With the current state of the global economy up in the air, investors must decide which industries look promising for the future.  With the deficit sitting at record highs, inflation is certainly a possibility in the future.  Besides the obvious choice of precious metals, one industry which looks poised to benefit from such a situation is agriculture.  Below are 3 stocks which appear to be in a very strong position for the future.

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE)

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE) manufactures and distributes agriculture and turf equipment, and construction and forestry equipment worldwide.  Deere has performed very well since mid-August 2012, as the chart below indicates.

The stock has absolutely been on a tear since August and the momentum doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

There are several reasons to be optimistic about Deere's future.  First, one of the best ways to make an investment is to follow the smart money.  And it would be hard to argue that there are many people smarter than Bill Gates.  Currently, Mr. Gates owns 7% of the stock through his holding company called Cascade Investment.  Additionally, Warren Buffett owns roughly 1% of the company through Berkshire Hathaway.

Another reason to be positive about Deere was their most recent earnings report.  The report was very encouraging.  The company's net income rose to a record $688 million for the fourth quarter.  This was an increase of $18 million from the same period in 2011.  Net income also rose from $2.8 billion in 2011 to $3.065 billion in 2012.

Lastly, the future looks bright for Deere.  The company currently generates roughly two thirds of its income from the United States alone.  The company is making strides to prove its global sales in light of the fact that demand across the world continues to increase.

Potash Corp./Saskatchewan (USA) (NYSE:POT)

Potash Corp./Saskatchewan (USA) (NYSE:POT) produces and sells fertilizers and related industrial and feed products primarily in the United States and Canada.  Since the middle of November, the stock has been reaping large rewards for its investors.  The stock has made fresh 3 month highs and it looks like the stock is headed even higher as the chart below indicates.

The company will release their earnings on January 31 and those results should have a large impact on the price and future direction of the stock.