Making It Grow is brought to you in part by, Santee Cooper, South Carolina state owned electric and utility.

More information on Green Power & energy conservation programs online at SanteeCooper.com .

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

Certified South Carolina Grown helps consumers identify, find and buy South Carolina products.

McCleod Farms in McBee South Carolina.

This family Farm offers seasonal produce including over twenty two varieties of peaches.

McCall Farms helping South Carolina Grow with brands such as Peanut Patch, Bruce's Yams, Margaret Holmes and Glory Foods.

F. T. C. Diversified, a proud part of your local communities providing communication, entertainment and security.

Additional funding provided by International Paper, Super Sod and the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Insurance.

♪ [Jingle] ♪ Good evening.

We're so glad you can join us tonight.

we're coming to you historic downtown softer coming live and we have a wonderful fun show tonight Terasa is not here but she's already on line so those of you who like to keep up with her can find her that way and Vicky is too.

goodness gracious all of our wonderful friends.

but one of the fun things we have is, all over the state different Farmers a put in corn mazes and they're great fun.

do not go by yourself because if you get lost your gonna need a partner and but and and if they offer you a map.

do take it, don't don't think that you can do it all by yourself.

they're lots of fun, tonight we're going to show you one.

a corn maze thats at McBee at McCloud farms and and there's an interesting story behind that and then my goodness gracious there's a whole movement.

down any dances the extension agent we're not a specialist now in charge of the farm to school movement and there's a grand program going on it Briggs Elementary in Florence and we just had the best visit with them and it just involved all sorts of fun things and I know you can enjoy seeing that and I think they're having a party there tonight and watching it at school.

so Jeff Mari and all of your friends at the party have fun tonight.

I'm Amanda McNulty.

I'm planning to have fun tonight I'm extension agent I get to come up here on Tuesdays with fun people who know a lot more than I do so that I can relax and we can still get good answers your gardening questions and we're so pleased tonight to have a new member of our extension family and that is Chris Burke who is from grew up in Sumerville went to Clemson and then most corner and kind of an interesting little path to end up here.

yes absolutely I actually went to clubs and for anyone but their sites and then while I was going to school there I worked at stacks nursery as just a water boy that first summer is that initially this open to the public yes the public Ok so sure yeah and so I started there's a water boy in just started reading the labels on the plants and this is the key can you have to travel yeah lots of fun doing that but learned all the plants Ok after working there for many many years officially started working with consonant because research and education center I have gone from there on to extension I think you worked under someone whom we have a lot of confidence and good feeling towards yeah absolutely Dr.

