NC Ag Leads Plan Details Bold Agenda for State’s $111.1 Billion Agriculture Industry
Today, the Golden LEAF Foundation and the NC Chamber Foundation, with support from the NC Farm Bureau and Google, announce the release of the NC Ag Leads strategic plan—an action-oriented roadmap developed through a landmark, industry-led effort to strengthen North Carolina’s agriculture and agribusiness sector, which contributes more than $111 billion annually to the state’s economy.
The plan, released today with broad industry backing, is the product of a multi-phase strategic planning initiative that began in 2023 and included thousands of hours of research, hundreds of structured conversations, and outreach to farmers, agribusiness leaders, and educators across the state. The plan identifies actionable strategies to address the most pressing challenges and greatest growth opportunities for the state’s number one industry.
“North Carolina agriculture has been the foundation of our state from its earliest beginnings, and it remains our leading industry today. This plan reflects the voices of our farmers and the strength of our longstanding partnerships across agriculture, business, education, and government,” said N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Working together with this roadmap, we will continue to build on agriculture’s success in North Carolina and will position the industry to help meet the ever-increasing demand for food here and around the world. I appreciate the partnerships and all the hard work that has led up to this announcement.”
At the center of the report is HARVEST—a six-part framework of priorities the agriculture community has identified as its most urgent needs and promising solutions:
Harmonize land and resource use in a growing state
Align technology supply and demand
Reinforce farmer support systems
Value a business mindset across the industry
Empower and equip the agriculture workforce
Streamline market access
Teamwork and leadership are the key to moving from key issues to key outcomes.
Rather than attempting to address every issue the industry faces, the plan focuses on areas of consensus with the highest potential for near-term impact—from advancing ag tech innovation to implementing a statewide agricultural workforce strategy.
"Golden LEAF is proud to have invested in the shared vision that NC Ag Leads represents," said Scott T. Hamilton, president and CEO of Golden LEAF. "Agriculture is more than an industry; it’s the backbone of our rural communities. By supporting NC Ag Leads, Golden LEAF is investing in the long-term economic vitality of North Carolina.”
The NC Ag Leads initiative was led by Ray Starling, general counsel at the NC Chamber and president of the NC Chamber Legal Institute; Laura Kilian, associate state legislative director at NC Farm Bureau; and Sarah Grace Lee, NC Ag Leads administrator at the NC Chamber Foundation.
Steering Committee members include N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, Golden LEAF President and CEO Scott T. Hamilton, NC Farm Bureau President Shawn Harding, NC Chamber President and CEO Gary Salamido, and Golden LEAF board members Lawrence Davenport, Don Flow, and Laurence Lilley.
“Agriculture and agribusiness are not just cornerstones of North Carolina’s economy—they are central to our state and nation’s future competitiveness,” said Salamido. “The NC Ag Leads plan is more than a roadmap—it’s a call to action developed by and for the agriculture community. The NC Chamber and NC Chamber Foundation are proud to stand with our partners to move this plan forward and ensure that North Carolina’s number one industry is positioned for long-term economic growth.”
The plan outlines next steps for implementation, including identifying funding for a farmer-engaged ag tech accelerator, advancing Extension service reform, and pursuing a statewide talent management strategy to address agriculture workforce needs.
“From day one, NC Ag Leads has been about listening to the people who know agriculture best—our farmers,” Harding said. “NC Farm Bureau is proud to have helped ensure this plan reflects the real-world needs of North Carolina’s farm families and rural communities. It provides a clear path forward to strengthen the future of farming in our state.”
The NC Ag Leads Strategic Plan is available here.
About Golden LEAF:
The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to receive a portion of North Carolina’s funding from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. For more than 20 years, Golden LEAF has worked to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation, and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation.
The Foundation has provided lasting impact to tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and rural areas of the state by helping create 67,000 jobs, more than $720 million in new payrolls, and more than 95,000 workers trained or retrained for higher wages. For more information about Golden LEAF and our programs, visit goldenleaf.org.
About the NC Chamber Foundation:
The NC Chamber Foundation works to create a strong, sustainable future for businesses and communities across North Carolina. Through nonpartisan research and collaboration, the Foundation serves as a convener, working to disseminate information related to complex issues, track progress, and focus on a future-driven vision to expand economic growth in the state of North Carolina. The Foundation is a nonpartisan affiliate of the NC Chamber. For more information, visit ncchamber.com/foundation.
About the North Carolina Farm Bureau
North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation was formed in 1936 as a non-profit general farm organization to serve farmers and provide a unified voice for the interests and needs of the farming community. Today, North Carolina Farm Bureau serves as an advocate for our members at the local, state, national, and international levels – providing educational, economic, public affairs, marketing, and various other services to our members. Over the years, North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation has grown into the largest general farm organization in the state with more than 665,000 member families, yet we remain true to our grassroots heritage and steadfast in our mission to advocate for farm and rural families. For more information, visit https://www.ncfb.org/.