From left to right, Clayton Brown, Small Farmer of the Year 2024 Patrick Brown, speaking, 4-H member Ed Jenkins, small farmer Victor Hunt, 4-H member Jorja Pierce, and Juniper Cummings participate in a power networking conversation at the Small Farms Week Kickoff at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.


Small Farms Week 2025 Logo

The 39th annual N.C. Small Farms Week festivities kicked off March 24 in Warren County, home of 2024 co-winner of the N.C. Small Farmer of the Year award, Patrick Brown of Brown Family Farms, with a luncheon, networking, and a panel discussion designed to ignite the next generation of growers.

“We’re celebrating 39 years of connecting you to the (N.C. A&T) campus and bringing the latest innovations to you, individuals, families, and communities,” said M. Ray McKinnie, Ph.D., associate dean and administrator of Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T. “This week celebrates our small-scale producers and large-scale impact you have on North Carolina’s $111 billion agricultural industry.”

In her comments, Warren County commissioner Angelena Kearney-Dunlap highlighted the role of small and local farmers on family businesses and economic development.

Three individuals stand smiling at a Small Farms Week event. The man on the left holds a wooden plaque with a gold-rimmed clock. Behind them are promotional banners for Small Farms Week, NC Cooperative Extension, and NC State University. They are positioned in front of a wooden podium and brick wall.

2024 Small Farmer of the Year Patrick Brown holds a commemorative clock, standing with M. Ray McKinnie, Ph.D., Associate Dean and Extension Administrator at N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension, and Shameca Battle, Ed.D., Eastern Regional Director at N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension, during the Small Farms Week Kickoff at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.

“Local farmers often develop a close network between themselves as well as local buyers,” said Kearney-Dunlap. “Local farmers impact the consumers who have grown increasingly concerned with where and how their food is being produced, so with them, we’ll be able to know from field to the table where our food comes from.”

This year’s theme, “Next Gen Agriculture”, focused on a myriad of topics dedicated to new technologies and practices aimed at boosting farm sustainability and resilience. A panel discussion, representing the “next gen”, included Brown, his son Clayton, Warren County poultry farmer Victor Hunt Jr., Warren Early College student Juniper Cummings and 4-H students Ed Jenkins and Jorga Pierce.

“The biggest challenge for new farmers coming in is the lack of knowledge and understanding of what to do, and what resources are available,” said Hunt. “I’m blessed, just like Patrick, to have a father that’s a farmer and we’re both generational farmers, so a lot of the pitfalls that (people) have starting out, someone else has already been through it.”

“The next generation of farmers need to be resourceful, adaptable and resilient,” said Cummings. “The environment is changing so much, quickly and unpredictably, and young farmers need to know different cues, what different indicator species mean, as well as building their communication skills so they can reach out and effectively share what they need with their community.”

Three people are standing in front of a white backdrop with NC Cooperative Extension logos. Two men are shaking hands; one holds a plaque reading Small Farms Week, while a woman stands between them, smiling.

2024 Co-Small Farmer of the Year Patrick Brown, left, congratulates Elvin and Madeline Eaton, who were named 2025 Small Farmer of the Year at the Small Farmer’s Appreciation Luncheon.

As the outgoing winner of Small Farmer of the Year, Brown received a commemorative clock by McKinnie to congratulate his farm’s success following the 2024 win, followed by a tour of Brown Family Farms to close out the first day.

“The reign was only for one year, but the title, the honor and the recognition will endure forever,” McKinnie said. “You will forever be North Carolina’s Small Farmer of the Year.”

“Hopefully, we won’t be the last Small Farmers of the Year to come out of Warren County,” Brown said. “Warren County has an essential commitment to agriculture, from tobacco production to wheat and soybean produce. I’m hoping this will prompt the younger generation coming after me to continue to excel in ag, and I will continue to preach FFA, agricultural vocational education in our public school system.”

Gallery

Six people sit on chairs against a wall in a room. They are wearing casual clothing, including hats and jackets. Some are looking at their phones, while others have their hands in their laps. Bags are placed on the floor in front of them.

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Guests listen to speakers at the Small Farms Week Kickoff, March 24, 2025, at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.

A woman with braided hair, wearing a patterned blouse and holding red glasses, sits attentively at an event. She smiles while looking towards the stage. Other attendees are seated around her in a hall with red and blue tablecloths.

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Warren County Commissioner Angelina Kearney-Dunlap listens to a speaker during the Small Farms Week Kickoff at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.

Three men are standing and talking in a room with brick walls. The man on the left is wearing a blue shirt, the middle man a light blue sweater and cap, and the man on the right a blue suit. They appear to be engaged in conversation.

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Dr. Mark Blevins, Assistant Extension Administrator-ANR, left, Jon Wall, Extension Associate- Plasticulture and Field Trial Coordinator, center, and Dr. Fletcher Barber Jr., Small Farms 360 Recruiting Specialist, chat at the Small Farms Week Kickoff, March 24, 2025, at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.

A smiling speaker holds a microphone at a podium during an event. A banner behind her reads Small Farms Week and features an image of a woman holding vegetables, underlining an agricultural theme.

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Shameca Battle, Ed.D, Eastern Regional Director, N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension at the Small Farms Week Kickoff, March 24, 2025, at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.

A person in a red hoodie and cap is smiling and holding up a small decorative object. They are standing next to a Small Farms Week banner featuring a photo of another person with plants.

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Farmer Christina McIntyre, of Goldsboro, displays a jar of honey she won from JAC Farm at the Small Farms Week Kickoff, March 24, 2025, at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.

People seated at round tables during an indoor event, focusing on a child in a cowboy hat and a man next to him. They are both wearing casual attire. Other attendees are visible in the background, and the tables are decorated with red cloths and flowers.

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Clayton Brown, left, and his father, 2024 Co-Small Farmer of the Year Patrick Brown, listen attentively to a speaker during the Small Farms Week Kickoff at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.

Two women sitting at a table during an event. The woman in the foreground wears a bright pink shirt and a black blazer with a name tag, holding a pen. Another woman sits beside her, smiling and using a phone. People are in the background.

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Sandy Hall, Northeast District Extension Director, at the Small Farms Week Kickoff, March 24, 2025, at the Warren County Armory Civic Center.

A person in a cowboy hat and denim outfit speaks into a microphone at a wooden podium. Behind them are banners about Small Farms Week. The room has wooden paneling and some chairs.

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Floria Oates Williams, MBA U.S. Department of Agriculture, speaks at the Small Farms Week Kickoff.