National Ag Week-National Ag Day-Ag in Franklin County
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Collapse ▲National Ag Week March 16-22, 2025
National Ag Day March 18, 2025
Agriculture In Franklin County
Webster’s dictionary defines agriculture as “the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products.” Therefore, agriculture is a science that our producers learn, put to work, manage and create a livelihood to sustain their land and families.
Agriculture is an economic engine in NC, which generates 736,679 jobs and contributes $111.1 billion annually to the economy. Franklin County, ranks 52nd in gross cash receipts among all one hundred counties. Total cash receipts for Franklin County are over $67 million. Therefore, agriculture is also an economic engine for Franklin County. We are fortunate to have a diverse agricultural history and we continue to maintain diversity in agricultural crops. With a total of 314,721 acres in Franklin County, 107,923 acres are in farmland. Often times, forestry is overlooked as well, but we have over 170,000 acres of timberland with many of those acres having forest management plans in place.
As you ride throughout the county during the year you can see many field crops planted such as tobacco, soybeans, corn, wheat, hay crops, etc. Tobacco (3,700 acres) has been a thriving crop in Franklin County for decades and it continues to be a vital agricultural crop in NC. Wheat (6,000 acres), soybeans (18,600 acres), corn (2,600 acres), sweet potatoes (435 acres) and pickling cucumbers (322 acres handpicked) play an important role in crop rotations and farm plans. Commodity prices, is one of the major driving forces for which crops are planted. Unfortunately, commodity prices have not been going up over the last couple of years, but inputs have increased. Therefore, not only is crop management important but financial management is one key part of a successful operation.
Livestock in Franklin County has increased over the last decade. The gross cash receipts in Franklin County for livestock and poultry is $18.3 million. Beef cattle numbers have maintained at around 11,000 head due to expanding operations or new operations. The horse industry has grown tremendously in the past decade. There are close to 6,000 horses in Franklin County alone. There is also a tremendous amount of pasture-land as well as hay crops (9,500 acres) produced in the county.
Over the last decade there has also been an increase in small acreage production in Franklin County. With our proximity to the triad and the markets available to us we have seen an interest in more small-scale vegetable production and livestock production operations. You have probably seen more road-side stands in the last 10 years than you ever have. People want to know where their food comes from more than ever before. Got To Be NC trucks are traveling the roads daily. We spend about $35 billion a year on food. If we spent 10 percent -$1.05 per day – on foods produced locally, $3.5 billion could be available in our communities. You can visit nc10percent.com for further information on the 10 percent buy local campaign. We are fortunate in NC to have a strong base of farmers markets as well. It is our responsibility to take advantage of these markets including our local Franklin County Farmers Market. Do not forget to visit your local market on Fridays from May through December.
Take time to think about and show appreciation for the farmers, ranchers, processors, truck drivers, retailers, and others who work so hard to supply you with food and fiber. Franklin County Cooperative Extension works daily to assist the agricultural community with production and management information. We provide our residents easy access to the resources and expertise of NC State University and NC A&T State University. Through educational programs, publications, and events, Cooperative Extension field faculty deliver unbiased, research-based information to Franklin County citizens. Feel free to visit your local Franklin County Cooperative Extension Office at 103 South Bickett Blvd. Louisburg, NC. You can reach us at 919-496-3344 or visit our website. To stay up-to-date on events and activities, don’t forget to visit us on Facebook.