Reflecting on 2025, Looking Ahead to 2026
December 27, 2025
| Friends, As we close out 2025, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been a meaningful year for the North Carolina Ag Partnership, and to thank you for the support and engagement that made it possible. This year marked an important transition for the Partnership. After being announced in late spring, I officially joined NC Ag Partnership as Executive Director on August 1, and I have been incredibly grateful for the warm welcome from North Carolina’s agriculture and agribusiness community. Since then, our focus has been straightforward: strengthening NC Ag Partnership’s capacity to convene the right conversations, engage thoughtfully on policy, and ensure agriculture’s perspective is present where decisions are made. I look forward to sharing our strategic vision with even more of you in the coming year. Early in the year, the Ag Partnership brought leaders together around the Farm Show Dinner, an anchor event that continues to demonstrate the value of gathering North Carolina agriculture, agribusiness, and public-affairs leaders in one room. In August, we gathered business leaders for a candid discussion with Labor Commissioner Luke Farley. Later this fall, we hosted our End-of-Year Judicial Event, convening Supreme Court justices, appellate judges, and agriculture leaders for an important discussion on the role of the courts in shaping regulatory fairness, property rights, and the ability of farmers to operate with certainty. These were substantive conversations, and they reinforced NCAP’s role as a trusted table-setter. Throughout the year, the Partnership also stayed engaged on the issues shaping the ag landscape: labor and workforce challenges, MAHA and food policy debates, disaster recovery following Hurricane Helene, and the broader regulatory and economic pressures facing producers across the state. In each case, our goal has been consistent; to elevate practical, science-based perspectives and keep farmers’ voices front and center. As we look ahead to 2026, that mission remains unchanged. Planning is already underway for the 2026 Farm Show Dinner, and we are excited to continue building on the momentum from this year through thoughtful convening, judicial engagement, and policy education that serves North Carolina’s largest industry. Thank you for the time, insight, and trust you invest in the NC Ag Partnership. I look forward to continuing this work together in the year ahead. I hope you and your families had a Merry Christmas, and I wish you a happy and healthy New Year. Best regards, |
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| Tori Rumenik Executive Director, North Carolina Ag Partnership |