North Carolina Peanut Growers Association Adopts 2025–2030 Strategic Plan
Written by Ashley Collins
The North Carolina Peanut Growers Association (NCPGA) has completed an extensive strategic planning process, resulting in the adoption of its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan. This roadmap will guide the Association’s priorities over the next five years while strengthening support for peanut growers across North Carolina.
In late 2024, NCPGA released a Request for Proposals (RFP) and evaluated several firms specializing in strategic planning for farmer-led organizations. After careful review, the Executive Committee selected Fountainworks, a North Carolina-based consulting and facilitation firm, to lead the process. Beginning in January, the Fountainworks team worked closely with growers, board members, and industry partners through interviews, focus groups, and stakeholder discussions to develop a plan that reflects the priorities and long-term needs of North Carolina peanut producers.
Building a Stronger Future for North Carolina Peanut Growers
As I enter my fourth year as Chief Executive Officer, I was excited to begin this strategic planning process. The past three years have brought significant organizational changes, evolving day-to-day operations, ongoing legislative challenges, and new promotional opportunities. Agriculture continues to face uncertainty, making a clear long-term strategy more important than ever.
This strategic plan provides a framework that allows NCPGA to respond to changing conditions while remaining focused on our mission of advocating for growers, promoting North Carolina peanuts, and investing in research that benefits our industry. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who dedicated their time, experience, and perspective throughout this process. Their input helped create a thoughtful, actionable plan that keeps grower priorities at the center of every objective.
Our Vision for the Next Five Years
Through this collaborative planning effort, the Association established the following vision:
To uplift North Carolina’s peanut growers as the leading producers of nutritious and flavorful peanuts through passionate advocacy, innovative research, and effective education.
To achieve this vision, the strategic plan focuses on five primary initiatives that will guide the Association’s work through 2030.
Strategic Priorities for 2025–2030
Increasing Visibility for North Carolina Peanut Growers
North Carolina produces some of the highest-quality peanuts in the world. Our growers take tremendous pride in producing premium Virginia-type peanuts, often described as the “filet mignon” of peanuts.
Over the next five years, NCPGA will expand marketing and promotional efforts that highlight the approximately 650 peanut growers across the state. Consumers increasingly want to understand where their food comes from and how it is produced. Our future campaigns will place greater emphasis on the farmers behind every harvest while reinforcing the value and quality of North Carolina-grown peanuts.
Continuing to Invest in Research
Grower checkoff dollars will continue supporting research at NC State University and other institutions focused on improving peanut production. Priorities include new varieties, enhanced disease resistance, production practices, sustainability, and technologies that help growers remain productive and profitable.
The strategic plan also emphasizes increasing grower involvement in research priorities while improving communication so research findings reach producers more quickly through the Association and its Board of Directors.
Strengthening Our Voice in Raleigh and Washington
Advocacy remains one of NCPGA’s core responsibilities. Whether addressing the Farm Bill, crop insurance, grading standards, or other agricultural policy issues, the Association will continue representing North Carolina peanut growers at both the state and federal levels.
The plan calls for building even stronger relationships with policymakers to ensure growers’ priorities remain front and center during legislative and regulatory discussions.
Preparing the Next Generation of Growers
Peanut farming has always been a multi-generational industry. The future of North Carolina agriculture depends on encouraging young producers to become engaged, develop leadership skills, and remain active within the peanut industry.
Over the coming years, NCPGA will expand opportunities that help emerging growers learn, participate, and prepare for leadership roles within agriculture and the Association.
Building a Stronger, More Efficient Association
The strategic plan also focuses on strengthening NCPGA’s internal operations to better serve growers statewide. Planned initiatives include expanding staff capacity, improving communications through newsletters and meetings, and developing new digital resources such as an online grower portal as part of the Association’s redesigned website.
Building on the Strengths That Define NCPGA
While the strategic plan outlines new opportunities, it also recognizes the strengths that have long defined the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association.
Our success is built on trusted partnerships with research institutions, Cooperative Extension, and national organizations such as the American Peanut Council. These longstanding relationships continue to advance research, education, and advocacy for peanut producers.
Equally important is the accessibility of our leadership. Our CEO, Board of Directors, and staff remain committed to open communication and hands-on support for growers throughout the state. Because our Board is made up entirely of peanut growers, every decision reflects firsthand knowledge of the opportunities and challenges facing today’s farming operations.
Our continued investment in grower-driven research remains another defining strength, ensuring that practical innovations and meaningful solutions continue making their way directly back to North Carolina farms.
A Roadmap Created by Growers, for Growers
The 2025–2030 Strategic Plan is ultimately about ensuring every grower’s voice is heard, every farm is supported, and every crop is effectively promoted.
Built from grower input and guided by a shared vision for the future, this roadmap positions the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association to continue advocating for producers while strengthening the state’s peanut industry for generations to come.
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