Recap of NC’s Ag Leadership event
April 18, 2026
| Friends, What a privilege it was to spend an evening in Warsaw this week for our Celebrating NC’s Ag Leadership event at the Country Squire.  Events like this one are a reminder of something we don’t take for granted: the people who show up for North Carolina agriculture aren’t just doing a job. They’re doing it because they believe in it. That came through clearly Thursday night, as farmers and industry leaders from across Eastern North Carolina filled the room with the kind of energy that only comes from people who genuinely care about where this industry is headed.  We were especially grateful for the attendance of legislators who don’t just represent agricultural communities; they come from them. Senator Brent Jackson was there, along with Representatives William Brisson, Jimmy Dixon, Karl Gillespie, Chris Humphrey, Jeff McNeely, Howard Penny, and Donna White, as well as Representative-elect Darren Armstrong and NC House District 22 candidate Wellie Jackson. These are people who understand that the decisions made in Raleigh and Washington aren’t abstract; they show up in the lives of real families, real farms, and real communities. And they keep showing up to fight for those families even when it isn’t easy. The highlight of the night was watching Senator Jackson present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Representative William Brisson. It was a moment that felt right. Representative Brisson’s career represents the kind of steady, experienced voice that our industry depends on; someone who has been in the room, done the work, and never stopped advocating for the people he serves. The room gave him the kind of response you only get when people know it’s deserved.  Rep. William Brisson accepts the NC Ag Partnership Lifetime Achievement Award from Sen. Brent Jackson. Evenings like this are exactly why the NC Ag Partnership exists. Agriculture’s voice is heard where it matters most because the relationships in that room are real and built over years of shared work and shared purpose. There’s no substitute for that. Thank you to everyone who made the trip to Warsaw, and to the Country Squire for hosting us so well. We’re already looking forward to the next one. |