Clemson Extension Upstate District

From Ideas to Impact: Cherokee Charter Academy 4-H Leads with Heart

Posted on by Amy Mallette

Haven Blackwell
4-H Youth & Development Agent
Cherokee County

Kids next to truck for parade
Cherokee Charter Academy 4-H Club rides in the Christmas Parades


The Cherokee Charter Academy 4-H Club continues to demonstrate what it truly means to pledge “hands to larger service.” Throughout this school year, members have actively participated in a variety of meaningful and educational experiences, including submitting entries to the fair, exploring the art and science of beekeeping, marching in local parades, and serving their community through hands-on projects.

One standout example of leadership came from 4-H’er Tristan Wilkinson, who took initiative by writing to his school’s administration to propose hosting a food drive and organizing a Thanksgiving meal for school families. Inspired by his idea, the administration partnered with the 4-H club to bring the vision to life. Together, they organized a food drive, packed bags of groceries for families in need, and prepared a Thanksgiving meal for those who may not have otherwise had one. We are incredibly proud of Tristan for his courage and leadership, and of the entire club for stepping up to serve in such a meaningful way.

Tristan Wilkinson organized a food drive
Tristan Wilkinson organized a food drive.

The momentum doesn’t stop there. The Cherokee Charter Academy 4-H Club still has a full semester of exciting activities ahead. Members are looking forward to visiting the Gaffney Visitor’s Center, attending South Carolina 4-H Legislative Day, building birdhouses for a local senior home, going fishing, participating in a farm tour, and wrapping up the semester with a family picnic.

Through leadership, service, and hands-on learning, these 4-H’ers continue to grow as confident, capable young leaders in our community. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish next!

If you are interested in starting a 4-H club at your school, please contact Haven Blackwell at daynab@clemson.edu or (864) 649-8252 for more information.

Cherokee County 4-H Photo Album
Cherokee County Down on the Farm Day
Peach Country Youth Livestock Expo

Posted in CherokeeTagged

Seeds of Impact in Spartanburg County

Posted on by hmcanty

Nicole Goodman
Horticulture Agent
Spartanburg County

Certified Master Gardener Volunteers L. Hines and E. Allen helped as aids during the hands-on lesson on pesticide safety and removal of invasive plant species.

For the first time since 2023, Spartanburg County proudly offered the Master Gardener Volunteer Training once again—and it would not have been possible without the dedication, curiosity, and generosity of our Master Gardener Volunteer community.

Between August and December 2025, fifteen enthusiastic students completed the 16-week training focused on growing better, healthier gardens. Coursework covered a wide range of topics, including lawn care, native plant identification, hands-on invasive plant removal, and soil health for a more bountiful harvest. Their commitment culminated in a rigorous four-hour final exam in early December, which they passed with flying colors, demonstrating both knowledge and determination.

Graduation, however, is just the beginning. Each new Master Gardener Volunteer now contributes 40 hours of educational service, sharing science-based gardening practices throughout the county. Many are already actively serving—offering lectures at local libraries, teaching garden club classes, introducing young visitors to the beauty of Hatcher Garden, or guiding community members during monthly workdays at St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic in downtown Spartanburg.

Our Master Gardener Volunteers are more than educators; they are stewards of growth, connection, and care. Through their service, they leave a lasting mark on Spartanburg County—one garden, one lesson, and one shared moment at a time.

The Pre-Registration for the 2026 Training is now online and can be found here
https://forms.gle/yku9i5QSp2SsNgFr8

Posted in Local Community, SpartanburgTagged

Direct-to-Consumer Beef Sales Discussion Panel

Posted on by Amy Mallette

Christopher LeMaster, Jr.
Area Livestock & Forage Agent
Cherokee, Spartanburg, & Union Counties

For the past three years, our regional spring and fall workshop series has brought together the livestock producers of Cherokee, Spartanburg, and Union counties. These sessions are designed to provide local producers with practical, science-based information to navigate an ever-changing industry. This spring, we are continuing that tradition on March 12 at 6:00 PM at the Institute of Innovation in Gaffney with a focused panel discussion on selling beef directly to consumers.

Heifers in the snow

According to a Clemson Extension study, 47% of South Carolina livestock producers now sell at least some of their animals through direct-to-consumer methods. While the bare meat counter during the COVID-19 pandemic spiked local demand, this trend has held. Many producers have made direct sales an increasing part of their farm income.

While selling beef directly to the public can be a great way to add value to a farm, it comes with its own set of technical hurdles. From understanding carcass finishing to navigating South Carolina’s meat-handling regulations, there is a lot to consider before fattening the calf.

To help break down these complexities, we’ve assembled a panel of experts to provide an objective look at the process. Travis Howard of Knockout Butchery will join us to discuss the processor’s perspective, while specialists from Clemson Extension will provide insight into the economics, regulation, meat science, nutrition, and marketing involved in direct sales.

