Narrator> Making It Grow is brought to you in part by Certified South Carolina.

This cooperative effort among farmers, retailers and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture helps consumers identify foods and agricultural products that are grown, harvested or raised right here in the Palmetto State.

McLeod Farms in McBee, South Carolina, family owned and operated since 1916.

This family farm offers seasonal produce, including over 40 varieties of peaches.

Wesley Commons, a full service continuing care retirement community located on more than 150 wooded acres in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Additional funding provided by the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Insurance and Boone Hall Farms.

♪ ♪ ♪ Amanda> Well good evening, and welcome to Making It Grow .

We're so glad that you could be with us tonight.

Thanks for joining us.

I'm Amanda McNulty, and I'm a Clemson Horticulture Agent.

And I get to come over here with my co-host Terasa Lott.

And, I always say it's like continuing education, especially when we have people who are going to talk about such interesting topics.

Terasa> That's right.

I always try to learn at least one new thing every day.

And I think on Making It Grow days, it could be two or three new things, hopefully.

Amanda> And you are the Midlands District Director, and you've got a lot of people that you're trying to help steer in the right direction.

Terasa> That's right.

About forty, extension staff spread out through nine counties.

They really do the hard work.

They are the people who are helping you, our viewers, the citizens of the state.

I just do all of the, behind the scenes paperwork type of things.

Amanda> Well, I think you do a lot to help people too.

I'm going to give you credit for that.

At least you've been a great help to us, that's for sure.

We couldn't do the show without you.

Terasa> It's my pleasure.

Amanda> Cory Tanner, you're the Horticulture Program Team Leader.

And, how many people are in the Hort.

team now, would you suppose?

Cory> About 26 agent positions.

A few of those are vacant right now, but we hope to fill those soon.

But, yeah, we have a very dynamic team, do a lot of different things.

Amanda> Yeah, everybody does, a lot of people have kind of a special thing that they like- Cory> That's right.

Amanda> Yeah, which makes it fun doesn't it.

Cory> Yeah, it's a lot of fun.

We have a great team.

Amanda> And then you are Zack, Zack Snipes, you are the assistant.

Which I don't know what all that means you have to do, (laughter) but I'm certain you do it well.

Zack> Well, Cory gives me a lot of orders.

Cory> He does the things I don't want to do.

(laughter) Zack> Right, right.

Nah, my responsibility primary lies within working with the folks that work with the farmers.

So anybody that's growing food, and I kind of help guide their efforts and make sure that we're touching all areas of the state.

Amanda> Oh, okay.

<Yep> In all areas of the state, not just, because you are in the Charleston area.

Zack> I'm housed in Charleston.

Amanda> And you are up there- Cory> I'm on campus.

Amanda> On campus, yeah, yeah.

Cory> In Clemson.

Amanda> I didn't realize that you were helping, everybody that helps farmers.

That's really fun.

Zack> Yes ma'am.

Oh, yeah.

Amanda> Yeah, okay.

Well, we are going to have, two things that I hope you'll enjoy watching with us.

Apple canning with Faith Isreal, because, I mean apples South Carolina apples are just... We have in the upper part of the state.

We have a good many places that, where they can grow them.

And, and I think there's been such a interest in canning, much more so than people used to.

you know, for a while people didn't do a lot of canning.

Terasa> That's right, I think we're seeing interest growing.

and, more folks wanting to, to do the things at home and get the whole family involved.

I remember making homemade applesauce as a kid.

So a fun activity- Amanda> -you grew up in upstate New York Terasa> Right near an apple orchard.

Amanda> and you said you had plenty of apples.

Terasa> That's right.

Amanda> Well, that is fun.

And then, "Roots and Shoots" is a native plant nursery that's down your way, I think.

And we had a real good time going over there.

And I finally got the things that I, selected, and finally they're in the ground.

It takes me a long time sometimes, but anyway.

But, so I know you're gonna enjoy both of those.

And Terasa, you always start us off with something positive and happy, and that would be "Gardens of the Week."

Terasa> Thank you, Amanda.

It's really a credit to our viewers, because this is your chance to shine, to show us what you're doing in your yard, your garden, or maybe you've captured one of South Carolina's beautiful places.

So let's take a look and see what we have today.

We're going to start in Laurens, with Jimmy Todd, who sent bees on Tecoma flower.

That's also called yellow trumpetbush.

So, that's in the Bignoniaceae family.

And I was a little curious, it's not a plant I see every day, but found out that Native Americans in the southwestern portion of the U.S. used to use this for bow making and medicines, and the roots were brewed to make a native beer.

Amanda> Come on.

Now that's fascinating.

Terasa> See, I learned something new.

Amanda> Yeah, how about that?

Terasa> Thanks to Jimmy in Laurens.

From Molly Walters in Rock Hill.

She sent a picture of some cherry tomatoes.

She said that Sweet 100 is slowing down, but not giving up.

From Melinda Hunter in Georgetown.

The buds and an open flower of a white camellia.

Kathy Borst from Oxford, Georgia.

sent us some vibrant red-orange fall color.

And last but not least, from Judy McSween in Charleston, a beautiful field of goldenrod, that she said "it's not too far from the banks of the Ashley River at Brittlebank Park."

And that goldenrod gets a bad reputation, but it's not responsible for seasonal allergies and is fantastic for supporting pollinators late in the season.

So thank you to everyone who submitted photos.

This is just a random sampling.

You're welcome to go to our Facebook page and see all of the other submissions.

Amanda> And you know, when we talk about fall color, a lot of people think about red maples, which really don't like to be in a lawn situation because they normally grow in swampy areas.

And there's a Tupelo though, a native tree that turns red and it holds its leaves forever.

Do y'all like to... Don't you like to see that and use it if you can?

Cory> Yeah certainly, the, there's different, different gum trees.

Amanda> Not the one in the swamp, but yeah- Cory> These aren't sweet gums, but a different group of gums, called Tupelo gum.

Black gum is another one that we see even more in the upstate.

They make very handsome, landscape trees.

They look a lot like persimmon trees, but don't produce the fruit.

So it's, it can be very- Amanda> They hold their leaves for a long time and have a vibrant, vibrant color.

Cory> In the upstate, we see this time of year a lot of sourwood, in the woods.

It's not, maybe the best landscape tree, but you see a lot of that.

That's one of the first things that really turn bright red in the fall.

