When you step foot on Ed Reams’ farm in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, you get a feeling of peace and quiet.

There are almost no developments nearby. There’s little noise to speak of except for wildlife. And Ed’s farm is vast, stretching as far as the eye can see – 7,273 acres to be exact.

“It might seem like we’re out in the middle of nowhere, but it’s a good location,” Ed told us during a recent tour of the property he’s leasing from Farmland Partners. “You’re sitting in a very unique, different type of area. You’re just on the edge of Cajun country.”

Cajun country has fertile soil, but farmland can require investment to maximize its potential.

The land Ed farms has undergone several improvements over the years, including land leveling and irrigation, and the result is a versatile farm that can grow lots of different crops. This year, Ed planted corn, soybeans and rice. In the past, it’s also supported grain sorghum.

But the biggest advantage Ed sees is the farm’s size. “You can come here and stay awhile…you’re not running up and down the road with equipment farming a bunch of smaller tracts.”

Ed has been in the business for decades and he knows how important contiguous acres are to driving efficiency in a farming operation.

Ed is a fifth-generation grower who has been farming on his own since 1977. His family has produced everything from cattle to tobacco and grain on farms in Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

But Ed really likes Louisiana and he’s enjoying the relationship he’s built with Farmland Partners on the edge of Cajun country.

“They are willing to do whatever we need to do,” he said. “Of course they need to be profitable, but they’re very open minded on what things have got to be done.”