RALEIGH - Agriculture continues to be North Carolina's largest industry and it's continued to grow, even during the recession. Gov. Pat McCrory took time Wednesday to recognize people in that field as part of the state's Agricultural Awareness Day.

"We have the people right here in this audience that are bringing North Carolina out of this recession," McCrory says. "The agriculture community is leading the Carolina Comeback."

McCrory, speaking alongside Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and Senate leader Phil Berger, brought up the legislation the General Assembly has put out that he says is pro-farmer.

"The leadership behind me has protected your estates so farms can be moved from generation to generation and not be taken over by government and too many taxes," McCrory says.

McCrory also says the policy changes made in the capital have come from listening to those in the agriculture industry.

"This is listening from you. We don't have all the ideas here in Raleigh; the ideas are coming from outside Raleigh," he says. "You're telling us also, in some regulatory affairs, you understand that you have to protect the environment but you're also telling us some regulations just make no sense."

But McCrory also made his concerns known for the future of agriculture in the state when it comes to the economic strategy to keep agriculture robust.

"That strategy includes filling the skills gap because so many of you told me and have told us, 'Who is the next generation of farmers in North Carolina?' he says. "When the average age of a farmer right now is 57 years old, we need to find the next generation."

Agriculture is a nearly $78 billion industry in North Carolina, employing 16 percent of the state workforce. More than a fifth of the state's acreage is farmland.