Amanda> And, we have that, you know, I think of that as being more, I used to think of it as being more in the upstate.

In Calhoun County where I live, there's sandy places where it, there groves of them, I mean, it's stunning.

And so apparently they, are pretty adaptable.

Cory> They're pretty widespread in the state.

<Yeah> Amanda> They're mighty pretty too aren't they?

<They are> Okay.

Well...

I bet we have some questions, Terasa.

Who are we gonna start with?

Terasa> We are going to start off with Trisha in Whitmire.

Trisha said "I recently brought my house plants in, because things are getting colder.

Then I found this worm on one of them and I squished it.

Should I be worried about more... (laughter) And is there anything else I should do?"

(laughter) Amanda> Well, I wonder if she just squished it with her fingers, or if she got a paper towel?

Terasa> We didn't get those details.

(laughter) I know I have had some unexpected guests when I've brought plants in.

Usually a tree frog or, a Carolina anole are the things that slip in.

I don't really notice them until the next morning.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

Well, Cory?

Cory> Well, so, from the picture, you can tell that it's a caterpillar.

<Okay> There's lots of different caterpillars.

I'm not sure of the exact species, but certainly caterpillars can be good hitchhikers.

And that's what we see in the fall on house plants.

You know, most of us take some of our plants outside for the summer and then bring them back in when we get cooler in the fall.

So it's not unusual for things to come in.

Caterpillars are pretty minor, I think squishing it is appropriate.

Or she could have relocated it back outside or whatever.

Unlikely that an insecticide of any type would be necessary.

Amanda> Oh goodness gracious.

Cory> Just simply removing it.

There could be more that came in with it.

It's hard to know, but she just needs to keep her eye out, a close, a close eye on that plant.

And then, you know, anytime we're starting to bring things inside from outside, it is a good idea to have a nice inspection.

Just to check that plant over, really good, top and bottom.

Caterpillar is not that big of a deal, but if you happen to bring in something like fire ants, that would not be pleasant.

Amanda> Yeah.

Cory> I will bring in roly-polies and, <Yeah> sowbugs and, the occasional slug comes in on house plants.

But, in addition to just, like, looking the plant over real good before you bring it in, it's a good idea, just pull it out of the container, look at the roots, make sure there aren't any ants or unusual creatures in that, in that root ball before you bring it in.

But, yeah, it's, it's... Amanda> But the only thing that would be awful, really, would be fire ants.

Cory> Yeah, that'd be the worst thing.

You might, if you don't like spiders, you know, spiders might hitch a ride on a house plant, as well.

But usually these are what we would call occasional invaders.

They come in every now and then, and it's just kind of a nuisance, that we can just relocate them, to somewhere else.

<Yeah> Amanda> Since we don't have central heat, once it gets cold, we don't have to worry... Cory> That's right.

Amanda> -the house plants, don't... We don't have any house plants for that reason.

Okay.

Well Terasa, whom else can we help?

Terasa> I think that, Zack would like to share a little bit about a special event coming up, for citrus.

Amanda> Ah!

You know and it's funny, we think of people who try to grow, citrus here, and it's the range and selection has expanded.

Zack> Yes, it has.

And we hope to, talk about that at the 2024 Southeastern Citrus Expo that we're having in Charleston this year.

Amanda> Southeastern?

Zack> Yes ma'am.

Amanda> So you gonna bring people from all around- Zack> -from Florida and Virginia, believe it or not.

Georgia has a good turnout.

But of course, South Carolina, we show up, pretty good for that.

<Yeah> And you and I helped judge the, the, the food contest a few years ago.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

It's stunning, the varieties of citrus.

So talk about some of them that people aren't accustomed to seeing and then some of the ones that we are accustomed to seeing.

Zack> So, I actually brought a bunch of citrus, from some of the research plots that we have in Charleston.

And, part of the research we're doing is really looking at the different varieties or cultivars, and we're looking at the cold tolerance of them because, citrus greening is happening in Florida and they're losing thousands of acres of trees.

And South Georgia, has picked up a lot of that acreage.

And we're in the same growing region as South Georgia.

And so what varieties can we grow here?

Amanda> And can I interject, just a minute to ask if you would tell people what citrus greening is?

Zack> Yeah.

So citrus greening is a bacterial disease, spread by a, a insect.

And, it's, it's really bad in Florida, and it causes a disease on the tree, and the tree just kind of declines in health.

We are quarantined in, in South Carolina in a couple counties.

So we look for it, and if they find it, they will cut the tree down.

But it's a devastating disease.

But luckily, we found it, but we don't have it like Florida does.

It's a really good opportunity for homeowners, as well as small growers and even some larger growers to kind of get into growing citrus.

Amanda> Okay.

And, I believe that it's... at someplaces like when we were at "Roots and Shoots."

They reminded us that, you can't take citrus that you purchase in the Charleston area, I think, outside of the county lines.

<Correct> Zack> It has to stay in the county that you bought it in.

So if you buy in Charleston, it has to stay in Charleston.

Same thing for Beaufort and Colleton County.

<Okay> But we're growing a lot of different varieties, and I brought some here to kind of show just the variations in size.

This one here is a Flame grapefruit.

Amanda> Now why a Flame?

Zack> It's just a name.

So, but I do want to cut it open.

It's really beautiful on the inside.

<Fun> But if you compare it to, let's say, a calamondin right beside it.

Amanda> Uh-huh.

Zack> A lot of difference, in sizes there.

But this, this Flame has a really dark red color.

Amanda> That's why it's called Flame.

Zack> Yeah.

That might be why.

Amanda> Duh.

Zack> And you can probably smell it Amanda.

(sniffing) Amanda> Mmm.

Gosh, isn't that beautiful.

Ooh.

Zack> Yeah.

So these were picked on, a couple days ago.

Amanda> Mmm.

It's good.

Zack> Yeah.

And then you have- Amanda> Now how hardy is this one Zack?

Zack> It's, it's very hardy.

As a grapefruit, typically speaking the Satsuma types, and I'll talk about those in just a second.

They're a lot more cold hardy than our grapefruits are.

Grapefruits are probably second most cold hardy followed by lemons and then limes, I wouldn't even think about it.

They're not cold hardy at all.

Amanda> Okay.

Zack> But this one is cold hardy.

It made it through 16.5 degrees- Amanda> That's cold.

