Alumni from Leadership Program and EFM Present a United Front

Alumni from the Executive Farm Management Program (EFM) and the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund (NCTTF) Agricultural Leadership Development Program (ALDP) met on November 23rd at the NC Farm Bureau in Raleigh for a professional development event. The group discussed the current state of the agriculture industry and brainstormed how the group can work together to overcome the common challenges. Highlights from the session are below.

• Welcome from Dr. Rich Bonanno, Associate Dean, CALS and Director of NC State Extension
• A look at Blue Ocean Strategy presented by Greg Hopper
• Keynote speaker, Jay Hill of 30 Harvests, spoke to the group about how farming can be part of the solution to climate change and the notion that farmers should always have an “exit strategy.” Jay’s operation will be carbon neutral in 2019.
• Comments from Dean Richard Linton on the importance of EFM & ALDP
• Panel Discussion focused on “Dealing with the Changes in Agriculture”
  Robin Tutor-Marcom, NC Agromedicine institute, Mental Health
  Jeff Tyson, Farmer
  Norman Harrell, County Extension Director (Wilson County)
  Linda Andrews, Spouse of a Farmer, NCFB Policy, Farmer
  Weston McCorkle, Lender, Farmer
  James Lamb, Ag Industry, Farmer
  Lawrence Davenport, Farmer
  Pattie Mills, Moderator for the Panel
• Group discussion on how to build community led by Rhonda Sutton.