Farm to market

Whether the overall economy's in a recession or booming, people still have to eat. Because of this, many investors regard agriculture and farming investments as being recession-proof. Further, as the world's population increases, farming will play an increasingly important role in sustaining global societies.

The primary reason more investors are turning to farmland as an investment opportunity is that it has a long history of producing solid returns.

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Over the last 50 years, the value of American farmland has risen by about 6.1% per year, with only five down years during that period. Add in the cash rent yields, and the return to investors has been even more impressive. Since 1991, farmland has produced a positive return every year, according to the USDA. To put that return into perspective, it has outperformed all other asset classes except the Dow Jones REIT Index during that time frame.