Zack> That we had in the Christmas freeze of 2022.

So all these varieties made it through.

So we're really excited to see, cause 16.5 degrees is really cold for Charleston.

Amanda> So Terasa, we could grow that where we are.

Zack> And Justin Ballew at the Sandhills Research Station outside of Columbia, he actually has some citrus trials as well.

So the ones that are doing really well in Charleston where it's a little warmer.

We're actually taking some of those varieties and putting those in cooler climates, and they're doing pretty well.

Amanda> Okay.

Zack> So, but yeah, this is your Flame grapefruit.

Amanda> -is this going to be, how big of a tree?

Zack> This tree is probably going to get 12, 15 feet, and then probably about as big as a car hood.

<Well> And so, really not that big of a tree.

And then you can kinda prune it to keep whatever shape you want.

Amanda> Okay.

Zack> But the, the ones I'm really excited about are the Satsuma type.

And think, you know, Cuties or Halos when you think of... Amanda> Yeah.

Zack> -about Satsumas.

They're really easy to peel.

They're sweet.

And we've been harvesting these for a few weeks, and I'll cut this one open just so you can see kind of what it looks like on the inside.

But we've been harvesting these for a few weeks, and we test the, the Brix levels.

So the sugar levels in these, to determine when they're ready.

And what we're finding is- Amanda> -Before you go out and pick them.

Zack> Correct.

Because Satsumas, some varieties are actually ready to pick when they're still green.

<Whoa> So there's a consumer education component to it.

Everybody wants that perfect orange.

<Yeah> You know, orange.

But some of them can be green and still have really good Brix levels.

Amanda> My goodness.

Zack> So we're trying to figure out, you know, when these certain varieties come in and you know, can we get them in before we have a really cold, cold event that would kill them.

Amanda> And how hardy are they?

Zack> These Satsumas again, they made it to 16.5 degrees, we did some lab studies, with some researchers on campus, to test the cold hardiness.

And some of them got down to, 13, 14 degrees.

<brr> And, you know, it's rare that we have that kind of event along the coast.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

Now are they a large tree or can they be different sizes or what?

Zack> The Satsumas are, smaller trees.

A lot of times they put them on dwarfing rootstocks.

<Oh> So it, makes the tree smaller.

Satsumas typically like to weep.

And so, you know, they're going to kind of look not like a weeping willow, but they're going to have that shape where they want to touch the ground.

Amanda> That sounds kind of attractive.

Zack> It is until you have to, you know, mow around, or, you know, keep the weeds out from around them.

But, yeah, they do really well.

And the only problem that I've seen with the citrus so far is they almost produce too many fruit.

That they overload, and when we have hurricane events or big thunderstorms, the fruit load can actually break the branches.

And we had some of that this year.

Amanda> Golly.

Well... That's interesting that they get, have that much fruit on them.

Zack> Yes.

Amanda> Isn't that wonderful to see that this is happening.

And that we could have some in our backyards.

Zack> Absolutely.

And we have a couple fact sheets on the HGIC website, both for in-ground production as well as for folks trying to grow them in containers.

So you can grow them in any area of the state if you're willing to, you know, pull them out, in and out.

Yeah.

Amanda> Okay.

Or, and with limes, it's just as easy to get those at the grocery stores.

Because you said they're kind of tough, okay.

Zack> That's right.

Yes, ma'am.

Amanda> Well, as I said before, we went to a native plant nursery down your way, "Roots and Shoots."

And, gosh, we had a great time.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Amanda> I'm in Charleston, South Carolina, talking to David Manger.

And he is a person I've wanted to come see a long time.

Because you've got, a business that I think is part of what may save the world.

David> Thank you.

Yeah, we specialize in native plants and fruit trees, and we try to really stick with the sustainable message behind gardening and all that kind of fun stuff, when you're working with the outdoors.

Amanda> I think, like a lot of people, you studied something in college that turned out to be completely inappropriate for you.

David> Yeah, I did bioengineering.

And I think, right about when I was halfway through, I realized that I didn't want to be in a cubicle.

So for the second two years of school, I tried my hardest to get further and further away from it.

Amanda> And so I believe that a very nice couple, started this kind of as a backyard hobby, and you kind of fell into it through that.

David> Yeah, I started as a sustainable landscaper, and I often, from the very beginning, had a hard time finding the plants and things that I needed for my projects.

So I ran into Jane and Lynn, who were the original... founders of "Roots and Shoots."

And after a little while, they decided that, they were ready to officially retire.

And that was a great moment for me and a great opportunity to, to add "Roots and Shoots" to my landscaping company.

Amanda> And you have a pretty big staff, and everybody here seems to share that same passion from what I see.

David> Yeah, we try really, our hardest to find everybody that's really, really into the, the insects and the birds and all the beauty around nature, that's not just flowers.

Amanda> But flowers are fun.

David> They are really fun.

Amanda> And so you got, herbaceous perennials.

Then you've got, woody perennials, I believe.

And, then because of your interest in permaculture, I believe you have fruits that can perform well in Charleston.

David> Yep.

We have, well in Charleston, we're in a really cool spot because we are almost semitropical <Yes> and we could bring a lot of the warm fruits up into here.

And we could also bring a lot of the northern fruits down into Charleston.

So we, I do a lot of research and figuring out what grows best here in our little special zone.

And we try to make it all available to the public.

Amanda> And so you've got two little boys and I think they can sometimes pick an apple off the tree.

David> Yeah, yeah.

(laughter) Amanda> And we've been told you can't possibly grow an apple in this part of the world.

David> Well that's wrong.

I think all it, all has to do with making sure you make the right selection when it comes to a fruit tree.

So, so we can, certainly grow some apples in Charleston as long as you're being well aware of finding things that are low chill hours.

Amanda> I think you have an affinity for citrus, too.

Some of them that are probably fun to bring inside, make orange juice or put in your sweet tea.

<Yeah> And then some of them are kind of exotic.

David> Yeah.

We have a handful of exotic ones that are good for making drinks and cooking with, and other ones that are good for squeezing for orange juice and just eating fresh.

Amanda> And when people come here and... decide that they want to add citrus to their landscape, I think you're very careful to give them the rules about not taking it outside of the county because of the citrus greening quarantine, if I'm not mistaken.

David> Yeah, totally.

