by Harmony Bouley
In the wake of the declining textile, tobacco, and furniture industries, North Carolina’s agricultural sector has remained robust. North Carolina’s agricultural sector, which has production levels that have historically ranked among the top ten agricultural states nationally, continues to be a boon for the state’s economic prosperity. Farmers across the state grow over 80 different crops and types of livestock and employ 16 percent of the state’s workforce. Good stewardship of the resources necessary to provide this bounty is essential to the long term growth of the industry.