Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Our dear departed friend Extension agent Tony Melton grew up on the sandy soils of McBee. Although those soils grow great peaches, they did not produce plentiful crops. Tony said Christmas was special for his family but, with eight children, presents were minimal. He got a new pair of jeans, some citrus fruit, and raisins on the stem. I’d never heard of raisins still on the stem but after looking it up have found you can order them – but gosh they’re really expensive. I wonder if perhaps his parents had figured out how to dry muscadine grapes. I’m sure that they had sweet potato pie at holidays made from sweet potato they stored in the yard covered with pine straw. I think sweet potato pie’s tastier than pumpkin and -- no cans are needed.
Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.