Tony kind salute the plant pathologist who's help so many people of diseases and problems but Hey it is unusual in that he likes likes pretty plans to record he does he quite likes pretty plants especially self is because because of the dear dear yeah yeah anyway he's a fine person is done so much for all sorts of people in the vegetable industry around state and we are so pleased to have you here thank you for hope you have a good time and tell people which can issue a response Charleston in Dorchester and you're doing both home and commercial why do homeowners but it's one of mental horticulture it's urban horticulture Ok but I also cover the plant nurseries is good well I don't know how you found time to come but we're so glad you did well thank matter which way is a clips and graduate awesome and then involved in horticulture throughout her life and there you're now it'd be useful place in the state of South Carolina told about the remarkable facility and why the is so different as far as the variety point material component it is wonderful we're a cameo gardens in hearts will South Carolina and we're very unusual because we have a upper blown off and then we go down to the flood plain and we have black creek that runs through us where the gateway to cedars McKinnon heritage purse or so between those two places it gives us about eight hundred and thirty eight acres and on the drop on the bluff is six so that gives you different quick communities perhaps does in is just remarkable and very prehistoric and beautiful and we're very important to the bird wildlife in is just a wonderful place to get a respite from the busy world and I believe you're open almost all the time at no charge we're free we work hard for it I know you do what we really want people to come and enjoy nature and appreciated because if you don't get exposure then you don't care about it and it's important to us all for I want to thank you for coming and I think Dan hill came recently your natural yes and he's a very knowledgeable info is a wonderful biologist yes chain smoke is a pretty good biologist themself in horticulture's and he is of course the horticulture's for softer county now and we're just tickled pink have because he's has interest in lots of things and knows how to do all kinds of things on the computer and with this fun but you and Katie Altman our water quality agent I think her teaming up to offer a program to try to help people feel more confident about working in their yards absolutely yeah I'm so excited about this forever to green debut Ok yep so we talked to these homeowners who are always always like to ask people what holds you back from doing what you want to do in your yard or whatever you're working on they always say well Jeez I guess I just don't know what to do and when to do it so we created this program called the yard talks your talks so we're gonna have it'll but third Tuesday of each month so it's a monthly let lunch and learn series free to the public Ok and basically each month you know I'll talk about things you can do in your your timely information I think this next time the first time to talk about plans for winter interest Ok talking about things that are dealing with Pauline management which is another big subject so folks walking become gonna have it right here patriot park consult and this gonna be fun and I'm sure at some point you know you and Katie both to talk about how judicious use of products in your home landscape can help prevent problems with contamination of nearby waterways also absolute here yeah because that's what a lot of people like to blame the Farmers but they follow the directions much much more of it come from Holmes I'm afraid but sadly that that certainly Ok well I want to tell everybody that Tony is doing much better somatic that you sent us a message from church I guess I shouldn't say that that he was messaging and turn it against the rules but to say that he was was better thank you to all of you who reached out to them and he will be back with us soon and he does pretty important because Tony's pretty important to all of us into his many many friends throughout the state I'm Teresa is often Indianapolis or someplace Iowa Iowa I'm someone of those are places and I'm doing something important because you know she has lots of important jobs besides the wonderful things she does to help us but we were streaming live on Facebook inTerasaand Vicki already online and so they are monitoring now that and Terasa a love to get those what he called a Mochis the five faces none of these scaly things she says it's fun to see them go so we help them both having a good night and we thank them for all the things that they do for us to make a Facebook page more interesting and one of the things that happens to Facebook is that Terasa a goes there to find a question of the week because people always asking questions their interest of lesser heart and other agents chase helps a lot as well to I don't have best at this year's two little boys but anyway and Frederick Woodley inbox corner right with the question he said I'll put my glasses on just wondering what could be going on both of the office of that lot I planted this moon glow payer about four years ago and have not had any influence on it now it's blooming in the fall maybe the cooling weather than heating backup prompted that also played a Bartlett pear for cross pollination and neither has bloom so far well bummer but what do you think some of the potential problems could be Chinese I think kind of the general consensus we talked about was all revolving around stress and first thing you look at when if you're buying any plant we also about right plant like place you look at the heart in the sense of it when I saw online this tree goes from a belief five a or five B. to route eight being home and he was in Beaufort sacraments going most corner Ok and that was the year and what's going to was it about eight acres I be so was a friend to that organization and what you see a place a lot of times as if they're in that French right there on the ID and you have a rough summer winter you see a lot of stressful in there is what they really want to be right so you may start to see a tree not balloon or bloom it strange Thompson there you an up representing the owners action although you're much younger than I talked some about the age of plants at which they become mature enough to start fruiting in and that is that well not really looking at the picture which I guess the homeowners Ok or the view were still can see and it looks like it state so it's still quite young it doesn't really have a lot of lateral blank branching yet and so with everything it needs to mature and we're so used to such a fast paced world thing everything is instant win for us in is four years old it might take two more three more years to start bearing a flattering enough to bear if conditions are are good for a year and then if you could talk a little bit about cross pollination it sounds like he was aware of that but I'm not sure if he was or and why some plants especially fruit plants that can be critical correct in so with pairs kinda like with blueberries you really want to have two different varieties in order to cross pollinate that encourages better food production because you have that kind of genetic variation and with the moon glow one of the Friday she would use would be the bar so it's not always just any other pair sometimes you really need to pay attention to educational levels because one pair might be so might have pollen is ready as such it off time that the female former would be over absolutely so you really want to be careful with exactly what variety you choose because again different varieties are going to bloom at different times Ok and Moonglow is one of Bartlett is one that was listed as correct Ok all right and then this fall flowering so might be stress and we did you would have a good bit of rain right before we had this drought so it could of right now some flowers to survive well it's a and e's chase mention with it being kind of at the edge of that zone and have being such a hot dry summer that could have just exasperated the stress and mess and therefore the plant goes in kind of a survival and for a plant to survive means reproduce existing survival of the