Sampson County’s annual Friends of Agriculture Ag Rally is scheduled to return on March 17.
The annual rally is a long-held tradition in which local people gather, fellowship and celebrate the importance of agriculture in the Sampson County community.
The 2026 Ag Rally is scheduled to begin with a dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the Sampson County Agri-Expo Center.
This year’s guest speaker is Bryan Humphreys, CEO of the National Pork Producers Council. He is responsible for implementing NPPC’s overall operations and programs.
“This gentleman is pretty high up in the national swine growing business and should have some good information on what the national outlook is, as well as what is going on here in North Carolina,” said Ronnie Jackson, Friends of Agriculture chairman.
Humphreys grow up on a pig farm and has become a national industry advocate. Before joining NPPC in 2022, Humphreys was a senior vice president at the National Pork Board. In this role, Humphreys implemented a nationwide producer outreach plan during the pandemic and strengthened relationships on behalf of the organization. In doing so, he helped guide the organization to exceed expectations set by the industry.
Previously, Humphreys served as the executive vice president of the Ohio Pork Council (OPC). At OPC, Humphreys cultivated award-winning producer image campaigns and fostered positive relationships with stakeholders and community members.
Humphreys also served as the director of grassroots operations for NPPC and has several years of experience working on political campaigns across the country. Through these roles, Humphreys recruited advocates and volunteers to promote organization and campaign initiatives.
Humphreys earned a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and a master’s degree from George Washington University. Humphreys is originally from southeast Iowa.