We have a quarantine under all of Charleston and probably everywhere south of us also, is under quarantine.

So you just have to be a little careful about moving citrus, once you bring it home with you, it's got to stay there.

I think you're interested in carnivorous plants, too.

And I think that's a fun thing because people can easily do that in a small area in their house can't they?

David> Totally.

So the carnivorous plants take a very special soil type and a special environment.

So you could build a mini environment, for that plant and keep it right on your porch or somewhere, really convenient for you.

Amanda> Gosh, I wish we could get one that just specialized in mosquitoes.

Wouldn't that be the bomb?

David> That's like the million dollar idea.

Amanda> And then I think you've got, woody, you have some trees too... Are they also, is there a native selection of trees?

David> Huge native selection of trees, and a huge selection of shrubs and plants of all sorts of sizes?

<Really> Amanda> And I don't believe that you do installations but, you are willing to spend time with people, generously and guide them in choices.

David> Yeah.

Since our, since our nursery grew so much, we don't do landscaping anymore, but we have, a great list of other landscapers that we work with, and all of our staff is really well, trained and equipped to answer lots of questions about people's yards, if they bring in pictures and things like that.

Amanda> So through Doug Tallamy, we're all trying to reduce the size of our lawn.

If someone wanted to start a meadow as part, instead of just all turf grass or start native grasses, would you be able to give some advice on how to do that?

David> Yeah, we can give all sorts of advice, for all sorts of different projects, whether you want to get rid of your yard or expand a really shady section of your garden and... and really, we hear all sorts of different things that people, people are getting into.

Amanda> I would think part of the joy is just to see people come and get so excited about, the opportunities and the varieties here.

Does it bring joy to you?

David> Every day.

Yeah, it's a great place to hang out and work and, and I think there's no such thing as a, as a sad plant person.

(laughter) Amanda> That is a wonderful way to look at it.

You certainly given us a lot of happiness today.

I've got a big basket that I'm going to put in the back and take home with me.

I've got a busy week for next week and, you know, I'll just have these beautiful native plants that are so easy to care for once I get them established.

And fall is the best time to plant.

So I'm doing it at just the right time.

And not only will I have the flowers, but what do you think I'll also get to enjoy?

David> Well, I think for years to come you're going to have lots of birds and bees and all sorts of other little creatures thanking you as well.

♪ Amanda> The staff there was so friendly and they were knowledgeable.

So you don't have to know a lot about native plants if you go there, because they'll help you find ones that you would enjoy having in your own landscape.

Well, I have had this wonderful tree, and it's a deciduous conifer, kind of like our, you know, bald cypress.

But, I thought this was a larch and, Cory, thank you, because you've helped me think, find... perhaps it's not a larch, because when I was reading about larches, it said they'd like to grow in Canada and Alaska and all these places in bogs.

And, you know, we know it was wet all the time.

And this one was in a part of my backyard that doesn't even get irrigated.

So what do you think it might be?

Cory> So I think it's probably called Pseudolarix.

<Okay> So Larix is the genus for the true larches.

Well, there's a plant from Asia that's related, that's called Pseudolarix, which in Latin means "false larch."

<Okay> And so it goes by the name golden larch.

But I've always been told that that is the, if you want a larch which are beautiful trees.

<Yeah> If you want a larch in southern climates, you should go for a Pseudolarix.

So I think that's probably a Pseudolarix.

Amanda> Well, thank you for telling me that.

But I just do think it's a beautiful thing to have in the yard- Cory> Yes, absolutely gorgeous.

Amanda> Although I've tried to stick with native things, but I planted this one a long time ago- Terasa> I love the texture.

Amanda> Isn't it beautiful?

Terasa> Mhm.

Cory> And, you could probably tell it's in the pine family, so you can think of it as like a deciduous pine.

Amanda> Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Anyway, it really is pretty out in your garden right now, so wherever it's from, I'm glad I have one at my house.

Cory> Yeah.

Amanda> Okay.

Well Terasa, what's up next?

Terasa> See who is next.

We're going to go to, Zeke in Greenville, who said "I lost a row of large Leyland cypress in Hurricane Helene.

Now, I don't have any privacy between me and my neighbor.

What should I plant back?

The Leylands were really too big anyway."

You know, I think that's a pretty common problem is people don't think about the ultimate, the finite size.

Amanda> You bring something home this big and that you want it for a screen.

You say, well, I want the other one to be right here.

Cory> That's right.

Amanda> And, they have a lot, you know, they seem that they don't like to be in, have their feet wet.

I mean, they have a lot of things that they don't like.

And now this person, I guess they better first of all, start getting to be real good friends with their neighbors, making things and carrying them over.

But, for a future screen, what would you recommend?

Cory> Yeah.

Well, so the hurricane was absolutely devastating in the upstate.

We lost just incredible... massive oak trees all over the place.

And unfortunately, some of them landed on people's houses, and that's, that's a whole 'nother issue.

But another thing that I noticed an awful lot of, were the Leyland cypress blowing over.

You know, people like to plant them in those long hedges, for privacy, but... Leyland cypress have a terrible root system.

They just don't produce a good quality root system.

Amanda> They have lots of diseases too- Cory> -lots of diseases, too.

And so they're just really not a good choice for a screening plant.

There's a lot of different factors here.

Space being the main one.

Like, how much room do you have for an evergreen hedge.

And so that could be from a few feet to, you know, an infinite amount of space.

But that's really important.

If you're tight on space, you need to be very, careful with your species selection.

But if you have enough room, the ultimate hedge is what we call a mixed screen or mixed hedge.

So rather than having one variety of all genetically identical plants, all your Leyland cypress- Amanda> All of them would be susceptible to the same diseases and cultural conditions.

Cory> So if you can, mix up two or three or four, as many as you can, different evergreens in a staggered pattern.

And we do have a good fact sheet on this on the home and garden information- Amanda> -by staggered, you mean not in a straight row.

Cory> Not in a straight line.

If you've got the space stagger them around.

<triangle> And by having that mixed hedge, number one, you're buffered a little bit against disease and problems.

<Yes> But if one does die, it doesn't ruin the entire look.

You know, you can just go out and cut out the one that died and leave the rest.

And so if you've got plenty of room for things to grow together, you use a mixture of evergreens, both needled evergreens like junipers, red cedars, arborvitae, as well as broadleaf evergreens like magnolias and hollies and that sort of thing.