We also recognize that many of our local farms are truly family affairs. To support that dynamic, we’ve included a youth-focused educational track for the evening. While the adults participate in the panel, kids ages 15 and under will head to the Animal Science Lab for a hands-on livestock activity led by Clemson 4-H and Cherokee County FFA. It’s a great way to involve the next generation in our industry.

The evening will begin with a dinner, providing a chance for producers from across our three counties to connect and talk shop. Whether you are a seasoned producer or just considering your first direct sale, we hope you’ll join us for this regional workshop.

Freezer Beef Panel Discussion

MARCH 12
6PM

Institute of Innovation
175 Campus Way
Gaffney, SC

Posted in Cherokee, Livestock & Forages, Spartanburg, Union, Workshops

Union County 4-H has gone to the dogs! –Mark Cathcart, 4-H Agent

Posted on by srsigmo

Once again Union 4-H had the opportunity to participate at The Grand American, in Orangeburg, SC.  The Grand American is one of the nations largest wild racoon hunting competitions. This event has been held for over 50 years and is a mainstay in the competition hunting community. People from across the nation will come to meet old friends, purchase supplies from vendors, find a new puppy, talk with sales representatives, and of course compete.  Over 20,000 visitors will enjoy the festivities over a two-day period, which is always the first weekend in January.  What a way to kick off the new year.  This is the third year Union 4-H has been invited to participate with it’s Forged in 4-H blacksmithing and shooting sports program.  This is a great opportunity to promote 4-H, interact with kids and parents, and put Union 4-H’ers on display as they do blacksmithing demonstrations.  These are long, and tiring days but they are also fun and extremely rewarding. It is a great way to get 4-H, Clemson Extension, and Union County in the public view in a positive way.  We look forward to next years trip to The Grand American.  

Posted in UnionTagged , ,

Growing Horticulture in Union County — Brandon Green, Urban Horticulture Agent

Posted on by srsigmo

As the new Horticulture Agent in Union County, the past few months have been both busy and rewarding. After stepping into this role last fall, my first priority was getting to know the community and sharing with residents that horticulture support and programming was available through Clemson Extension. Early visits to the Piedmont Physics Garden and Sanders Garden Center helped establish those first local connections.

            Just as I started to settle in, the Union County Fair arrived, bringing a whirlwind of activity. I jumped in where needed and even had the opportunity to teach a session for “5k Day”, one of the week’s highlights. After the fair, I shifted to planning programs to support residents across the county. 

            In December, I presented a Poinsettia program at two local churches. Both programs were well attended, and participants seemed to truly enjoy learning about the history and care of this classic holiday plant. Word spread, and I was soon invited to share the presentation again at the Union County Carnegie Library. These programs marked my first full presentations created specifically for Union County, and I’m eager to continue offering educational opportunities.

            With the new year underway, I’m excited to launch my spring project: a six-part Vegetable Gardening Series. Each Monday at 10 a.m., from February 9 through March 16, participants will explore a different aspect of vegetable gardening. This series is designed for everyone – from those planting a garden for the first time to seasoned growers looking to sharpen their skills.

            Looking ahead, a major goal is bringing the Master Gardener course back to Union County for the first time in over a decade. While neighboring counties provide training, having one in Union again would make the program far more accessible for our residents. If enough interest is expressed, I plan to host a new course in fall 2026, running from August to November. Those interested may contact me at 864-795-2567 or bgreen5@clemson.edu.

            Thank you to everyone who has offered such a warm welcome. I’m excited to continue growing horticulture programming for the people of Union County.

Posted in UnionTagged ,

Adventures From the Area Forestry and Natural Resource Agent: Jeff Fellers, Agent

Posted on by srsigmo

Enviroscape Lesson (September 15) – Provided a lesson to Richard Winn Academy using the enviroscape to illustrate point source pollution and non-point source pollution in our waters.

Silvopasture Field Day (September 17) – Assisted in setting up the demonstration plots for the Silvopasture Field Day that was hosted on September 17 at Clemson’s Edisto Research and Experimental Station.  This field day was free and showed cased forest stands that have been thinned and open areas that have been planted with longleaf pine at different spacing.

Newberry Soil and Water Mobile Lab Gardening Program (September 25) – Provided a lesson on soil health and how to interpret a soil sample analysis for their Winter Gardens and Soil Health Workshop.

Chainsaw Safety Workshops – The Clemson Extension Forestry and Natural Resource Team is offering Chainsaw Safety and Handling Workshops along with Tree Felling. These workshops teach participants about safe chainsaw handling, proper protection equipment, basic saw cuts on downed trees and techniques to safely fell a tree.

  • September 25, 2025 – Chainsaw Safety Workshop at Clemson, SC.
  • November 7, 2025 – Chainsaw Safety Workshop at Clemson, SC
  • January 16, 2026 – Tree Felling Workshop at Sandhill Research and Education Center

Union Agricultural Fair (October 13-18) – Clemson Extension is heavily involved in the Union County Agricultural Fair. Each year we oversee agricultural products, home economics, poultry, display animals in the barn, and the livestock shows. During the month of October, you will find us fully involved in the Union County Agricultural Fair.

