Bryan Smith
Laurens County has a very active Beekeepers group. The Laurens County Beekeepers Association meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm in the Joe Adair Educational Center, 110 Scout Creek Ct, Laurens. The Association provides programs that are educational and informative to both new and experienced beekeepers. Their average meeting attendance is 30 persons.
Secretary Jessica at secretary@laurensbeekeepers.com for more information. Dues are $10.00. Contact Association
Cherokee County 4-H along with Clemson Extension’s School and Community Gardening Team have partnered with teachers and administrators across Cherokee County to implement school gardens across four schools. Luther Vaughan Elementary, Blacksburg Elementary, Cherokee Charter Academy, and Corinth Elementary are currently participating in this wonderful program and we would love to add even more schools to that list.
he first step in getting your school one of our awesome gardens is to have two of your teachers/administrators complete our School Gardening for South Carolina Educators Online Course. Alongside the knowledge of running a school garden that you will get from this course, you will also
receive our Garden STEM curriculum, the Seasonal Planting Guide and Calendar, and other lessons and activities. Next, we can help you obtain a grant to cover the cost of your raised beds and other necessary supplies. Don’t worry! All these supplies get delivered directly to your school. Throughout the year, I will bring your seeds and transplants for your garden.
Youth in Cherokee County are able to learn how to grow their own food and the importance of that skill through this program. These students are also contributing fresh fruits and vegetables to their school cafeteria’s.
If you are interested in starting a school garden at your school, please contact me at daynab@clemson.edu. Happy harvesting!
A Collaborative Effort
Mark Cathcart
As a 4-H agent I try to figure out how to promote our organization, give back to our communities, and of course, pay for it all. Every now and then an opportunity comes along that can help with each of these goals. Just such an opportunity came to Union 4-H with the collaboration of “Forged in 4-H” and the Union County Agricultural Fair.
“Forged In 4-H” is a program designed to teach metallurgy and blacksmithing skills in a safe manner, with the use of chemistry, geometry, physics, math, and hands on projects. This program uses learning techniques that allow students to experience and learn the trade of blacksmithing in a modern and traditional manner.
As an update, Forged in 4-H is now housed in a building located on the Union County Fairgrounds. The use of this building was donated to Union County 4-H for the purpose of teaching blacksmithing, as well as providing a new and interesting exhibit for the Fair. Along with the modern blacksmithing equipment, a new 1800’s style blacksmith shop has been constructed in part of the building. This allows the teaching of blacksmithing on a completely different aspect and level. In addition to the educational aspect of this project, it will give the opportunity to the patrons of the Union County Agricultural Fair, Union County Farm Show, and other events held here to see how blacksmithing was done then and now.
Not only will this program be an asset to Union County, but it will also further set Union County 4-H apart from other 4-H programs in the state. No other county has the equipment to conduct such a program. It will create a draw for people outside of Union to come to our county, as it is unique to this area of the state. It will afford visitors the opportunity to see demonstrations, by 4-H youth, with modern blacksmithing equipment, as well as how blacksmithing was done 200 years ago in the same building.
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 3rd 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 20th 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.
Loss of Farmland is a top concern among our stakeholders as South Carolina continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. Last year, over 90,000 people moved to our state (which is more than the population of the city of Greenville). Additionally, Industry is quickly relocating to the Sunbelt states. Even in Cherokee County, we are experiencing development pressure compounded by the rising average age of farmers. I don’t have to explain the importance of farmland to this group, but without farms and farmland, we increase our dependency on something we need at least 3 times a day. I appreciate the opportunities that come with this growth, but I think we are justified in our concerns about this rapid loss of farmland. There’s no simple solution; it involves advocacy, education, zoning, regulation, and, most importantly, profitable farms. Yes, farms need to be profitable and enjoyable to survive. Farming is hard work, both physically and mentally, and many of our farmers are aging out. Nothing ages you faster than hard, unpleasant work for no money.
My goal for 2025 is to offer classes focusing on profitability and ways to bring another farming generation on board. The classes I have planned for this year will challenge farmers to look at their farms as businesses and break their operations down into enterprises to assess profitability and viability and hopefully identify solutions for some of the drudgery of farming. I invite you to attend the Beef Market Outlook and Profitability Workshop on 3/20 and the Succession Planning for Farm Families and Conservation Easements Workshop on 8/21. Both programs will be in Pacolet for a central location to my counties (Cherokee, Union, and Spartanburg). Additionally, we have teamed up with a few like-minded organizations to form the Broad River Conservation Partnership to offer field days to assist landowners with conservation practices such as prescribed fire, native grass establishment, and conservation easements.
I hope to see you at one of these programs this spring. Here are a few other workshops to look forward to.
3/11
3/20
3/21-22
3/25
3/28
3/28
4/5
4/11-12
4/18
4/29
5/9
5/27
6/24
7/29
Wheat/Soybean Production Meeting
Beef Market Outlook & How to Assess Your Operation’s Profitability
Peach Country Livestock Show
Home Gardening Series: Beekeeping for Beginners
Backyard Poultry Processing
Down on the Farm Day
Urban Homesteading Poultry
Union Livestock Rodeo
Small Ruminants Field Day
Home Gardening Series: Sustainable Pest Management
Broad River Conservation Partnership Field Day
Home Gardening Series: Pruning & Turf Care
Home Gardening Series: Small Fruit Production
Home Gardening Series: Global Seed Diversity
Gaffney, SC
Pacolet, SC
Spartanburg, SC
Gaffney, SC
Orangeburg, SC
Cherokee County, SC
Spartanburg, SC
Union, SC
Union, SC
Gaffney, SC
Union, SC
Gaffney, SC
Gaffney, SC
Gaffney, SC
The Laurens County Spotlight on Agriculture is an annual awards banquet held each year to honor the accomplishments of our local farmers and farm families. The event will be held this year on March 13, 2025, in the First Presbyterian Church Family Life Center in Clinton, South Carolina.