Amanda> And I believe that there are now cultivars that are smaller than some of the true natives.

Cory> There are, there are, but, you know, I wouldn't count on that as being, you know, saying, staying the size that the tag necessarily says they will.

Plants are notorious for not reading, the plant tags.

(laughter) But you know, and then if you're really tight on space, a lot of people don't like this option, when I suggest it because it's not a plant based option, but really a privacy fence, you know, is a little bit easier to maintain long term.

Might be a little bit more investment on the front end, but you can always plant a, you know, install a privacy fence and then plant a vine or something on it to give you that green look, if you if you're tight on space.

Amanda> Okay.

And there's so many vines to select from that would be.

Cory> Yeah, absolutely.

Terasa> That's a great idea.

Especially if someone is looking for that instant gratification, right?

When you put in your plants, you're going to have to wait for them to grow before they give you that screening and privacy.

So I like that.

And especially the option of using a vine, to then kind of disguise it.

<Right> Amanda> You know, it's interesting, I was in Columbia the other day and at the bank where I was, there was, they had some columns and things, and they had fig vine on it.

But apparently, the original plant was a good ways away because, you know, we think of fig vine as having such a tiny little leaf.

But this is one of those interesting plants that is, it matures, has a completely different big old leaf on it.

And so, it's kind of fun to see that, when that happens.

Cory> I would, discourage folks from going with any of our invasive vines like, English Ivy.

Amanda> Oh, no, no.

Cory> That's a popular evergreen but you will, that will be the bane of your existence if you plant it.

Amanda> Yes, yes, yes.

Terasa> Or your neighbors, right?

Don't you battle some that wants to come in from an adjacent property?

Cory> I'm constantly fighting English Ivy coming from an adjacent property.

Amanda> And it has, kind of a slick leaf, and it makes it hard to use herbicides- Cory> It's very difficult, it's almost nonresponsive to herbicides about ten months out of the year.

So you have to hit, if you're going to use a herbicide on something like English ivy with that real waxy leaf surface, you have to be real, you know, you have to get the timing just right.

Amanda> I've been in places in the mountains where it's just spread all through the forest, and it's just so discouraging.

But, you can try.

Yeah, yeah, we could try.

All righty.

What's next?

Terasa> We're going to go down more towards Zack's area.

So Keith in Hollywood, said "I saw some really large persimmons in the grocery store.

Can I get mine to grow that large?"

Amanda> Aha.

(laughter) Well, let's talk about persimmons.

Zack> Well, I brought a prop today, because it is persimmon season.

If you grow the right variety, then yes, you can get them to grow that big.

Probably what you're seeing in the grocery store are Asian persimmons.

So they're not our native persimmons.

But the Asian varieties that are grown and, they get fairly large.

They are not astringent, like our native persimmons.

And so- Amanda> So they don't turn your mouth inside out.

Zack> Right, it's like, I tell people it's like eating a handful of chalk.

<Ooh> Amanda> Worse than that, I think.

Zack> Yeah, it's pretty bad, but, but, yeah, these, Asian varieties, a lot of them are not astringent, so you can eat them before they're, like dead ripe.

Which is important because most of the time, birds and raccoons and possums and deer, will get to them before we can.

And so they'll, they'll kind of soften up if you pick them early.

And they look great this time of year.

There's hundreds of them on a couple of trees that I have, and I call them like Halloween or pumpkin trees, that's what it looks like.

Amanda> That's so much fun.

And they're good in things like salads even.

<Oh yeah> I mean, you know, they just have so many uses.

Now, I believe that our native persimmons are either male or female, is that correct?

Zack> Correct, correct.

And so, you know, if you plant a native persimmon, which I encourage people to do, Amanda> Because it is- Zack> Because it's great for the wildlife and it's a, it's a beautiful tree.

You're definitely going to need at least two.

But you might get two female trees or two male trees.

So you got to plant a bunch to ensure you get fruit.

Amanda> So sometimes it's hard to find them in the trade already labeled as male or female.

<Correct> Zack> But with the Asian varieties they produce both male and female flowers.

And so you don't need but one tree, to produce fruit.

Amanda> And are they pretty hardy.

Zack> Yes.

They're very hardy.

They do very well.

Insects like to feed on them, you know, but they're really good for wildlife, so.

A lot of birds feed on them late in the season.

Amanda> Do they?

Zack> -a good energy source.

So I'm lucky if I get a handful of them every year.

But last year actually, talking about what you can do with them, I cut them up and dehydrated them.

<Wow> I enjoyed them all year, yeah.

So it was really good.

Amanda> Deer in certain areas will eat, eat them all too.

Zack> If they can reach them.

Amanda> Yeah, yeah.

Well, they're pretty good at standing on their tiptoes aren't they?

Zack> Absolutely.

Amanda> Well, that's great fun.

Thank you so much.

Zack> Yes, ma'am.

Amanda> Okay.

Well Terasa.

Terasa> More, we're ready for more.

Amanda> Yes.

Terasa> Let's see.

How about, Heather?

Heather sent in a photo, and she didn't tell us where she was from, but she said she "had a sunflower, that looked like conjoined twins, even the stock was conjoined."

And she says, "I'm wondering how rare this is?"

Amanda> Oh my goodness.

Do you have any ideas, what's going on Cory?

Cory> Well it sounds like, and it looks like from the picture that it's a condition we call fasciation, Zack> Which is fascinating.

Cory> Yes, fascinating fasciation.

Terasa> Good joke.

(laughter) Cory> It's an unusual occurrence, but I wouldn't call it rare.

I would say at Extension, we get questions about it probably every year.

It happens in lots of different plants, in lots of different crops.

Usually it's noticed within the flowering system, which is part of the, the bud or meristem of the plant.

And it, something happens in the development of that bud that causes a lot of extra cell division and causes it to fasciate or spread out like a fan.

<Oh> And so sometimes- Amanda> -that's a nice way to remember it.

Cory> Yeah, sometimes it's done intentionally by breeders.

If you think about the plant celosia or cockscomb- Amanda> -I was going to Cory> Those are intentionally fasciated flowers.

Amanda> And they're beautiful.

Cory> But, they are, and oftentimes we see them in the wild, they're beautiful too.

And they can be, that can be caused by several different things viruses, insect feeding, bacteria, or just some genetic anomaly of a plant.

