Friends,As we planned our Q1 Dispatch issues, the team and I had already flagged Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) as a topic we’d be spending time on. January reliably brings a flood of resolutions to eat better, move more, and reinvent yourself because this is YOUR year. And while I truly am rooting for 2026 to…

Friends, Welcome to a new year! As we begin 2026, we want to take a step back and reflect on how research findings, particularly those involving environmental regulation and agriculture, are translated into public-facing narratives. Recently, several news stories have cited a national report examining staffing trends at state environmental agencies, including the North Carolina…

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,…

Friends, With five days until Christmas, I hope you are winding down for the end of the year and looking forward to spending time with family and friends. My family is spread throughout the world this year, but I am forever grateful to my North Carolina family, who have welcomed me into their homes, farms,…

Friends, Since my first day on the job, I’ve had a little infographic above my desk to help me remember the top ag commodities in North Carolina. I was looking up at it this morning and realized most of North Carolina’s top products are on full display during the holidays. Turkey is an obvious one at…

Friends, This week, I had the pleasure of attending the Southeast Vegetable and Fruit Expo held by the North Carolina Vegetable Growers Association in Myrtle Beach, SC. Their team put on a great event, and I enjoyed getting back to my specialty crop roots for a few days. One of the speakers for the event was Will…