species hence the reason for the flower and as somebody who used to throw things and have fights with his brother soliton country tell me about two by fours and Paloma units in there says a lot about this so horrible for the show in this old idea that you can get a full out of a tree with a baseball bat or two by four and kind of break it will ask the fans it's not true folks thing is not to be too good to the tree either because of the finalization can prevent tree from becoming mature is that possible way can lead to a lot more vegetative Growth and flowers we see that with tomatoes all the time but too much I made as they say why don't get the free it's because I you know too much nitrogen Ok so again there's a happy medium with many things the gardens of the week is another feature that twice of lesser her even though she's gone on this important trip to learn this information got prepare for us and viewers go out and work in this harsh can these harsh conditions and our first garden of the week is from travelers rest sue Davis and she made a good choice for a plant that can take not having much water because it's a succulent and that is C. them autumn joy and then that lovely airy plant is Garo too she says the things are just loving them and what a lovely color combination that is and then Terry Maloney and Somerville has she stayed inside and you can see that there's some slats probably the Venetian blinds and with African violets that like that shaded light and hers are so healthy and lovely looking obviously she's doing just the right things by them and then again a person who read the question about the pair's Mister Woodley from monks corner he's had some success because look at the head of the phone which on that hydrangea this time of year a lot of them are showing a little bit of leaf damage from fungal diseases not not critical but what a beautiful beautiful flower on that lays cat they are so pretty and of course the lace cap social flowers in the middle or on those are perfect flowers and they so they can actually track companies can't that yes they can and the ones on the outside actually sterile Ok so that's kind of one of the nice things another nice thing about Lee scabs and then we end up Kathy Croft dot Clark from Barton all goodness gracious wonderful Los brighter lease like chorus radiology and you know in Saint Matthews where I live sometimes married out of your member some of the older houses which had had had pathways that were now gone but the spot in the early still edge the pathways and so they were like surprise memories of walkways that were there and barbel South Carolina is on not only where Kathy Croft clock lives but your net price who is answering the phone with Katie open tonight is from formal and her dear father who I had a wonderful visit with many years there is still there I'm a lovely part of the world if you ever get down there Farm I'm really is filled with lovely people on and on genet left but she goes back frequently to see her father we got a call engine Jim is calling this a blink off Jimmy we're mighty happy to hear from you and tell us what you're not happy about that we might not have well for one thing I have this gigantic plant that little well I got hydrangea but the balloons on it almost like an M. great white J. and it is just gorgeous but it is so heavy now that it's been in over and Dublin starting to die out and what I wanted the is it makes turn them back really bad but do I trim it back or do I just take it well not now and what it is and it sounds out it looks like a hydrangea but it's got big great white you know there's a future for did you there's a plant that that isn't in the hydrangea family that has little tiny Gary like structures and then a little far but that's long since finished is firing on which expert so I just don't anybody have any idea what the world all the things we should be Ok I went do a bunch of proving anything this time a year just because what you'll get is a lot of Growth right before we get a frost what she probably could do is go in and you know our clip off some of those heavy parts or she's worried about Frank from the branches because I mean you know yeah look it boasts and there isn't take the two evils we of course now are all gonna lie awake at night wondering what the world this is so please send us a picture of it before you go out there and cut those off and so that we can find out what it is because you certainly got a sentry but what it is and it's probably something really simple in August oh my goodness but but anyway I think change that was very good advice because you know some it we're gonna get some cool days of people going to want to go out and earn pruned prunes pruning actually stimulates Growth correct so any time you actually print it the plant sends out Warman's that tell it that it needs to start repairing itself and so it starts put up much state of Growth Ok rushes costume show what where people go to get that wonderful seafood glad to hear from you and tell us how we can try to help you tonight hi I have two quick mysteries one is that I have what were sold to me is key trees bushes they look a little bit like they might be the eyelets family because they have a little sharp edge on the leaf and in six years they've never bloomed they were supposed to get white blooms with an orange sent Ok and the other question is I have in the same vicinity discovered some not like things that are between a couple palm and an oak tree and when we sliced open they have a green fruit inside like a key we would say white lead in the center of the green fruit I'm wondering if either of those things these are fruit for finding on the ground between an oak tree and a palm tree actually the falling in my pool which is between the cocoa palm in the oak tree and they sometimes land on the ground I think that you're getting the fruits of the cocoa palms that are that are that are coming off that's what it sounds like to me in that case best anybody does that seem to rule Ok with automatic yeah yeah they do fruit and I think that's what that is but then she's upset her tea tree is not blooming but it might be blooming in there just so small I mean because this is probably committee cynicism get what actually are down there well it sounds like she mentioned that it has an orange sent and there's actually else mantis the T. R. that's what I was thinking that has the orange sent yeah I think she might have been sort of false Holly which is the type of osmanthus but it doesn't really have a show a flower and so she might have gotten the wrong thing so chances are just hasn't bloomed yet if it is the true TL but also give me a sense of switches she said it kinda look because it has been a some it's sleek can look a little bit like a small Alex from the tour or something has that smaller flowers it does and they don't they come you know what the letter says he would gain this would be a grand opportunity to send us a picture you can send it to our Facebook page or if you don't want to do that you can send a chasing me on with the extension office I guess we could send it to you absolutely at the Charleston office and to find any extension agents on thanks email for chase in the U. disco Clinton extension center county and then you go to staff and there are lots of ways to Regis and for you people would just go to Clemson extension Charleston Berkeley work Dorchester gosh it's just that we just had a mathematically Ok and then Christopher which you said you had your mother doesn't accept and she's managed to Burke and how do you tell people have spell your last name B. U. R. teaching Ok so there are several ways you can send us a picture of me would love to here for me because up you got a sentry now corn mazes as a center fund Tony and I went to one at night be years ago and it was about sports events in who won games in his quarterbacks were and thank goodness I had someone with me or I would be there today going hello because I have a good time going football but not really think that anyway this time this time of year at mac be like in many places there are corn mazes and the one that has been installed for specific purpose and Spencer McLeod is going to tell us about that and let me say that the McCloud Farms is a sponsor of Making it Grow.

