As a fourth generation farmer I have learned the hard way to always research the market before planting my crops. Trends vary in agriculture just like they do in any industry and if no one is buying a particular item it is best not to plant hundreds of acres of it. The other factor that you need to take into account is the import export fees, taxes, and markets. These can vary greatly from year to year as well. One year corn may be the crop of choice and the next year it is over saturated and buyers are looking for soybean instead. There is a new, emerging crop that has the potential to be very lucrative in the next few years and beyond. Marijuana is that crop. Many farmers have decided to lease their fields and facilities to marijuana farmers in hopes of making larger profits. It actually pays to let go of the traditional farming to make way for this growing industry. Marijuana farming companies are willing to pay top dollar for fertile farmlands to grow their crops and in many cases they improve the area by adding greenhouses and irrigation systems too. This only adds to the value of the property and gives the farmers added access to water as well. Putting in an irrigation system can be very costly but once it is done the farmer will have it in place for his own crops in the future. Should a company decide that they want to purchase the land he can make a hefty profit on that too. The face of farming is changing and farmers will need to change with it if they are meant to survive. Being open to new concepts and new crops can make all the difference in the world.