We are very pleased to announce that Mr. Chip Carter, host of RFD TV’s “Where Food Comes From” will be our speaker for this year’s Laurens County Spotlight on Agriculture. Mr. Carter has traveled the country, seeing just how food gets from the farm to our tables. His adventures include “busting” watermelons in the Rio Grande Valley, pulling Vidalia Onions in Georgia, making cheese in Wisconsin, and plowing with a mule and a single-bottom plow.
This event averages over 300 persons in attendance each year and is funded by sponsors of the event. Tickets for the event are $10.00 each and are available at the Laurens Extension Office on 219 W Laurens Street in Laurens and from the Laurens Extension Advisory Committee members.
Spartanburg EFNEP has been partnering with the Bethlehem Center to bring nutrition education to their afterschool groups this school year. The second-grade class enjoyed a six-week series learning the Show Me Nutrition curriculum.
During this time, the children were introduced to MyPlate by playing games with the five food groups and diving deeper into each category each week. The class enjoyed tasting a myriad of recipes including a fruit smoothie, colorful fruit skewers, food group sandwiches, and more.
Over six sessions, the children studied how to build strong bones, power up with protein, eat a rainbow of fruits and a variety of vegetables in addition to moving their bodies more. They enjoyed playing games and creating their own personalized MyPlates to set healthier goals for themselves.
These students are ready to tackle all that the remainder of the school year has to bring with healthy and active mindsets!
Emily Fish, Spartanburg County NE
The world of horticulture is as dynamic as it is rewarding. Every day presents new opportunities to learn, grow, and connect with nature—and the more I immerse myself in this field, the more I discover how much there is to explore. Moving continents certainly accelerated the learning curve—Switzerland, with its colder climate, presented far fewer pest challenges compared to the Upstate!
As the Horticulture Agent for Spartanburg County, my mission is to serve our community by continually expanding my own knowledge. The more I learn, the better I can support and empower others to grow and thrive in their own gardens and landscapes. One of the questions I’m often asked is, “What native plants should I grow here in the Upstate?” This led me to create a native plant identification program for Wofford College’s Lifelong Learning program. In the course, we explored botanical terms like lenticels and sepals and examined 50 plant species that are native to our region. This project not only deepened my understanding of local flora but also allowed me to teach others about the beauty and benefits of these plants, all while expanding my own botanical vocabulary.
In addition to my work with local plants, I’ve had the privilege of advising St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic on their journey toward growing food and developing a teaching garden. Through this collaboration, I’ve learned more about vegetable gardening in the Upstate—no small feat, given our unique growing conditions. These insights have allowed me to better assist clients with their own home gardening questions, offering advice that is both practical and regionally relevant.
I’m also excited to be working closely with our local Master Gardeners, who play an invaluable role in our community. Their outreach efforts continue to inspire me, and I look forward to collaborating with them on an upcoming class, set to launch in Fall 2025. Together, we’ll empower even more people to grow their knowledge and skills in horticulture.
On the horizon, I’m working on something I’m particularly excited about: the Backyard Homesteading classes. Many homeowners are eager to become more self-sufficient, and I’m thrilled to offer them the tools and guidance to do just that—even with a small backyard. From planning your property to raising and butchering poultry, from canning to beekeeping, and even eating your weeds—there’s so much potential in small spaces. It’s my goal to help homeowners reclaim their food sources and find joy in their gardens in ways they may never have imagined.
As I continue to grow in this role, I am incredibly grateful for the guidance and support I receive from my fellow agents and supervisors.
Nicole Goodman – County Consumer Horticulture Agent
It will soon be time for our 4th annual Peach Country Livestock Expo! This partnership between Spartanburg and Cherokee County 4-H provides a much-needed opportunity for our area youth to exhibit their animals during the spring season.
Each year the event has seen growth in youth participants, species exhibited, and community sponsors. For 2025 we have added a Dairy Goat Show and a Horse Show! Last year we hosted almost 70 youth exhibitors and hope that with the addition of two new species that we are able to increase that number to 100 this year!
The show is open to the public and there is no charge for admission. Please join us to cheer on our 4-H and FFA youth!
The schedule is as follows:
For more information about the show (to attend, enter, or sponsor) please contact Laura Haddon by email at lhaddon@clemson.edu or by phone at (864) 596-2993.
Bryan Smith
We are happy to announce that Mrs. Lauren Smith has accepted the Laurens County 4-H Agent position. Her first day was March 3, 2025.
Lauren has a B.S. in Animal and Veterinary Sciences from Clemson University. She has spent the past several years working as the Outdoor Program Manager with the Girls Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands (based in Spartanburg), providing over 40 programs each year as well as hiring and training seasonal staff.
We are excited to have her in Laurens County. Welcome, Lauren!
