North Carolina Agriculture's Defining Products

North Carolina's agricultural identity wasn't built overnight. The state's most iconic commodities each have their own unique history, shaped by changing markets, scientific innovation, and generations of farmers adapting to new challenges. From crops cultivated by Native Americans centuries ago to modern contract farming and university-led research, the story of North Carolina agriculture is one of constant evolution. Today, the state ranks among the nation's agricultural leaders, producing billions of dollars in food each year. 

Understanding how these industries developed reveals not only where North Carolina agriculture came from, but also why it remains such an important part of the state's economy.

Sweetpotatoes are one of North Carolina's oldest and most recognizable crops. They were already being cultivated and traded by Native Americans long before Europeans arrived. By the early 1700s, European settlers throughout the Carolinas had adopted sweetpotatoes because they were calorie-dense, nutritious, and could be stored throughout the winter. 

Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, sweetpotatoes were grown primarily for home consumption and local markets rather than on a large commercial scale. That began to change in the 1940s when researchers at NC State University launched systematic breeding programs to increase yields and developed a mechanical harvester that partially mechanized the harvesting process. These innovations transformed the industry, allowing North Carolina to become the nation's leading producer of sweetpotatoes in 1971, a title it has held ever since. Today, North Carolina produces roughly 60% of the country's sweetpotato supply.

Hogs are another cornerstone of modern North Carolina agriculture. Before the 1980s, however, hogs were often allowed to roam freely in woodlots and were typically slaughtered seasonally for family use, making the industry relatively small. As tobacco production began to decline, many tobacco farmers searched for new sources of income and turned to hog farming. 

At the same time, the contract-farming model emerged, providing farmers with a more predictable source of revenue. Under this system, companies supply feed, breeding stock, veterinary support, and a guaranteed buyer, while independent farmers provide the barns, labor, and land. This arrangement fueled rapid expansion, increasing North Carolina's hog population to roughly 10 million by 1998 and briefly making the state the second-largest hog producer in the nation. The industry's growth was driven by the transition from free-ranging hogs to large confinement barns and by the consolidation of smaller operations. Today, North Carolina remains one of the nation's leading pork-producing states, with production occurring almost entirely through contract farming.

Soybeans have also played a major role in North Carolina's agricultural success. The earliest documented soybeans in the state were recorded in Vance County in 1856. During the late nineteenth century, soybeans spread throughout eastern North Carolina, reportedly introduced by sea captains returning from Asia. Initially, they were grown primarily as forage, hay, and silage for livestock. In the early twentieth century, NC State agronomist C. B. Williams led decades of research and farmer outreach that helped transform soybeans into a major cash crop. 

By 1909, North Carolina produced approximately 79% of the nation's soybean crop. Shortly afterward, the state became the site of the first commercial crushing of domestically grown soybeans for oil, driven by a shortage of cottonseed and a surplus of soybeans. Continued innovation also led to the development of mechanical soybean harvester-threshers, making production more efficient. Throughout the twentieth century, soybean production continued to expand, eventually surpassing cotton in total value. Today, soybeans are North Carolina's leading crop by planted acreage and remain one of its most valuable agricultural commodities.

Poultry is now the largest agricultural sector in North Carolina by value, though its commercial beginnings were relatively modest. Before the 1920s, there was little commercial market for chickens in the state. 

The industry's first significant expansion came through railroad shipments of live birds and eggs to northern cities during the 1920s. During the Great Depression, many farmers turned to poultry because it provided a faster source of income than many traditional crops. In 1942, Frank Lovette entered the poultry business in Wilkes County and, within a decade, had established a processing plant. During the 1950s, Frank Perdue began contracting with North Carolina farmers to raise chickens using the contract-grower model, helping to expand and modernize the industry. In 1961, Lovette merged sixteen poultry businesses to form Holly Farms Poultry Industries, which pioneered the practice of packaging chicken before shipping it to retailers. Tyson Foods acquired Holly Farms in 1988 as part of the broader consolidation occurring throughout the poultry industry. 

Today, North Carolina ranks first in the nation by the value of its poultry production and consistently ranks among the top states in turkey, broiler, and egg production, making poultry the single largest segment of the state's agricultural economy.

North Carolina's agricultural success is the product of centuries of adaptation. Whether through scientific research, new technologies, innovative business models, or the willingness of farmers to embrace change, each of these industries has evolved dramatically over time. While the crops and livestock may differ, their histories share a common theme: innovation transformed local farming traditions into nationally significant industries.

As agriculture continues to face new economic, environmental, and technological challenges, that same spirit of adaptation will remain essential to North Carolina's future.