Cash crop: North Carolina's farm economy plows fertile ground, yielding benefits from barns to boardrooms.

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Agriculture is big business the biggest in North Carolina, with an annual economic impact of $70 billion, according to state officials. That includes the businesses supplying the state's 52,400 farms with feed and fertilizer, as well as the companies that process and distribute farm goods. All told, the farm economy represents 18% of the state's income, says the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. In Cash Crop, we profile four segments of the agricultural economy: large-scale farming, local-food production, aquaculture and agricultural biotechnology. While partnerships with large national producers mean farmers...