So it's usually just a single flower on a plant or maybe just a few individuals.

It's not, it's not really something to be concerned about.

Zack> We see it in squash a lot in commercial fields.

You'll have, you know, siamese squash, you know, and, you know, obviously they're not marketable.

There's nothing wrong with them.

Amanda> So if you get one in your garden, it's fine.

Just take it and eat it.

<Right> That is so cool.

Terasa> I've had it happen with squash, with flowers and, a tomato.

I had a tomato like that.

Amanda> No, a tomato?

Zack> Sweet potatoes, cow peas.

So anything can, it happens, it can happen to.

Amanda> Well, you got all these cells dividing, and every now and then something's going to divide unusually, right?

<correct> I guess that's what it boils down to.

Okay.

<Yeah> Cory, I'm glad you could help that person out.

We all learned something.

I certainly learned from it.

Thank you so much.

<Great> You've got, some things you brought with you today Zack.

Let's see what all you're going to show us?

Zack> Yeah, we talked about goldenrod earlier and how it's, really important for, pollinators in the late season.

But I brought some other, native plants or naturalized plants that actually, some of them came from my garden, but a lot of them came from, the ditch this morning.

Amanda> Yeah the ditch.

Zack> And that's the best places to find, flowers sometimes, but, the blue mist flower, in mid to late October, is really, really beautiful and attracts a lot of cool insects.

In my garden I found a scarlet-bodied wasp moth.

Which is a really interesting and beautiful insect, that is kind of only in the coastal areas of South Carolina.

But it just came into my garden just because, you know, I had that plant there.

Amanda> Now what does it like?

Does it like moist places?

Zack> Yes.

Now the, blue mist flower is more adapted to moist places, or places where you can irrigate.

Amanda> Okay.

Zack> Yep.

Another one, that I really like is this, little aster here.

It's a Hairy Aster.

Is what I call it, but it's great.

You'll see a lot of pollinators on it.

Provides a lot of pollen and nectar late season.

Amanda> Now is that a native or an introduced?

Zack> It's a native.

Amanda> Okay.

Great.

Zack> Or naturalize.

Amanda> Okay.

Zack> And then, this is saltbush or groundsel- Cory> Groundsel or Baccharis.

<Baccharis> Zack> And you'll see them this time of year.

And they look like, I call them like popcorn, not popcorn trees, but puffballs.

<Yeah> Cotton ball trees, they're everywhere.

Amanda> And that's a female, and the males, I very seldom see and they're yellow.

But, apparently I've, one of the native plant books I read.

It said that they'd spread up from the coast because they love the ruderal community.

Cory> Oh, yeah?

<Yeah> Amanda> Which I guess- Cory> Fancy word for weeds.

Zack> Yeah.

(laughter) Cory> I know a lot of people think of that plant as a weed, But it is, I believe it is a native to the coastal plain and does have a lot of, positive impacts on, insects in particular.

Zack> Yeah, and it's a larval host food for a lot of species of moths and butterflies.

So it's really, really important for birds, really, that feed on those.

<Yeah> And it really does a good job, it grows a lot of times on the edge of marshes and banks and stuff, so it does a lot of erosion prevention, too.

Amanda> Ah, that's a good point.

Yeah.

<Mhm> Well, I see it everywhere, <Yes> driving to work.

Some people say it makes them sneeze, but, fortunately, I haven't run into that problem.

Zack> Well you haven't sneezed today, so.

Cory> Well, you know, that's a good point because it, it and goldenrod and all these asters are all blooming at the same time as ragweed.

And so ragweed is one of the common allergens out there that really nobody ever recognizes- Amanda> Has such an inconspicuous flower- Cory> Yeah, you wouldn't notice ragweed otherwise, so- Amanda> -Not worth crossing the ditch bank for.

Cory> No.

Amanda> No, not at all.

Terasa> Kind of speaks to the point, correlation doesn't equal causation.

Right?

Just because you see it flowering now, doesn't mean that's what's making you sneeze.

Amanda> Yeah.

And, you know, it's... because there's so many varieties of goldenrod and, so, you know, you can get one that will fit perfectly in whatever size space you have.

And I think there's rather extended, blooming season as well.

So it's just a great plant.

I'm so glad you brought that.

One of our fellow agents, Faith Isreal, is on the Food Systems and Safety Team, and she came in to talk about canning apples.

Amanda> My guest today is Faith Isreal, a fellow Extension employee, and she is a food systems and safety agent.

And I'm delighted that you're here.

And, this time of year, I just love the fact that we have some places in South Carolina that can grow apples and in lots of places, in our neighboring state, North Carolina, wonderful fresh apples.

and wouldn't it be fun to have some ways to enjoying them all year?

>> Yes, of course, you can eat them fresh, but we're going to talk about how you can preserve that for a later... Amanda> Okay.

And I think you've got something a little bit different than just applesauce.

Faith> Correct.

So we're doing apple conserves.

Amanda> Apple conserves.

Faith> And these are adding your nuts or/and raisins.

Amanda> Okay.

And then what kind of things do you think they taste good with?

Faith> This can be great with oatmeal or porridge, waffles, pancakes.

You can put it even on your ice creams if you like.

Amanda> Whoa.

And... it sounds like it might even be something that you might, if you like relishes, maybe you could use it with turkey or something.

Faith> You could definitely eat it with your meats.

Yes.

Amanda> Okay.

All right.

Well, let's see.

This... We don't have anything plugged in, so I'm a little confused.

What is this?

Faith> No electric.

We have a gas cooktop burner.

Yes.

This is using butane to heat up.

Amanda> So if you were going on a camping trip, this would be a great thing.

Faith> Very ideal.

Yes.

Amanda> Okay.

And ideal today.

Faith> Of course.

Of course.

Amanda> So, let's see what...I guess, we have some apples.

Faith> Yes, We definitely do.

Everything has been pre-measured.

These are our apples.

This one recipe calls you to leave your skins on.

Amanda> That's easy.

Faith> Very easy.

Yeah.

Then we have our lemon juice.

This is our acid to help acidify and preserve.

Amanda> Oh, and I bet that adds to the flavor, too, Don't you think?

Faith> Oh, yes.

Amanda> I think it always does.

Faith> Yeah.

We have our half a cup of water.

Amanda> Okay, Faith> We're going to bring this heat up.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> And we're going to also add our raisins.

