The Sampson County Friends of Agriculture would like to invite the greater Fayetteville community to their annual Agriculture Rally on March 17, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. 

Originally organized by a longtime livestock farmer, George Upton, the Sampson County Friends of Agriculture group was founded in 1996. This group has maintained a 30-year history of community engagement. The group provides education on the importance of the agriculture industry. Upton, now deceased, recognized a need for quality agriculture education and advocacy within the local community. He created this group to meet that need. 

Ronnie Jackson, chairman of the board of Sampson County Friends of Agriculture, said that the group was “formed as a group to support agriculture and to educate people about issues that were going on with agriculture on a countywide, statewide basis.”

Agriculture is the dominant industry in Sampson County.

“It is a big agricultural county. It is the biggest in North Carolina, and one of the largest in the country. It is the 14th largest county in the United States by agricultural income. We have consistently had around $2 billion worth of income go through Sampson County each year. That’s agriculture. … livestock, poultry, hogs, chickens, turkeys, sweet potatoes… We’ve got a little bit of everything going on over here,” shared Jackson. 

Ronnie Jackson shared that every community member in the greater Fayetteville area would benefit from awareness of major issues pertaining to the agriculture business in Sampson County. 

“The biggest issue we’ve got going on right now is the profitability in farming. It is really hard for a farmer to make a living now,” shared Jackson. 

The cost of land, equipment, fertilizers and basic goods such as corn or soy to feed livestock have made farming a difficult profession to break into.

“Less than 2% of the population is actually involved in agriculture … and we need to protect the ones that are. It’s almost prohibited from a money standpoint. It almost costs more than someone can come up with. So people need to be concerned about it because they need to be concerned where their food comes from,” remarked Jackson. 

Jackson noted that consumers will see a decline in fresh produce available in grocery stores unless trends in affordability for farmers change direction. 

In the past, members of the Sampson County Friends of Agriculture group have benefited from network partnerships in many ways. 

One example is the adoption of a Voluntary Agricultural District policy within Sampson County. Through this policy, farmers voluntarily agree to maintain their land for agricultural production for a set amount of time. The benefit of creating this Voluntary Agricultural District is that farmers receive certain legal protections for doing so. Within Sampson County, the voluntary agricultural district helps to protect farmers from complaints related to the normal operations of farming. 

The annual Sampson County Friends of Agriculture Ag Rally is a special project adopted by the group to help industry leaders build community with one another and address the concerns unique to their field. This rally exists in order to bring awareness and education to the community concerning the vital role of agriculture in North Carolina’s economic health. Ag Rallies have consistently attracted as many as 450 industry leaders from across the state of North Carolina. 

Each Ag Rally features a different educational topic relevant to the immediate needs of the local agriculture community. Historically, event organizers have brought in a variety of keynote speakers such as United States Senator Elizabeth Dole, world-famous broadcaster Max Armstrong, North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley, North Carolina Chamber of Commerce Executive Ray Starling and more. 

Sampson County Friends of Agriculture credits the success of the event to the variety of discussion topics provided by industry leaders. Speakers are chosen based on the immediate needs relevant to farmers every year. 

This year’s keynote speaker will be Chief Executive Officer of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) Bryan Humphreys. According to their website, the NPPC, “advocates for the social, environmental and economic sustainability of U.S. pork producers and their partners by fighting for reasonable public policy, advancing our freedom to operate and expanding access to global markets.” 

Humphreys is a community leader in the pork industry and is prepared to share about the current highlights of the industry, as well as any concerns that the community may need to know about related to the hog industry in Sampson County.

Join the Sampson County Friends of Agriculture for their Ag Rally at the Sampson Agri-Expo Center on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This event is free for the community, but the Sampson County Friends of Agriculture board would like to note that attendees will need to secure a ticket in order to attend the event. 

Each free ticket gains participants entrance to the event as well as a complimentary meal. Tickets can be found at the Sampson County Agri-Expo center (414 Warsaw Road, Clinton, N.C.) or at Carolina Agri-Power (107 NE Blvd, Clinton, N.C.).

For more information, call the Sampson County Extension Office at 910-592-7161.