I'm talking to Spencer McLeod of McLeod Farms in McBee South Carolina.

And we are in something that's really exciting for a lot of people in South Carolina and that's a corn maze.

Spencer, when did ya'll start doing corn mazes up here?

We've been doing corn mazes for over ten years now.

Now I want you to tell me about the first time you did one and how you cut it out.

We've come a long way since we started doing corn mazes.

The first time we actually the planted the corn and we didn't have a a way to necessarily see it while we cut it.

So we took an old fire truck and we and we raised the ladder up and we had someone in the top and we were moving around.

We ended up making a pretty good maze but it was pretty crude at the time.

So you start out by planting the whole area with corn?

That's right you actually plant it two ways so normally you plant one way.

Yeah like in a field.

- in a field But if you left it that way, you could see down the rows.

So we crossed with another a pass and so we make a hash with the corn.

Now so people like me can really get lost.

That's right.

(Laughter) And then now though you have a person who's an expert who I think travels around.

Explain how you work with this gentleman what ya'll do.

So now with the corn maze been much bigger now we we hire someone to come out here.

We work with them to do to make a design.

He actually has an artist that that that renders this image and then he makes a GPS file and takes a small skid steer and cuts it out with GPS.

I don't know what a small skid steer is so tell me what that is.

That's like a bobcat you know that you see on a construction site and he puts a rotary tiller on the front of it and so he's cutting that maze about when the corn's about ten inches tall.

And then he's, the residues being incorporated in the ground so all you see is this beautiful white neck in sand.

That's right (laughter) And this year you have a really fun theme, how did that come about?

We we do.

This year's theme is amazers.

So we have a superhero theme.

And we're actually working with a local a children's hospital in Florence, South Carolina and our proceeds, half of our proceeds are going to go to that charity in supporting that hospital.

And so you know we kinda went with the mazes with the children, doctors and all the support staff that did this amazing thing.

And and of course a maze we're we're here in one right now.

So it's it's it's a neat theme for this year.

It really is tremendous fun and going for a great purpose.

And it's a fun family event.

It is.

You have little designs and kiosks where people can go to get tips about left to right I believe.

So let' talk a tiny bit about that since I'm always getting lost.

So we have a map that did that participants can use it if they want one or not.

And that map will help guide them through.

And as they go through the maze they'll come across questions.

If they answer right the the answer will lead them in the correct direction.

And if they don't answer right then they'll be going down the wrong path.

But you know we'll we'll test your trivia own super heroes.

We'll actually have two mazes.

So we have one side of the maze which is the super hero side and the other side which is the villain side - - Whoa!

And each one is has questions relating to super heroes or villains.

How long does it take most people to navigate one direction?

If you're really good you know you can get through one maze in about thirty to forty five minutes.

Okay.

Okay.

But typically most people's they they meander around and and and they they don't run through it.

So it can take up to an hour.

And you can do both ways once you're here?

That's right.

And do you bring people out of the truck is a kind of a fun little ride.

So our corn mazes are a little bit away from our store and so you get to hop on a wagon.

We'll take you down to the corn maze, go by the pumpkin patch.

and hop out and get to go through our maze.

And then also get taken back.

That's right.

We won't make you walk.

(laughter) And if anybody really gets lost they can just stand here and holler and you'll come and get em.

That's right.

That's right.

Spencer, Thank you so much for letting us come down here and visit your family's corn maze.

I think there are corn mazes in many parts of South Carolina and it's wherever there is one, you'll have a good family fun day if you visited.

Thank ya'll for coming.

