Sign Up Now for Online Master Gardener Classes

Sign Up Now for Online Master Gardener Classes

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson Extension’s Master Gardener program will begin offering online classes April 11 so home gardeners can complete the course from the comfort of their own homes. “We expect the online training will be especially useful for people who are employed full time so they can’t attend in-person training,” said Karen Hall, statewide […]

Camellia Tea Enjoyed by Locals and Out-of-Towners

Camellia Tea Enjoyed by Locals and Out-of-Towners

The Annual Camellia Tea of February 14 was a colorful and festive success.  The guests were entertained by a beautiful table laden with tea foods and mantels and tables adorned with 150 varieties of camellias from local area gardens. Over 100 persons attended, 75% of those were from out of town, including Columbia, Beaufort and […]

Drought Committee Downgrades 26 Counties

Drought Committee Downgrades 26 Counties

COLUMBIA – The S.C. Drought Response Committee, meeting via conference call on Jan. 31, downgraded the drought status one level for 26 counties. Twelve counties were downgraded to moderate including: Oconee, Pickens, Anderson, Abbeville, McCormick, Greenwood, Edgefield, Saluda, Newberry, Lexington, Aiken and Barnwell. Fourteen counties were downgraded to incipient including: Greenville, Spartanburg, Cherokee, York, Laurens, […]

STHS FFA Receive Top Ranking in National Association

STHS FFA Receive Top Ranking in National Association

The Strom Thurmond FFA Association is no stranger in the FFA world. The student organization is known across South Carolina for their achievements both inside and outside of the classroom and this year has been no different. The group has once again taken both top state and national honors for their work in the 2011-2012 […]

S.C. Cotton Growers See Record Year

S.C. Cotton Growers See Record Year

China Remains the Biggest Variable –  ORANGEBURG, S.C. — If the cure for high prices is high prices, it certainly worked on cotton. South Carolina’s cotton growers have seen prices drop from $2 per pound about three years ago to around 80 cents per pound today. Meanwhile, worldwide cotton production has jumped significantly during the […]

What Happens to Peaches When the Chill is Gone?

What Happens to Peaches When the Chill is Gone?

CLEMSON, S.C. – The warmer-than-normal temperatures of 2012 — the fourth warmest year on record in South Carolina — signal potential challenges for growers of the state’s best-known fruit. Peaches need cold weather to produce flowers and fruit. What happens when the chill is gone? “In the spring, many of us think it’s longer days and warmer […]

Commerce Looking for Photos that Define Rural South Carolina

Commerce Looking for Photos that Define Rural South Carolina

9th annual Rural Summit contest open to amateur photographers –    COLUMBIA, S.C. – January 22, 2013 – Have a photo that encapsulates rural life in the Palmetto State? Send it to Commerce and you might be the winner of the ninth annual Amateur Rural Summit Photography Contest. Sponsored by the Small Business and Rural Development Division […]

NRCS/Conservation Districts Accepting Applications for Conservation Initiatives

NRCS/Conservation Districts Accepting Applications for Conservation Initiatives

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in South Carolina is accepting applications for the organic, seasonal high tunnel, longleaf pine, and energy initiatives. These initiatives offer nearly $2.74 million in financial assistance, in addition to valuable technical assistance, through the agency’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Farmers and landowners can […]

Many Animals Benefit from Snags, so Leave Some Standing Dead Trees

Many Animals Benefit from Snags, so Leave Some Standing Dead Trees

Standing dead trees, or snags, may appear to be useless, even eyesores, but a state wildlife biologist says actually they are important components of wildlife habitat and frequently in short supply. “That snag may provide a secure home for many kinds of animals and a virtual smorgasbord of insect food,” said Johnny Stowe, wildlife biologist, forester […]

Edgefield County Women Attend State Conference

Edgefield County Women Attend State Conference

Participants kicked off the conference with a motivational workshop presented by former Miss South Carolina and Farm Bureau member, Jane Jenkins Herlong.  SCFB Agricultural Literacy Director, Vonne Knight, spotlighted the 2012 Ag Book of the Year, “How Did That Get In My Lunchbox?”, and shared hands-on activities that volunteers can conduct with children to help […]