[{"id":2380,"date":"2026-10-22T15:19:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T15:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/?p=2380"},"modified":"2026-10-22T15:19:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T15:19:33","slug":"the-laurens-county-dog-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/the-laurens-county-dog-project\/","title":{"rendered":"The Laurens County Dog Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lauren Smith
4-H Youth Development Agent<\/em>
<\/strong>Laurens<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Hannah
Hannah and Gracie Lou<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Hope, Ty, and Gracie Lou are just a few of the dogs from the Laurens County Dog Project helping their young humans learn responsibility, gain confidence, and develop new skills. Youth in the project explore topics such as dog care, grooming, nutrition, health, safety, behavior, and responsible pet ownership. As they work with their dogs, members learn how to set goals, practice new skills, solve problems, and celebrate progress along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three 4-H members were excited to share their story about their work with the Dog Project.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Ruthie<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Hannah, from Saluda, wrote about her dedication to doing her best at her first show. She prepared for the Laurens County Youth DogShow by watching reference showmanship videos and practicing daily with her Pomapoo, Gracie Lou. Hannah’s learning didn’t stop at the show ring. Through the 4-H Dog Project Activity Book, the youth also spent time learning about different dog breeds and expanding her knowledge of dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"John\"
John<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One Laurens County 4-H member, Ruthie, had the opportunity to take her dog to a local school event and share what she has learned through the 4-H Dog Project. The youth talked with students about responsible dog ownership and the importance of properly caring for their pets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then finally Abbeville 4-H member, John, taught his dog to sit, stay, and lie down. John later competed at a local dog show and, although he was nervous, he had a great time. He gave back to this community by spending time at the dogshelter reading to dogs needing some love and attention. He now aspires to learn about hunting dogs and teach his dog to track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through experiences like this, the 4-H Dog Project gives youth opportunities to learn by doing, share their knowledge, and make a difference in their community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Laurens County 4-H Dog Project runs from March through August, making it a great summer project for young people. The project gives members a fun and meaningful way to spend their out-of-school time learning about dogs, practicing new skills, and building a stronger bond with their pets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lauren Smith4-H Youth Development AgentLaurens Hope, Ty, and Gracie Lou are just a few of the dogs from the Laurens County Dog Project helping their young humans learn responsibility, gain confidence, and develop new skills. Youth in the project explore topics such as dog care, grooming, nutrition, health, safety, behavior, and responsible pet ownership. As […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3902,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91743],"tags":[13303],"coauthors":[93468],"class_list":["post-2380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-laurens","tag-4-h"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3902"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2380"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2396,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380\/revisions\/2396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2380"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=2380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":2375,"date":"2026-10-21T20:44:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:44:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/?p=2375"},"modified":"2026-10-21T20:44:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:44:50","slug":"laurens-county-hosts-a-hybrid-master-gardener-course-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/laurens-county-hosts-a-hybrid-master-gardener-course-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Laurens County Hosts a Hybrid Master Gardener Course"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bryan Smith<\/strong>
Area Extension Agent \u2013 Agricultural Engineer<\/strong>
Laurens<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Laurens County Extension Office is currently hosting a hybrid Master Gardener course.  The Master Gardener course began on August 11, 2026 and will meet each Tuesday through December 1.  This year\u2019s course has 21 students.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Master<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Students in the course will complete 16 three-hour classes on subjects including lawn care, vegetable gardening, urban tree care, soils and plant nutrition, tree fruits and small fruits, and many more.  Each class is presented by an Extension Agent or a Master Gardener graduate that has experience in the subject matter, which allows them to provide practical experience along with research-based information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s course is once again a hybrid model, which includes 12 in-person presentations and 9 presentations by video (21 presentations in total will be presented over the 16 week course).  The hybrid model is an attempt to provide the same training to Master Gardener students across the State so they will all have the same base knowledge in the \u201cCore\u201d subjects.  The in-person classes allow coordinators to tailor the course for each county\u2019s needs by offering local topics most useful to their students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After completing the course the students will provide 40 hours of community service over the next 12 months to become Certified Master Gardeners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about the program visit https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/extension\/mg\/<\/a> .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bryan SmithArea Extension Agent \u2013 Agricultural EngineerLaurens The Laurens County Extension Office is currently hosting a hybrid Master Gardener course.  The Master Gardener course began on August 11, 2026 and will meet each Tuesday through December 1.  