(kids singing) when Tony and I finished navigating several years ago there we had to sit on a rocking chair needed it's great which is not to be admitted into day but at any anyway do you support your local Farmers found the little corn mazes and of course this one does have a special feature in that they are trying to help the children who were have severe double debilitating diseases and on and on and it and it's amazing when you talk to people have children who face those challenges help resilient and brave vessel kids can be blocked by the Mamas and Daddies sometimes I'm I was out the door this morning as usual pulling chamber bitter and other things but anyway I saw this awesome in the world and I walked over and of course it was rose hips and I was so excited I'm I don't have many roses in the ones I have are ones that you don't do anything to except maybe kind of far every now and then but on rose hip so of course the reproductive structures and they are everybody I guess you go to the stores and you see rose hip to me but I've always thought it was fascinating that during the second World War the British who are so fond of roses this was one of their major sources of vitamin C. on and I think that's kind of fun and so I like to choose sometime ago does not because they don't have a coughing fit but at the end of the show if anybody wants to get one to it they actually are pretty good so if you've got some in your yard I'm good and when they're right and give them a try look up how to make tea out of them rose hips just you know one of the wonderful things that are new rose is beautiful to look at but they have other features that make them valuable to people Ok more rain is in the capital city Columbia South Carolina which we used to call famously hot but I think the chain well Murray that they they change that nickname haven't they for those who wanted to get out for Saturday may maybe what's what are some of the things you go you go go out and work on that we not be able to help you with Marie what I was trying to find out a good in oak creek down it is an attack by beetles until so now all you know that the area where the grass was really Growing well already and I wanted to put something down a ground cover and some flowers you know I didn't want to do so I just want some suggestions and also how to go about it I mean don't try to dig up the grass first hello I guess come to replace the trees now want something else there but I don't want to put grass Ok Ok a lot of this are interested in planning plant sits can support pollinators and birds and things can you think of some native plants that she might be able to incorporate into an area of that now is probably full sun the add to raid Holmes are flowering right now that are a lovely blue there's the swamp sunflowers the healing at this switch do really well in bright sun Corey opsus in the spring time there's a wide range in your garden centers would have a lot and we are right now yeah and but they would still have perennials from their summer and spring that you could get in get good regrets all winter in her little garden would be fabulous at the beginning of the year change to get the with the to get a clean area in which to work rather than try to dig it up bridge that she could just get some golf a spade and follow the directions as far what that would be the easiest way is just go in there and spray that grass and kill at all and maybe have to do it a couple times as weeds pop up and things absolutely you're absolutely it's been put in you know a good three to four inches of mulch on top of it is the same AS now kind of help cut down but like you said you're still I don't care if you have concrete the gross do it yeah and I'm sure the you know up one of the plants that off they can take son if it wants as well established some of this a cycle cultivars no absolutely and community is because you actually plant them a lot higher than most other shrubs they preferred that better trained soil would actually fit the type area like that Ok so she won't have to do a great big hole she here but on this site was especially the single ones I've seen on the pollinators really go to them a lot off saying they lot from and it's it it's a really good flower because of flowers in the winter when everything else is kind of Ok thank you so much and our next caller is ethylene from late lions George Evelyn we're glad to hear from you tonight and tell us how we can try to help you please Elaine hello unite thank you you have a question for all of our maybe call each year about three years lunch before before the first lap and spank them back and all they are completely covered with them in into of them in the streets so perfectly fine I've never heard of them have been there before and and be done with it well I'm I'm disappointed because most people like to decorate a palm grants because they could be so pretty but on but I'm glad if you like to eat the seeds and my children always loved it and I thought it was fun on the view down there where people probably about pomegranates using any kind of fungal diseases or anything yes a fungal disease on the fruit is very calm unfortunately most of the pomegranate you're gonna see that are really pretty you decorate with tend to come from California where it's a lot less humidity a lot less disease pressure unfortunately here the seeds are perfectly edible Ok the fruit you eat away but unfortunately it's going to have a rather rough look to it well Mary I'm a great fan of spray paint to really let them dry out and so I do gather is there some on the university property and they dry out and then I use of the next year our generation deck Ok but I'm sorry at the filling this is happening is made of this kind of a big tree be hard to spray and you have to spray all the time with me you would and you would really have to start spring as soon as the first set so any kind of a constant thing so chase you know unfortunately they shipped from California and so it might be if she wants to decorate for some she could get some from the store and then if she wants to eat at least the ones on her trees are edible that's that's right at five easy lets you indicate in the pomegranate not to come up with a new you know he's so good about diseases he might have some help for us homeowners with a perma grin I'm a princess Ok I'm there did you bring the show Intel first did wonderful what that looks like something chase with throwing his brother when he was even the fruits that yeah I thought you dissected some interesting critter and brought the brain like brain free but they're free of Osage orange and they're in the mall berry family and is a deciduous tree Grows around thirty to fifty feet arms that the gardens are probably about twenty soon's kind of middle aged and I had read in you had known that the American Indians use them to make their bad news the best the era the the back then it was the best word for that flexibility but strength and you pronounce it very nicely the law one door dark was one of the common names in certain places have not heard that the native Americans probably actually expanded the range of them because they were so useful on and I think it's kind of fun scientific name coral yeah Commiphora like apples I forget that but Mike Laura is the chain and is it sometimes called like a horse ahead Chapel Hill Chapel yeah but there's a great big tree in a can and it's near a pathway and they don't have a a **** under it and I wonder why that would be like as a docu Allah for would they call a white said it's not that we don't need nobody knows in you can let them drive in days you know remain for a long time and they'll shrink down about this size home but yeah I think they are and and we decorate with them too of course you do push out do all kinds of wonderful naked natural decorations efforts are you saving for Christmas I do I let them stay in a drive regime sort of petrified and then I use them over and over but their needs and they they're just brown you know they're not the green anymore last forever Ok what Osage orange Ok well I said earlier that I think over at breaks elimina Risco Jeff mori is is is is is getting excited because of his Making surely not as television debut because he was so easy and relaxed about being interviewed but he has just the most wonderful program and of course that's all made possible because the school administration staff teachers are so supportive because it takes the whole school one teacher can't come in and change the the culture of the school as far as the way children regard food and it was cool food is prevented them but boy it sure has happened it Briggs out in the elementary and we are so proud of them.

