A Strong Week for North Carolina Agriculture

June 13, 2026
Friends,

North Carolina’s farmers got some welcome news from Raleigh this week as state lawmakers passed the NC Farm Act, sending the legislation to Governor Josh Stein’s desk. The only votes against the bill were from Reps. Amanda Cook and Pricey Harrison of Guilford County.

The legislation provides meaningful wins for NC farmers, including protections for agricultural water access, relief from burdensome hog farm regulations, and new legal protections for composting and animal waste operations.

That said, earlier versions contained provisions we strongly supported that did not make it into the final bill, including liability protections for pesticide manufacturers that would have provided important certainty for farmers and the broader agricultural supply chain. We hope future legislation will provide an opportunity to revisit them.

Despite these changes, this is still an important, much-needed relief for NC’s ag community, and we’d like to applaud the lawmakers who fought so hard to get this bill passed, like Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee Chairman Brent Jackson, Senator Lisa Stone Barnes, House Agriculture and Environment Committee Chair Rep. Jimmy Dixon, and others. Getting this bill across the finish line to the governor’s desk is just the latest example of why it is so important for us to keep doing all we can to send farm-friendly voices to Raleigh. 

On the federal level, the House passed the FY2027 Agriculture Appropriations bill on June 4 by a narrow 213-210 vote, providing roughly $26 billion in funding for agricultural programs, rural development, and food safety. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its prospects are uncertain.

We also want to recognize a leader whose work has made a lasting difference for NC’s farmers and rural communities. Scott Hamilton, President and CEO of the Golden LEAF Foundation, announced last week that he will retire at the end of 2026. The NC Ag Partnership congratulates Scott on a remarkable career and thanks him for his commitment to the people and communities that make NC agriculture strong.

Golden LEAF was established in 1999 to receive NC’s share of the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, an investment in the rural communities that built this state. Under Scott’s leadership, the Foundation helped create 1,665 jobs, generated more than $116 million in new payrolls, and trained more than 4,700 workers for higher wages in fiscal year 2025. Among Scott’s most significant contributions was leading the launch of NC Ag Leads, developed with the NC Chamber, NC Farm Bureau, and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the first-ever strategic plan for North Carolina agriculture. We wish Scott all the best in retirement.

In other news, NC poultry and agribusiness continue to shine on the national stage. Vice President JD Vance has installed a custom chicken coop at the Naval Observatory built by Carolina Coops, a family-owned small business based in Creedmoor, NC. Carolina Coops has spent 18 years handcrafting premium chicken coops in the USA. The coop was built at no cost to taxpayers. 

This is not the first time NC poultry has made its presence felt in Washington. Earlier this year, Nash County’s Braswell Family Farms once again sent nearly 40,000 eggs to the White House Easter Egg Roll. And Sampson County turkey farmer Wellie Jackson, a candidate for NC House in District 22 (Bladen and Sampson Counties), participated in the 2019 White House Thanksgiving turkey pardon. From the Easter Egg Roll to the turkey pardon to the Vice President’s backyard flock, NC poultry leads the way, and we could not be more proud. Congratulations to the Carolina Coops team!