CASH CROP.

• Author: Troxler, Steve
• Position: SPONSORED SECTION

Greetings,

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is pleased to partner with Business North Carolina on its annual Cash Crop section. In the following pages you will find outstanding examples of businesses at the forefront of the agricultural revolution in North Carolina. They include profiles on public-private partnerships, research initiatives and startups that are finding new ways to build upon our state's agricultural heritage, know-how and natural resources to prepare for the demands of tomorrow.

The following pages are agriculture stories, but I think you will quickly notice that agriculture stories are also business stories. They are manufacturing stories and technology stories. Agriculture stories are transportation stories and health care stories. Agriculture touches every other sector of the state's economy, especially in our rural communities.

As you probably know, agriculture is the top industry in North Carolina. In fact, it makes up nearly $85 billion of the state's $500 billion economy. In addition, agriculture and agribusiness employ 16 percent of the state's workforce. More important, agriculture is a dynamic industry with world-class research programs and innovative businesses located from the...