I'm at Briggs Elementary School in Florence with some students in the Farm to School program.

I'm gonna learn what they enjoy most about being in this program.

Is there an insect that you've learned a lot about in this program?

Mmm hmm.

Tell me about it.

A bee.

And if you don't mess with a bee it won't mess with you.

So you've learned to treat them with respect?

Yes ma'am.

And what do bees do and make that you really enjoy?

Honey.

I like bees because it just looks cool the way they pollinate the flowers.

The only reason why bees are important is because they help us eat.

So if bees weren't on this planet, People wouldn't be on this planet.

Well tell me about the animals that you enjoy.

Chickens.

What you like about chickens?

How they act and how they help our environment.

What I like about chickens is that, they, how hard it is to catch them.

Then you have to run around and catch food.

You have a beautiful garden right outside your school and I bet you like to watch the plants grow.

We planted tomatoes, peppers - We, There were like two plants that were already growing so we made holes and put like seeds in it.

And then they started like growing a little bit.

When you go out to the garden do you sometimes taste things that are growing there?

Tell me some of the things that you tasted that you liked?

I've tasted kale, bell peppers and blueberries.

Tell me what you tried that's good.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and blueberries.

You've tried a lot of things.

How do you like to eat your cucumbers?

Sometime raw and sometimes with vinegar.

I tried a kumquat plant.

Whew.

How was it?

Very good and it tasted kinda like a Sweettart.

And I also had a smoothie with juice, cabbage and frozen fruits.

Come on.

And was it delicious.

Yeah.

Wow!

I think you two young ladies are on special team here at Briggs.

What is that team?

Composting.

She's a home composter I'm one of the school composters.

Why is it important to compost.

It helps sustain our environment instead of just putting it in a landfill and letting it burn up.

It can go to our gardening, help us with our plants.

Is it good for the soil?

It's extremely good for the soil.

Because here Briggs we garden a lot and Mr Murrie also gardens over the summer.

So if we have more soil then we're better off in our garden.

I want to thank ya'll for what you're doing for our environment.

And for starting off and setting such a good example.

Thank you.

♪ We're at Briggs Elementary School in Florence, South Carolina.

I'm talking with Jeff Murrie.

You are perhaps the only Related Arts Teacher who has a farm to school program in the state.

And probably the only one that's holding a chicken right now talking to you as well.

This wasn't your career plan.

No, it was not.

I started off as a sixth grade social studies teacher and did that for twenty something years and then we applied for a South Carolina Farm to School grant in two thousand fifteen and receive that grant and developed the garden that you see today.

Two years ago we decided to take it one step further and we started a Related Arts class where all the five hundred and fifty students we have at Briggs, they get to come and see me one day a week.

And we talk about sustainability, agriculture, the history of agriculture and we cook, we grow, we plant we take care of chickens.

And the kids have a great time.

When this started I guess traditionally with thinking that Florence which of course was based on agriculture children now don't get out and don't know anything about that.

I think guess at first you just wanted them to become familiar with the soil and with the whole world of health plants?

Right.

Yeah.

It's sort of sad, you know.

we're right here in the heart of the Pee Dee and we have an extremely strong heritage in agriculture but most of our children and the parents of these children have very little memory or contact with being on a farm or even participating in cropping tobacco or any other type of crop.

And the kids need to see where their food comes from so they have a greater appreciation of food.