Amanda> I love golden raisins.

Faith> Oh, yes.

Amanda> I think they're just so pretty.

I mean, I love raisins, but they're...they make it just a little more colorful... Faith> They do.

And so the recipe didn't specify what type of raisins I just went with golden for the color.

Amanda> Yeah.

Faith> Yes.

Amanda> Yeah.

Faith> So we're going to cook this down.

And we're going to also want to stir in our pectin.

Amanda> Now tell me what pectin is.

Faith> Now pectin is our stabilizer.

This is going to hold our jams, jellies or soft spreads together to kind of thicken it.

So it's very important to have your pectin.

Amanda> And some fruits have pectin naturally.

But a lot of things that you want to do, you do have to add pectin.

Faith> That is correct.

Amanda> And is it hard to find?

Faith> No, you can get your pectin where you find your canning products in your stores.

Amanda> Okay, so where the jars and everything are Faith> Where the jars and jelly.

Yes.

Correct.

Amanda> Okay.

Great.

Faith> So we're just going to stir this well and cook this down before we add anything else.

Amanda> Okay.

And you wanted it to be at a full boil and it is certainly there.

Faith> Yes indeed.

So now it is time for us to add our sugar.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> Yes.

The sweet treat.

So pre-measured I'm going to dump that in and we're going to stir this up and we're going to bring it back up to a full boil for one minute.

Amanda> And you got to be careful now that you put the sugar in because that's when it could burn I guess.

Faith> Correct.

>> So, be real careful.

Right?

Faith> That is true.

Amanda> Okay.

But you want to get it real good and dissolved.

So that's why you're going to sit there and stir it carefully.

Faith> Yes.

Amanda> Faith, if you wanted to use, some of those not quite so processed sugars, do you think that would be okay?

Some people seem to want to use those these days.

>> So you want to make sure whatever your desire is, find a researched based recipe that complies.

Amanda> Thank you.

>> So if it's you want something that's sugar free, then find the recipe that's based for that.

This is not the time to experiment.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> Yes.

Amanda> We can always call Clemson HGIC and find research based information recipes that will be safe to serve to our family.

Faith> That is correct.

Also, you can visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation, which has research based recipes for you to choose from.

Amanda> Okay.

That's good news.

Faith> So now that the sugar is dissolved, we're going to add our nuts.

Amanda> Yes.

Faith> So the nuts we're using today are walnuts.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> The recipe just says nuts.

So you can choose a different nut based off your desire.

And we're going to cut off this heat and we're going to reset.

And we're going to get started to jarring our...preserves.

Amanda> Okay.

This mixture is still very hot.

You just moved it carefully to a hot plate.

Faith> Correct.

Amanda> Then we've got to get it in the jars and tell me what you did.

You've got a nice way that you've got these sitting here, but you've done something to these jars before you put them in this device.

Faith> Yeah.

So this is a steam canner.

And so I'm going to grab my jars to keep them warm.

Now, before you can your items, you want to make sure your jars are clean and you want to clean all parts of your jar with soap and water, and then you want to sterilize your jars.

Amanda> And that means putting them in boiling water?

Faith> Yes.

Amanda> Simmering water?

Faith> You're going to put those into your canner and you're going to cover them with 1 to 2 inches of water.

Amanda> Oh, cover?!

Faith> Cover.

Completely cover.

And you want a rolling boil.

Big bubbles popping.

Amanda> Oh, okay.

Faith> And when you see that, then you start your timer for ten minutes.

Amanda> Okay.

Oh.

Because you, you... they have to be sterile.

Faith> Correct.

<Amanda> Okay.

Faith> Correct.

Amanda> And so you've already done that with these, and this is something that will just make it a little bit easier for us.

Faith> Yes okay.

So now we're going to go ahead and pour our contents in to make things easier.

To make things a little bit cleaner we're going to use a funnel.

Amanda> Yeah.

They're wonderful.

I love them.

Faith> Yes.

So the recipe calls for one fourth inch head space.

So, I'm going to go ahead and pour this in.

We're going to do our head space measure.

Amanda> And that means you don't want to fill it to the very top.

That means it has to be a little bit of extra room.

Faith> Correct.

Amanda> And what's the point of that?

Faith> That's based off the recipe.

So you need enough head space, so that way the air can push out while you process.

Amanda> Oh.

Okay.

Faith> So...this is a where you if you're canning often you can kind of eyeball it.

But you know you want to use your head space measure and then there's Amanda> Oh, look at that!

these little steps here.

We're looking for one fourth.

And we're going to see Amanda> Well that's so cool.

You just set it on the edge of the jar.

Faith> Yes.

And I can add a little bit more in this one.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> Yes.

Let's see.

And add a little bit more.

Amanda> I'm going to try.

So I'm just going to set this right there.

Faith> Okay.

and while you sit there and do it again I'm- Amanda> -okay Faith> moving around to see because we want it to be one fourth all the way around.

Let's see.

All right.

Let me push this down.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> And also, it's important on this side it's a bubble freer.

Amanda> Whoa.

Faith> You want to remove the air bubbles inside your jar?

And so... Amanda> This is a nifty tool.

Faith> Yes it is.

So I see where I have a couple of air bubbles.

Amanda> Whoa.

Faith> Then I'm going to kind of pop those.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> And because the air bubbles...trap the air.

And again we want once they go in the canner we want to push that air out.

So that way we don't want too much head space because then we'll see a dark line after things have processed and you think something's wrong or, or if you don't have enough head space and then food gets pushed out and it's floating inside the canner.

Amanda> Oh my goodness, that's not going to be good.

Faith> So yes, we want to free these bubbles.

So, that's what we're doing here.

And I see another big one here.

<Amanda> Whoa.

Faith> So this is where it takes a little time.

Amanda> Yeah.

Faith> You know, because sometimes you want to can base off the beauty because people also enter their jars into the fair.

Amanda> Oh, they sure do.

Faith> Yeah, Amanda> They're proud of them.

Faith> Oh, yes.

So this is all we're doing here is freeing those bubbles and then we're going to keep, go back with our head space.

Amanda> Oh, and check again, Faith> Make sure nothing has shifted.

And I think I'm doing much better now that I've freed some bubbles.

Amanda> Yes.

Faith> Lovely.

Thank you for rotating that.

Amanda> Oh my pleasure.

