduated in December 2023, with approximately a 90% graduation rate (adjusted)! We are recruiting for a second Health Extension for Diabetes cohort at the Union County Library for HED in-person programing. Registration is open from 02/13/24-03/12/24, please contact me if you are interested in participating!
HED is a free diabetes support program recognized by the ADA as a practice-tested diabetes support program. The main goal of this program is to help participants better manage diabetes to prevent or delay complications. HED is 4 months long and includes a series of 8 education sessions and intermittent support sessions. Each session is designed to help participants learn more about diabetes and provide them with necessary skills and support to successfully self-manage diabetes. Participants will receive bi-weekly materials and weekly follow-up to help navigate resources and reach healthy lifestyle goals. A Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes diagnosis is required for enrollment.
February is American Heart month; If there is an upcoming event or group meeting that you are looking for a guest speaker and a timely topic, I would love to attend and hold the Know Diabetes by Heart (KDBH) program. Please feel free to contact me if you have any opportunities or questions.
KDBH is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American Heart Association (AHA). It is a free education session offered in-person or online. The program aims to help participants better understand the link between diabetes and heart disease. By participating in this one-hour session, you will learn more about risks related to diabetes and heart disease, how to take control of your risks, and learn about community and clinical resources.
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.
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.
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:
Julia Newsome Rural Health & Nutrition Agent Cherokee & Union Counties
“The first Health Extension for Diabetes (HED) cohort in Cherokee county was a community success! The cohort started in August 2023 and graduated in December 2023, with approximately a 90% graduation rate (adjusted)! We are recruiting for a second Health Extension for Diabetes cohort in partnership with the Cherokee County Family YMCA for HED in-person programing. Registration is open from 01/24/24-02/21/24, please contact me if you are interested in participating!
HED is a free diabetes support program recognized by the ADA as a practice-tested diabetes support program. The main goal of this program is to help participants better manage diabetes to prevent or delay complications. HED is 4 months long and includes a series of 8 education sessions and intermittent support sessions. Each session is designed to help participants learn more about diabetes and provide them with necessary skills and support to successfully self-manage diabetes. Participants will receive bi-weekly materials and weekly follow-up to help navigate resources and reach healthy lifestyle goals. A Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes diagnosis is required for enrollment.
February is American Heart Month; If there is an upcoming event or group meeting that you are looking for a guest speaker and a timely topic, I would love to attend and hold the Know Diabetes by Heart (KDBH) program. Please feel free to contact me if you have any opportunities or questions.
KDBH is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American Heart Association (AHA). It is a free education session offered in-person or online. The program aims to help participants better understand the link between diabetes and heart disease. By participating in this one-hour session, you will learn more about risks related to diabetes and heart disease, how to take control of your risks, and learn about community and clinical resources.
Christopher LeMaster, Jr. Livestock & Forage Agent Cherokee, Spartanburg, & Union Counties
Many may answer “Yes” to the above question, but nonetheless, that is an insightful question to ask yourself. Hopefully, you are intentional in your record-keeping, accounting, and tax preparation so that the IRS isn’t asking you the same question. Whether you identify as a hobbyist or businessman, all will agree that it requires real work to answer this question successfully. Besides the work, there are fundamental business concepts that cannot be ignored if you wish to keep your farm around for future generations. A team of agribusiness agents and specialists and I have worked to develop the workshop series Farm Business Concepts. This course is designed to dive deep into the foundations of a well-run farm business. Participants will learn about business structures, labor forms, record keeping, accounting (managerial, tax), and tax management. The workshop also includes a session on enterprise budgets and some case studies tailored to the cow/calf and hay producer. We are excited to help our farmers run their farms like businesses. There’s nothing wrong with being a hobby farmer, and truthfully, most of us would not endure the long hours and labor if we weren’t truly passionate about farming. We hope this program will help farmers identify ways to keep their farms profitable so that they may survive the ups and downs of the market and, most importantly, be around for another generation of farmers.
The new year brings the opportunity to get things back on schedule here in Union County. The Union County Agricultural Fair consumes most of October and Thanksgiving and Christmas family time suspends our regular meeting schedules. January is a time to get back to the task at hand, positive youth development. With a list of clubs provided by Union 4-H such as Trail Blazers, Shooting Sports (archery/BB gun), Baking Buddies, Poultry, Forged In 4-H, and a new Fishing club, staying involved, engaged, and busy is easy to do. We do our best to provide various types of clubs to reach the interest of as many youths as possible in our county.
Forged In 4-H hit the ground running in 2024! Forged In 4-H is a blacksmithing club that teaches the trade and art of blacksmithing. It is unique to Union, as it is the only program of its kind offered in South Carolina. The club was invited to set up a booth January 4th and 5th at the Grand American held in Orangeburg, SC. The Grand American is the largest wild racoon hunt in the southeast and one of the largest in the country. Over a two-day period 10,000-20,000 people will attend this event each year. Contestants come from as far away as South Dakota and Texas. Along with the blacksmithing demonstrations, we took our shooting trailer to promote 4-H Shooting Sports and raise money to support the clubs. 4-H’ers maned the booth, did demonstrations, assisted shooters, and interacted with people to promote 4-H on a national level!
A new thing coming in 2024 is the 4-H Fishing Club. A spinoff of the popularity of 4-H fishing day camp, the fishing club will meet monthly to learn about fishing gear, fishing techniques, safety, natural resources conservation, and many other things. The plan is to also meet at some fisheries to put learned skills into practice and possibly a fieldtrip to a fish hatchery. Stay tuned to “Union County SC 4-H” Facebook page for future catch pictures.
The Union County Agricultural Fair received an agricultural award from the South Carolina Association of Fairs at the Georgia/SC Fair Association Conference. The award recognized the partnership between Union Chapter of FFA and Union County 4-H in their efforts to establish a rabbit project and show at the Union County Agricultural Fair. Through this partnership FFA/4-H Members and the special needs class at Union County High School were able to show their rabbits that they raised through the project. This has been a great project and demonstrates the things that can be accomplished when organizations work together for a common goal, opportunity, and positive youth development!
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, 