They also have a, need to have a really great appreciation of the farmer and the amount of work that goes in to bringing that crop from the field to the table.

So we're trying to teach nutrition, sustainability, responsibility climate, weather STEM goes into what we're doing as well But in the end the kids have a great time interacting with the farm and even getting their hands dirty.

That's one of the most interesting things just to watch a child with a trowel or a rake.

Get into the dirt for the first time.

They're pretty scared of it.

Jeff a lot of kids won't try anything new.

And their parents say, 'Well, you don't like that.

I'm not give it to you.'

Is there a strong correlation between watching planting a seed watching something grow and being willing to risk a taste of something new and strange.

Yeah that's one of my biggest pet peeves is that I hear parents say all the time we're not going to buy that.

It costs too much and you're not the like it anyway.

And then I think has a child had the chance even taste it yet?

And most times they haven't recently we had been seen from Department of Education come and talk to the kids about growing mushrooms.

And a lot of the kids have never eaten mushrooms.

But we prepared them in class and then that afternoon.

They went home they said, 'Mom can we go to the grocery store?'

And the mom was like, 'Why are we going?'

I need to find Shitake mushrooms And the mom was like well you don't eat Shitake mushrooms.

And lo and behold.

And the student was like yeah we do we ate them today in My.

Murrie's class.

We have a sadly lack of physical activity.

And along with that weight gain in our population and sadly even reaches down to our children.

Do you feel that the overall aspect the all encompassing aspect of what you're trying to do here is a way that can serve as an example perhaps of a pattern that we can follow to try to help children learn to make better choices?

That's exactly one of things that we're trying to do.

There's so many different things that we attempt to do on a daily basis.

But one of those is to teach children that the green things like you see the garden today especially the kale chips that we made in class, to eat healthier, to eat more fruits and vegetables.

And that is a really big part.

If they get in the garden and plant a seed, take care of a seed, nurture it and then they get to actually pick the bell pepper or the tomato from it, they just have a whole greater sense of appreciation and respect which is also a major part of what we're trying to do.

and they they learn that fast food is not where it's at.

That's what we're trying to do, is get them out of the fast food line.

What a remarkable school in that even in the cafeteria, you've got people allowing you to compost and in the classrooms everyone's brought into this.

and that really ties in with what you want a life long lesson on sustainability.

You help these children to be the future of our planet.

And that I think is the biggest reward that I've seen in the few years that we've been doing this at Briggs is that children are going home, educating their parents, telling their parents, 'Hey let's not throw that away.

Let's compost that.'

And one of my students her mom and dad have actually bought a small composter and they're composting at home.

I think what's happening here is instead of just giving mantras to children and having them gather from massive dents, these children are as you said from the ground up learning what I think it's going to be a pattern to a way of life.

I want to thank you for changing and making South Carolina better.

And and for encouraging all of us who see this show to try to replicate some of the things you do at least with our children at our homes.

Thank you Jeff Murrie.

You're welcome and anyone can come visit.

Come to Florence and visit the farm at Briggs and some chickens.

(laughter) ♪ Farm to School something's really make you happy and boy did that school thank us happy.

