SAMPSON
230′
(#51/100 North Carolina county highpoints)
The Sampson County highpoint is an unremarkable rise of land in the Avery family’s backyard on the Harnett-Dunn Highway.
It was a quick drive-by after a trip to Fort Bragg Liberty for new IDs.
On the other side of the road from the highpoint was this barren winter field.
A little detective work revealed that the field is planted in cotton.
North Carolina is #5 in cotton production after Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
This farmer chose to not sow a cover crop, which surprised me, since I’ve read that cotton really depletes the soil. But I know nothing about current best farming practices!
Thank you, Sampson County, for all the farms and farmers!
- 604,599 acres
- 50% of the county is farmed
- Average farm size is 314 acres
- 960 farming operations
- average age of farmer is 57
- 93% are family farms
- 70% in cropland
- 19% in woodland
- Most diverse agricultural county in North Carolina
- #1 in vegetables (includes sweet potatoes) and turkeys
- #2 in pork
- #4 in tobacco, wheat and soybeans
- #5 in cattle
- #6 in cotton
- #8 in broilers (meat chickens)
- $1.25 billion market value of products sold
My.Bird.Walks. 