Ed Hunt

Ed serves as the Kate B Reynolds Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator with the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP). In this role, he focuses on grant development programs, business development, and educational opportunities, while working to address systemic disparities in food systems, agriculture, and economics that impact communities across southeastern North Carolina, with a particular focus on Indigenous populations. His work includes fostering partnerships with various institutions of higher education, as well as with numerous agricultural organizations statewide. 

A member of the Lumbee Tribe and native of Robeson County, North Carolina, he returned to NC in 2024 to support local education resources and support the family farm business. Currently, he manages 100 acres of mixed row crops. He is widely credited with stimulating the local agricultural economy through the development of agri-businesses and job creation initiatives, especially those that empower historically underserved communities.

Ed is a graduate of the Rural Economic Development Institute (REDI), Leadership North Carolina (Class 30), and Arizona State University’s Indigenous Leadership Academy. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Western Carolina University and a Masters degree in Agricultural and Environmental Biology from NC Agricultural and Technical State University.

Ed has over 15 years of academic experience with more than 30 years of agriculture and community development planning. His research interests are agriculture, food security, and rural community development.

Ed enjoys time on the farm improving infrastructure, forestry projects, and sharing knowledge with other farmers.