Cotton acreage in Virginia has increased dramatically over the past few years and has nearly doubled in each of the last two years. In-person interviews of 77 Southampton County producers revealed that the potential profit opportunity provided by cotton was the primary driving force behind entering cotton production. Cotton's availability as a good rotation crop for peanuts was another key motivating factor, as were the low profit margins of other traditional Southeastern Virginia crops. Increasing numbers of first-time cotton producers means more demand for education and training programs from the land-grant system and Virginia Cooperative Extension.