North Carolina farming faces several challenges: 1) Stopping the loss of farmland, with over 766,000 acres lost from 1982 to 2005; 2) Attracting new farmers as the average age of NC farmers is 57 years old; and 3) Increasing production of fruits and vegetables, as NC grows more livestock ($8 billion) than fruits and vegetables ($400 million).

1. Challenges for
North Carolina
Farming

2. Challenge 1:
Stop Farmland
Loss

3. North Carolina:
1982 to 2005
766,000 acres lost
(USDA 2007)

4. 766,000 acres =
1,200 square miles

5. Farmland loss
1982 - 2007
1. Texas
2. Ohio
3. North Carolina
(USDA 2007)

6. Challenge 2:
Attract new
farmers

7. The average age
of NC farmers
has been rising.

8. Average age
is 57
(USDA 2007)

9. Diversity
amongst NC
farmers is weak,
but improving.

10. 87% of NC
farmers are male.
(USDA 2007)

11. 95% of NC
farmers are white
(USDA 2007)

12. Challenge 3:
N.C. grows a lot
of confinement
livestock, less
fruit and veg.

13. $8 Bil. Livestock
$400MM Fruit/Veg
(USDA 2007)

14. Ranking:
#2 in turkeys
#2 in hogs
#5 in broilers
#9 in layers
(USDA 2007, 2012)

15. Ranking:
#12 in veggies
#17 in fruits
(USDA 2007)

16. Today 10% of our food
budget is typically
spent on fruits & veg.
$600 of $6,000 annually
(US Consumer Expenditure Survey 2010)

17. Potential NC fruit/veg
demand:
$600 X 3.5 MM NC
households
$ 2. 1 Bil. annually

18. Challenge 4:
Increase Organic
and Sustainable
Production

19. .5 % of NC farms are
certified organic --
we rank 16 th
with 246 farms
(USDA 2007)

20. Organic Farms
CA – 2,714
WI – 1,222
NY – 827
PA – 586
VT – 467
MA – 379
(USDA 2008)

21. .1% of NC farmland
is certified organic --
we rank 31 st
with 10,000 acres
(USDA 2007)

22. Organic Acreage
CA – 471,000 acres
NY – 168,000 acres
VT – 78,000 acres
PA – 54,000 acres
ME – 28,000 acres
(USDA 2008)

23. Challenge 5:
Address Food
Insecurity

24. 21% of N.C.
households are food
insecure or have very
low food security
(US Census Bureau 2010)

25. NC
Poverty Rate:
17.4%
(US Census 2010 est.)

26. Lots of
Challenges !