1. North Carolina Horticulture
We’ve got a lot growing on.

2. NC Ag History
In 1790, 93% of the population in the USA was rural, most of them farmers.
In 1990, 200 years later, barely 2% of our population are farmers.

3. NC Ag History Very few people farm now
Little understanding of food production
Food production is taken for granted
No experience with food scarcity

4. NC Ag History Supermarkets full and food is cheap.
Today we spend 10% of our income on food
1950, spent 22%
1935, spent 47%
In the past it took time and effort to obtain and produce food

5. NC Ag History

6. NC Agriculture Today

7. Top Commodities:
Broilers
Hogs
Greenhouse/Nursery
Turkeys
Tobacco

8. NC Floriculture

9. Floriculture NC ranks 6th, behind CA, FL, MI, TX, & NY
growers, 20.4 million square feet of covered area, 637 acres of outdoor production
$170.9 million in cash receipts

10. Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens
NC Floriculture
Bedding plants $93 million
Potted flowering plants $35 million
Herbaceous Perennial Plants $28.3 million
Foliage Hanging Baskets and Potted Foliage $28.3 million
Cut Flowers $3.2 million

11. NC Pomology Grapes Explosive growth over last five years
Vineyards increasing 75%, acres 125%
Vineyards in 77% of counties
Increases due to health benefits, attractive alternative to tobacco

12. NC Pomology Peaches Decline in acres, trees, and orchards (23%)
Piedmont remains the major peach growing region with 72% of the trees
Young trees available with a brighter future for peach industry

13. NC Pomology Blueberries Solid growth over the last five years
Coastal plain region has 55% of states growers and 96% of acreage
Future is bright… demand is increasing for this healthy fruit.

14. NC Pomology Apples Largest fruit crop in North Carolina
34% decrease in acreage and 23% decrease in trees and orchards since 1996
1 million apple trees maintained
Mountain Region highest producer

15. NC Olericulture Sweet Potatoes
555 million pounds were harvested in 2000, 47% increase from 1999
Valued at $58.3 million

16. NC Olericulture Cucumbers 16,500 tons of cucumbers were harvested
Value of the crop was $24.3 million, an increase in of $3.7million

17. NC Olericulture
Sweet Corn
81 million pounds
Valued at $12.2 million

18. NC Agriculture Ranking-2009
1st Sweet Potatoes- Yams
1st Tobacco (all and flue-cured)
2nd Christmas Trees Cash Receipts
2nd Hogs and Pigs
2nd Trout Sold
2nd Turkeys
3rd Cucumbers for pickles
3rd Strawberries
(fresh market)
4th Cucumbers Fresh Market
5th Broilers (meat chickens)
5th Burley Tobacco
5th Catfish sold
5th Greenhouse/
Nursery $
5th Peanuts

19. NC Agriculture
Agriculture is a fusion of the food, fiber, and forestry industries.
Agriculture provides $62.6 billion to the state’s economy (20.3%)
Agriculture employs 17% of the state’s workforce.
Agriculture utilizes 8.9 million of the 31 million acres in North Carolina.

20. National Horticulture

21. Horticulture
Horticulture is a fusion of vegetables, fruits, landscape/nursery, and the floriculture industries.
Horticulture provides $25 billion to the National economy annually.

22. Horticulture Conclusion
There are a plethora of job opportunities in horticulture and the agriculture industry.
Horticulture is what you eat, enjoy in the landscape and in the home, and what you play sports on.
If you didn’t have horticulture… what would life really be like?
So, remember at your dinner table to thank Horticulturists.