5K Day (October 16) – Each year we host the all the 5-year-old Kindergarten students in the Union County School Districts. They move the barn in stations to learn about Beef cattle, dairy cattle, pigs, goats, horses, rabbits, chickens, bees, and crops, all of which are part of Union County’s history. For this program I plant the crops sections for the display during the fair and the presentations for the 5-K Day.

Chainsaw Safety Train the Trainer (October 27-29) – conducted a train the trainer with Forestry Mutual Insurance to train 5 Agents on chainsaw safety.  This training will help provide more instructors for our chainsaw safety program. 

Newberry Career Center Interviews (November 19) – Newberry County Career Center invited me to sit in on mock interviews for their students who were interested in a agricultural related careers.  Had the opportunity to interview 5 students. 

Champion Tree (November 24) – Visited with John Cely at the Congaree National Park to measure 2 potential national champion trees.  They are currently state champions.  We measured a Loblolly pine and a cherry bark oak. 

Learn to Burn (December 11) – Assisted the South Carolina Forestry Commission in hosting a learn to burn to promote the Broad River Fire Cooperative. 

Portable Sawmill (January 7 & 12, 2026) – We are currently in process of planning a portable sawmill workshop for March 11, 2026.  For this program we have been milling logs and collecting data that would pertain to landowners who maybe interested  in purchasing a portable sawmill.  Through these work days we have milled numerous pine logs for the lumber and will in turn use that lumber to  make products displayed at the workshop. 

Judge 4-H Food Plots (January 14, 2026) – Always one of my favorite activities.  Mark and I judged a 4-H’ers food plot in Union.  This is a great project where the 4-H’er, plants the plots, monitors the plot, and then completes a record book.  We visit the site and then judge plot based on a set of criteria. 

Newberry Forestry Association

  • November 11, 2026 – Buddy Lominack with Big Pine Logging, Inc. gave the association a loggers perspective in the current market.
  • February 2026 – Dr. Patrick Hiesl with Clemson University will present on the Economics of Portable Sawmills.

Laurens Forest Landowners Association

  • November 25, 2026 – Jon Carter presented on Utilization of Agricultural Spray Drones in Forestry
  • February 24, 2026 – Colton Webb with the South Carolina Forestry Commission will present on Prescribe Fire and any changes that maybe coming in the next year.

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 any extra fees for the clubs.

  • Union County Fair – October 14 – 18, 2025
    • Grand American (Orangeburg, SC) – January 2-3,
      2026
  • Walker Days (Union, SC) – February 27-28, 2026

Upcoming Events:

Chainsaw Safety Workshop

Tree Felling

Portable Sawmill Workshop

Newberry Forestry Association

  • May 12, 2026 – Jon Carter will present on Utilization of Agricultural Spray Drones in Forestry

Laurens Forestry Association

  • May 26, 2026 – Lance Beecher will present on pond management
Posted in Fairfield, Forestry & Wildlife, Laurens, Newberry, UnionTagged ,

Urban Horticulture in Fairfield County

Posted on by rzeider

Jackie Jordan, the Fairfield County Urban Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Coordinator offered two Master Gardener Training classes in the fall of 2025. The Master Gardener Training Class trains, selects, and utilizes knowledgeable volunteers to facilitate the educational work of the local Horticulture Agent by delivering research-based information to the citizens of the state. The course is an 11-week course covering lawn care, home vegetable gardening, urban tree care, native and ornamental plant selection, and insect, disease and weed identification and management. Master Gardeners provide many free garden programs at multiple Richland County Library locations.

On March 26th Jackie Jordan will be hosting a landscape design workshop focusing on using native and edible plants in the landscape. Participants will learn principles of design so they can create a beautiful and functional home landscape.

For more information on the program, please reach out to Jackie Jordan  by email at jkopack@clemson.edu.

Posted in Fairfield, WorkshopsTagged

Joint Cattle Educational Meeting with Fairfield and Richland Counties

Posted on by rzeider

Clemson Extension hosted a joint meeting of Fairfield and Richland County cattle producers on February 3, 2026, in Winnsboro. The meeting topic was Cattle Marketing: What Buyers Are Looking for. Ms. Tammie Shore, Mr. Wes Weeks, and Mr. Joseph Coleman, owners/operators of Saluda Livestock Exchange, spoke about the characteristics and management that cattle buyers desire in the cattle they purchase. They also highlighted the services and sales opportunities that are available at Saluda Livestock Exchange. Forty cattle producers from Fairfield and Richland Counties attended the meeting and received up-to-date information on the current cattle market in South Carolina.

This meeting was part of the 2025-2026 Fairfield Cattle Educational Series, an annual series of educational topics for cattle producers in the area. Meetings are held in October, November, January, February, March, and April each year. The series offers educational topics on forage management, herd health, cattle marketing, and other topics of interest to the cattle-producing community.

Brian Beer | bbeer@clemson.edu

Posted in Fairfield, Livestock & Forages