This year\u2019s course has 21 students. Students in the course will complete 16 three-hour classes on subjects including […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3902,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91743],"tags":[905],"coauthors":[93468],"class_list":["post-2375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-laurens","tag-horticulture"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3902"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2375"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2379,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2375\/revisions\/2379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2375"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=2375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":2363,"date":"2026-10-21T20:38:52","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/?p=2363"},"modified":"2026-10-21T21:01:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T21:01:16","slug":"new-laurens-agricultural-center-and-laurens-county-extension-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/new-laurens-agricultural-center-and-laurens-county-extension-office\/","title":{"rendered":"New Laurens Agricultural Center and Laurens County Extension Office"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bryan Smith<\/strong>
Area Extension Agent \u2013 Agricultural Engineer<\/strong>
Laurens<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"The
The Laurens Spotlight on Agriculture Awards banquet held in the new Laurens Ag Center in March 2026.  Over 400 attended the banquet.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Laurens County residents voted to approve a 1 cent sales tax increase for a number or projects in Laurens County.  One of those projects included an Agricultural Center and a new Extension Office.  Both of these facilities were built on the old Laurens Fairgrounds property (behind Aldi\u2019s and Ingles in Laurens).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new Laurens Ag Center has been open since the fall of 2025 and has been busy hosting youth livestock shows and other Ag events.  The Laurens County Youth Livestock Show utilized the facility in both 2025 and again in 2026.  The Laurens County Spotlight on Agriculture awards banquet was held there in March of 2026 and had over 400 in attendance.  It is an excellent facility that includes a climate-controlled main area, an attached pole barn for livestock staging, livestock wash racks, and more.  A separate horse arena is under construction and nearing completion.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Laurens
The new Laurens County Ag Center<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"The
The new Laurens Extension Office building, 61 Ag Center Drive, Laurens.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The new Laurens Extension office is located right beside the Laurens Ag Center at 61 Ag Center Drive, Laurens.  The Laurens Extension staff began moving into the new building on June 15, 2026.  The move took quite a bit of time and effort, moving accumulated knowledge resources and materials collected over decades of service to the county.  The Extension Office was open for business in the new location on June 16 and the move was completed over the next two months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new office is a beautiful facility including a large meeting room, offices, a break room, and a storage area.  The Laurens Extension staff will host an Open House for the building on Thursday, October 1 form 10:00 am \u2013 4:00 pm.  Stop in and see the new office!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bryan SmithArea Extension Agent \u2013 Agricultural EngineerLaurens Laurens County residents voted to approve a 1 cent sales tax increase for a number or projects in Laurens County.  One of those projects included an Agricultural Center and a new Extension Office.  Both of these facilities were built on the old Laurens Fairgrounds property (behind Aldi\u2019s and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3902,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91743,52346],"tags":[],"coauthors":[93468],"class_list":["post-2363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-laurens","category-livestock-forages"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3902"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2363"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2387,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2363\/revisions\/2387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2363"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=2363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":2224,"date":"2026-10-21T20:10:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/?p=2224"},"modified":"2026-10-21T20:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T20:10:10","slug":"adventures-from-the-area-forestry-and-natural-resource-agent-jeff-fellers-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/upstate\/adventures-from-the-area-forestry-and-natural-resource-agent-jeff-fellers-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Adventures From the Area Forestry and Natural Resource Agent, Jeff Fellers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Portable Sawmill<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The past year I have been helping Dr. Patrick Hiesl with Chainsaw Safety Workshops, Tree Felling Workshops, and Portable Sawmill Workshops.  This summer we started building a sawmill shed that will house our portable sawmill.  This project takes the tree, from standing, all the way to a finished product of the shed. We felled white pines in the spring of 2026 and have been milling the trees into dimensional lumber\/timbers during the summer.  In August, we had enough lumber\/timbers to begin the frame.  We will be cutting some more trees in the fall to mill so that we can finish the sawmill shed this winter\/spring.  The sawmill shed will provide an example of what landowners can do with portable sawmills.  We have also made picnic tables and storage boxes with the wood we have milled off the Clemson Forest.  Our plan is to expand the program and offer more courses to landowners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Frame
Frame of the Sawmill Shed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Treated
Treated Timbers before being put into the ground.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Milling
Milling a white pine log.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"August
August meeting of the Newberry Forestry Association.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n
\n

Newberry Forestry Association<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n