Faith> And so we're going to take a damp paper towel.

Amanda> Yes.

Faith> And we're going to wipe the rim of the jar.

Amanda> Just to be sure that we don't have any sugar or any a part of this, any recipe there.

Faith> Correct.

Amanda> That could impede us getting a good seal.

Faith> Correct.

That is exactly right.

Because what could happen after you process your jar and you go to take your lid off, you can't take it off because that sugar is crystallized and made a tight seal.

Amanda> And it used to be when I was doing this more frequently, they told us to boil these.

But you said that we don't have to boil them anymore.

We just have to make sure they've been well washed.

Faith> Correct.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> And so this is our lid.

Amanda> Yes.

Faith> And then we have our screw band.

We want it finger tight.

So like a great twist and turn.

We don't want to be like on our tippy toes trying to tighten this up.

Amanda> Okay!

We don't want Sampson here.

(giggles) Faith> No, no.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> Finger tight.

And so now it's time to put it into our canner.

Amanda> Whoa.

This is a new way of doing it.

This is called a Faith> steam canner.

Amanda>...when is it appropriate to use a steam canner?

Faith> The steam canner is the option for items that you're going to water bath can as well, but only for things that are going to process for less than 45 minutes.

Amanda> Oh.

Otherwise, I've got to get the big thing out and have this completely submerged, Faith> completely submerged with water.

Yes.

Amanda> According to the amount of time that the directions tell me.

Faith> That is true.

Amanda> Okay.

But for... this is a little easier if you don't you don't have that huge amount of hot water to deal with.

Faith> Correct.

Amanda> So if I were going to do this and use the old fashioned one, I would leave that on the stove until the water had cooled down before I started trying to have it, because you have to be safe for yourself too, don't you?

Faith> You do.

You do.

Amanda> Okay.

But this time, now, this is a cool gadget because you've got this, rubber on it that makes it so easy to pick up.

It's not going to slip and slide Faith> Yes, that's the jar lifter.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> So if I can get you to put that jar on top of the steam canner Amanda> Just anywhere?

Faith> Anywhere.

Amanda> Okay.

Well, yes.

Put it right in the middle.

It can be the star of the show.

Faith> There we go.

And we're going to cover this.

Now the steam canner again is just an additional option.

If you didn't want to use a traditional water bath, but it does have a dial gauge on here.

So you want to make sure that it is in the green according to your altitude.

Amanda> Okay.

Whoa.

Faith> How far above sea level you are.

Make sure you're in the green.

And once that is where it needs to be we're going to take our thermometer.

Amanda> Whoa.

Faith> Yes.

We'll take our thermometer.

And there's a vent hole.

Amanda> Look at that.

It's got a little hole there.

Faith> And so we'll slide this in and you want to make sure that if you're processing more.

Amanda> Yeah.

Faith> That it's not touching a jar Amanda> because that would give you an off reading.

Faith> Right.

Right.

And so we're going to wait till this dial gets to the green area.

And we're going to wait till we get to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Amanda> Good gracious.

What a fascinating device.

<Yes> Faith> So once those things have been met... Amanda> then we start counting.

Faith> Correct.

Amanda> Okay.

And this one, we want to process for how long?

Faith> Just five minutes.

Amanda> Just five minutes?

Faith> Just five minutes.

Amanda> We're almost at the end.

Faith> Yes, yes.

So once things have finished processing and you allow them to sit undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, Amanda> Oh, don't be moving them around?

Faith> Don't move those around.

<Okay> Faith> Let them sit for 12- Amanda> Find the part of the counter that you're not going to be using.

Faith> Correct.

Amanda> Okay.

Faith> Then you'll take your screw bands off.

before you store them.

Amanda> Really?

Faith> Really, because that's the screw band can give a false sense of security if something went wrong.

and that will keep the lid on <Okay.> Faith> Yes.

Amanda> Oh I see so if the flat lid pops up then I know that something's wrong and to discard that, Faith> That's right.

Amanda> How about that?

Faith> We want to be safe.

Amanda> Now, how long can I leave it on my pantry shelf?

Faith> You can leave this on your pantry shelf for 12 months.

Amanda> Okay.

So next year, when the apples come in again, Faith> Start over.

Amanda> You can start all over.

Okay.

So we've been following our directions and this had to go for five minutes at two... Faith> 12 Amanda> 12 Amanda> Five whole minutes.

So we've watched our clock with a little timer.

Faith> Yes we did that.

Amanda> So now, do we leave it in here or do we want to take it out?

Faith> We can take that out.

So I've already turned off the heat.

<Okay.> Faith> And now we can remove our thermometer.

So I'm going to get you to remove our jar.

And so we're going to put it on the board.

Amanda> This is a neat tool I really feel real safe using it.

Faith> And if when you're at home, this is where you let it sit Amanda> Quietly and don't mess around with it.

24 hours.

Faith> No tilting or no bumping 12 to 24 hours.

Amanda> Okay, people can find ways to take canning courses.

Do they just call their local Extension office and try to get them to put them in touch with the right person?

Faith> They can do that.

They can call the Extension office so they can get the assistance of finding where some local courses is going to be held for them.

Amanda> Okay.

Gosh, there's a lot to it.

<Yeah> but it's so much fun, Faith> It is.

Amanda> Yeah.

So, are we going to fight over who's taking this home to put on the ice cream?

(laughs) Faith> We can.

Amanda> We'll come, we'll...come to a conclusion.

Okay.

Thank you so much, Faith, for coming.

This has been fascinating.

Faith> Thank you for having me.

Amanda> We've really enjoyed getting to know Faith.

And, she's right up the road.

And, it's a pleasure to have her come and be with us.

And it was a great pleasure to have y'all with us too.

Thank you so very much for coming, from two different parts of the state.

And, let's say goodbye.

Good night.

We hope we'll see you next week.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Narrator> Making It Grow is brought to you in part by Certified South Carolina.

This cooperative effort among farmers, retailers and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture helps consumers identify foods and agricultural products that are grown, harvested or raised right here in the Palmetto State.

McLeod Farms in McBee, South Carolina, family owned and operated since 1916.

This family farm offers seasonal produce, including over 40 varieties of peaches.

Wesley Commons, a full service continuing care retirement community located on more than 150 wooded acres in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Additional funding provided by the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Insurance and Boone Hall Farms.