A Geographic Examination of North Carolina Farms and Farmland

1969 to the Present

Abstract

The farmland of the eastern United States, including that of North Carolina, has changed greatly in its configuration, distribution, usage, and ownership since the 1960s. Using 1969 as a baseline for comparison, the famtland and fanns of North Carolina are examined here to ascertain the form, processes, locations, and changes in North Carolina's agricultural geography. These North Carolina characteristics of farmland change will also be briefly compared to those of other eastern states over the same period. Important variables for this study include cleared farmland (computed as total farmland minus farm woodland), number of farms, and average farm size. Distinctive regions of farmland change emerge as this study progresses.