I hope it makes you happy to see it to just get an idea of what can happen with you know looking at school differently and if we could you know have the resources that this can happen to ensure that can fit that excited you know inside you know should talk too much room mansion it's just it was pretty remarkable of course it one of the things that's happened is they've got a teacher who's just passionate and filled with excitement and love for what he's doing and certainly communicates to those children thank you I'm Jeff Laurie I thank you for the whole support staff at that school and I hope that this is something any deaths is working so hard to help people replicate this and other places around the state please get in touch with her Amy dances are from Farm to school specialist with comps extension my head well I was at your the other day pulling weeds as usual and I had gotten a package of em rants needs and it was you know decorative or I think a medical amaranth an op just scattered them and lo and behold I guess it's kind of a weed because without much care they came up and the leaves work purple and completely eaten in some insect and I did more of it that is good were bad and then I went back out there and look at this I mean in the systems before far you've ever seen in your life of course tell me about Palmer amaranth Palmer amaranth is is a very aggressive weeds that most Farmers actually worry about once you get it in your field it's very difficult to get rid Dennis it was like the worst supposed to be the worst economically in agriculture this is not palm ram thank the lord but at any rate it is amethyst edible and and in some countries Mary I think you have a friend from the student aha from Kenya and he said they and eight Amaran so it just goes to show you different of course the difference you know this is a genus and then their species that's what the differences and it also in the had I have some brown stuff which is sorghum grain sorghum which is sometimes Grown instead of dry land cotton I mean corn on it is very nutritious and can be used in fees we don't have a big market for South Carolina but I hope that that will change it's a beautiful plant to see if you ride by as a strident fields it's about this tall and quite lovely starts out green and then turns to a beautiful brown here's a whole piece of it just the top of one I think it's quite lovely nice drop arrangement to have I'm Susan is in Luke officers and we're so happy to hear from you tonight and tell us if what we might be able to help you with hello Susan hello hello hello where you go ahead with your question well I want to tell you how much I enjoy your show is just wonderful hello we had more gardening shows my question is I have a harder and that about over a year ago and I wanted it to be a pretty blooming plant but because it was it was already in a tree form no I haven't potted it in the soil or anything but I've taken care of it it's gotten you know the minimal requirements for a hydrant good but it has not produced a single bloom in this pot is that my problem that is in a pot and this is a standard hydrangea it's been trimmed to a stadium it is in transit into a tree form and I believe it's a lime light a long white my goodness all right then and then and then the the branches you know they trail out and it it has not made any any intention of blaming the whole spring and this year now I have a in my yard that has ballooned and I just was wondering is it that I've still got it in a pot or is there something else I could do to it and line right of course for people is one of the woody hydrangeas not like the beautiful lace cap that that Mr on our Facebook friend Mr Woodley shared with this on our page Hey John it's a rodeo when the blooms differently I just found there should be trimming the top to keep it nice and round and cutting off for balloons I mean I just don't know what I mean and they can take I don't know that it would be happy in full sun but you think it would go head producing clones the the limelight actually can take his bread to handle the son of different in the on the lace tabs I would be interested enough she is putting it at all because a lot of those special bread ones bloom off of new new Growth and so I would want to know if that's possibly what's happening and it may just be that this isn't the best plan to have sitting in a pot on the patio I mean that's right yeah I don't think of a hydrangeas being a good free form patio plants yeah but yeah phone nervosa Jeff would be to put its actual soul and see what it does I mean of of tree form lantana something would be more what I would think of is working very well on a on a with the with the other as you say it is made for the sun but that's different but maybe something in a pot and even so I think we have another call Robbie calling about pine trees robin Hey there you go thank you I am not travel around the state and I have a brief I have noticed a number of and three that died all around your on by Alan died out is this the service the lack of rain we've had ours that station or what's going on with the plan you about in the country and many people have pine plantations and all I don't think we have a new beetle outbreak I think we have years of accumulated stress that we don't see until it does kind of which is a tipping point perhaps big pine trees can survive water for stress for town have pretty deep root system as far as the Beatles are concerned we have quite a few different species of pine beetles and a lot of those Beatles actually come in after stresses occurred now what was stressed out this particular trees the scene I don't know if it be tough without see an individual situation but I don't know that's a tough question also if we get a lot of water and there's sometimes we do and they're standing water that's not I don't believe that's a good situation yeah that can and do stress just just as well as drought can too much water can mail it may be is kind of specific from situation to situation it could be any number of things depending on the location because driving the society hill asio group that has at least six to seven pounds spread out that have died but the rest around them are Ok so you just don't know when the tryouts really showing up in our victory yes it is I'm we're going to be at the fair on October the fifteenth and we hope that you will be there we will be there at a normal time of seven o'clock they'll be things going on all day there with ATV there have all kinds of activities for children think so that'll be fun something we hope that you will come and be with this that and the guy told me today that some of the children are going to bring their chickens and rabbits and share them with this which is always fun I think because I have you know a semi pet chicken time comes to put yourself in the dog cage at night and then we bring a man because she likes to be cooler and she's confirmed that she is spoiled rotten all she wants to eat or merely worms seven when you shake the bag some kind of running across the yard and you really do believe and it's becomes obvious the chickens are related to dinosaurs because she wants just like the dinosaurs to arrest anyway thanks Terasa and Vicki and thank all of you who joined us tonight nobody helped make the show for the same or next week ♪ ♪ Making It Grow is brought to you in part by, Santee Cooper.

South Carolina state owned electric and water utility.

More information on green power and energy conservation programs online at SanteeCooper.com The South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

Certified South Carolina Grown helps consumers identify, find and buy South Carolina products.

Macleod Farms in McBee South Carolina.

This family Farm offers seasonal produce including over twenty two varieties of peaches.

McCall Farms helping South Carolina Grow with brands such as Peanut Patch, Bruce's Yams, Margaret Holmes and Glory Foods.

Super Sod.

A family owned sod Farm supplying the South with turf grass sod and seed, including Tiff-Tuff drought tolerant Bermuda Grass.

F. T. C. diversified a proud part of your local communities.

Providing communication entertainment and security.

Additional funding provided by International Paper and the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Bureau Insurance.

çBirds TweetingÑ