Clemson Extension continues its impact

CLEMSON — The Clemson University Extension Service is alive and well, helping the people in South Carolina. Last year from July 2007 through June 2008 the Extension Service tallied more than 430,000 contacts — people, who one or more times, called, wrote, e-mailed or walked in for information or assistance.
As chief operating officer of the service, I realize that state and county leaders have especially hard budget decisions to make this year. I am grateful that Extension can continue to have an impact on the lives of South Carolinians.
Extension offices in all 46 counties are open and ready to help folks find ways to grow robust crops, strong communities and healthy families. More than 140 Extension agents and specialists meet with local residents to solve problems with science-tested solutions. The agents don’t work alone. Clemson University scientists and scholars provide research that becomes real-world solutions that can improve lives.
We’ve been helping South Carolinians on their farms, in their homes, businesses and communities for more than a century. County agents demonstrating science-based farming began in South Carolina in 1906. A year later the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Demonstration program visited the state. In his speech, Seaman Knapp said:
“What makes a nation firm, great and wise, is to have education percolate all through the people. I want to see education in this grand country, correspond to the county. Your mission is to make a great common people and thus readjust the map of the world.”
Changing the world begins locally, a farm in Greenwood County, a 4-H program in Marion County, water-conservation projects in Jasper and Colleton counties.
Last reporting year (July 2007-June 2008), the Clemson Extension Service conducted 12,508 programs statewide. More than 242,000 people attended one or more programs. And 85 percent of the participants reported that they gained knowledge from the program.
Not everyone needs or wants to show up at an organized event. Some just want a question answered about insects eating their gardens. Others ask for a cattle expert to come out to their farms to discuss calf weaning. All totaled, counting multiple contacts with the same person, Extension averaged helping more than 9,300 contacts per county.
What the Extension Service wants for its clients are the same things the clients want in life: health, economic opportunity, a clean environment, safe food, children having opportunities. Extension helps by providing information and resources. For example:
Every town or county has a favorite meat-and-three or Sunday dinner restaurant. Tourists to Charleston, Georgetown and Horry beaches look forward to shrimp at a seaside “shack.” Food service is hard work and success requires a devotion to detail for everything from cost control to food-handling safety. Extension agents conducted food-safety training for 812 food-service workers and managers, representing 397 food establishments. More than 700 participants earned a course certificate. The value of the training for South Carolina was more than
$29 million.
South Carolina, like many other states, suffers a high school dropout rate. Almost one out of three quits before earning a diploma every year. Extension programs and dedicated volunteers have helped motivate kids to stay in school.
In Colleton, youth leadership programs for 600 sixth and seventh graders and tutoring for 300 middle-school students have improved academic and classroom performance for more than 78 percent of the youth participants.
In five years, peanut production rose from 8,000 acres to around 60,000 acres in South Carolina, worth about $60 million annually. The critical part of peanut production occurs at harvest when all of a grower’s care and hard work can be lost from poor harvest decisions. The Extension peanut specialist’s work with growers in the Calhoun/Orangeburg area, where over a third of the state’s peanuts are grown, is helping producers determine optimal digging dates for their fields. The guidance saved area producers at least 250 pounds of peanuts per acre last year — a savings to producers of $326,562 at $475 per ton of peanuts.
Upstate water issues have gotten a lot of attention as the drought took its toll and water quality and quantity have become priority issues. In Oconee and Anderson counties over the past six years, an Extension water-use expert obtained nearly $1 million in federal funding to help farmers put in wells to keep their livestock out of streams. The agent successfully recruited 33 farmers.
Additionally the water-quality project has encouraged 131 homeowners to repair failing septic systems. The impacts to water quality have resulted in cleaner water for all Upstate residents. Federal water officials say the work in these watersheds has truly been outstanding.
Some Extension programs that reach statewide must be mentioned. Carolina Clear works with universities, cities and county governments to develop regional consortiums to deal with stormwater issues. Stormwater is a major water pollution challenge for local governments. Extension is working with county and city leaders in Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, Florence, Lexington, Pickens, Richland and Sumter counties.
The S.C. Master Gardener program began in Charleston County in 1981 and is now offered in 36 counties. Master gardeners share their knowledge and skills in a number of ways: answering horticulture calls at the Extension office; speaking to garden and civic clubs; working with youth or senior groups; and assisting communities with beautification projects. “Master” programs have expanded to include Master Wildlife/Naturalist and Tree Farmer/Woodland Owner.
More than 2,000 people were trained last year in the master programs. And master gardeners answered more than 51,000 calls from the public in 2007-08. Gardening is growing in South Carolina!
Clemson Extension looks forward to another century of service to South Carolina. Contact us if we can be of service to you at http://www.clemson. edu/extension.

— Fran Wolak is the Clemson University Cooperative Extension chief operating officer.