McKayla R. Robinette

 

McKayla Robinette grew up on her family's century farm in eastern North Carolina, where her family historically produced row crops before transitioning to beef cattle. In addition to farming, her family owned and operated a USDA-inspected meat processing facility. Growing up in production agriculture gave McKayla firsthand experience with both the opportunities and challenges of farm life and inspired her passion for serving agricultural communities.

She earned a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies with concentrations in Sustainable Agriculture and a minor in Pre-Law from Brevard College and a Master of Science in Rural Sociology from Auburn University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration at Walden University, where her research focuses on access to mental health care among North Carolina farmer veterans. Through her education, research, and professional experience, McKayla has focused on strengthening the health and well-being of agricultural communities across North Carolina.

McKayla currently serves as the Coordinator of the NC Agromedicine Institute's Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network of North Carolina (FRSAN-NC). In this role, she leads statewide efforts to improve the mental health and well-being of farmers, farmworkers, foresters, commercial fishermen, and their families through connecting to services, offering education and training, supporting resource navigation, and creating partnerships that expand access to care.