Editing Bladen County, North Carolina (section)

==Economy==
Agriculture constitutes a major part of Bladen County's economy.<ref name= nagem/> [[Smithfield Foods]] operates a pork processing facility north of the town of [[Tar Heel, North Carolina|Tar Heel]], the largest such plant in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bladenjournal.com/news/31479/coronavirus-smithfield-foods-plant-in-tar-heel-linked-to-bladens-second-positive-case|title=Coronavirus: Smithfield Foods worker at Tar Heel plant tests positive; a second Bladen resident also infected| date=April 18, 2020 |first1=Alan|last1=Wooten|work=[[The Bladen Journal]]}}</ref> It employs 5,800 workers, making it the county's largest employer.<ref name= schofield>{{cite news| last = Schofield| first = Ivey| title = 'Strong human capital and innovation:' How Bladen County has created plans for future development| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = May 16, 2021| url = https://borderbelt.org/strong-human-capital-and-innovation-how-bladen-county-has-grown-its-economy-and-created-plans-for-future-development/| access-date = July 21, 2022}}</ref> The county is the largest producer of [[blueberries]] in the state. Area farmers also grow soybeans, peanuts, corn, wheat, and cotton.<ref name= nagem>{{cite news| last = Nagem| first = Sarah| title = Bladen County, shrinking but hopeful, creates a plan for its future| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = March 30, 2022| url = https://borderbelt.org/bladen-county-shrinking-but-hopeful-creates-a-plan-for-its-future/| access-date = April 12, 2022}}</ref> The county suffers from a large poverty rate and is one of the most economically distressed counties in the state.<ref name= mildenberg/> According to census figures, about 70 percent of working people in Bladen are employed outside the county.<ref name= williams>{{cite news| last = Williams| first = Joseph| title = Most county residents work elsewhere, and those who do earn more, data shows| newspaper = The News Reporter| date = June 15, 2022| url = https://www.nrcolumbus.com/news/business/most-county-residents-work-elsewhere-and-those-who-do-earn-more-data-shows/article_f13d94a8-6d9d-5066-ae50-c9670cff715d.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230128085612/https://www.nrcolumbus.com/news/business/most-county-residents-work-elsewhere-and-those-who-do-earn-more-data-shows/article_f13d94a8-6d9d-5066-ae50-c9670cff715d.html|archive-date=January 28, 2023}}</ref>