Tar Heel agriculture loses ground.

• Position: Statewide

Farming remains important to the North Carolina economy, accounting for about $70 billion a year. But the state had more than 1.8 million fewer acres of farmland in 2007 than it did in 1982, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture census, which is conducted every five years. The state also lost nearly 20,000 farms during that period as many farmers sold land to developers. The losses weren't uniform, however. Eight counties, mostly in the East, gained farmland. In many...