Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic sweeping across America's farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices and crop-eating insects. The country's fanners are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. National agricultural census figures show that the fastest-growing group of fanners is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
农业部副部长凯萨琳·梅里根发现疫情横扫美国农田。它与洪水、燃料价格上涨和虫灾等常见挑战几乎没有关系。美国的农民年龄越来越大，代替他们的人也越来越少。全国农业普查数据显示，增长最快的农民群体是65岁以上的人群。梅里根担心，2012年的统计数据完成后，平均年龄会更高。
Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of America's farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No.1 on a list of "useless" college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
梅里根曾是一名大学教授，他正在全国各地的大学逗留，希望鼓励更多的学生考虑从事农业工作。除了努力阻止美国农民的老龄化，最近的一篇博客帖子将农业列为“无用”大学专业排行榜的第一位，这让她的工作更加艰难。联邦农业高级官员正在讨论这个帖子，全国各地的农业组织也都有关注。
“There couldn't be anything that's more incorrect," Merrigan said. "We know that there aren't enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture.
梅里根说：“再没有比这更错误的了。我们知道，没有足够的合格毕业生来填补美国农业的岗位空缺。”
In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food production by 2050, she said.
此外，她说，一些专家预测，随着世界人口的不断增长，到2050年，粮食产量将需要增加70%。
“I truly believe we're at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows," said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm Bureau. "Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the opportunity to be involved in agriculture. "
德克萨斯州农业局局长马特·拉什表示：“我真的相信，我们正处于农业的黄金时代。全球需求创历史新高，全球供应创历史新低。生产成本将非常贵，年轻人有机会参与农业。“”
The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers' Coalition has also been pushing for state and federal policy changes to make it easier for new farmers.
农业部制定了旨在培养更多农民和提高对当地种植粮食的兴趣的计划。全国青年农民联盟也一直在推动州和联邦政策的改变，以使新农民更容易接受。
Ryan Best, president of Future Fanners of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the country and visiting with high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21-year-old Best hopes his message - that this is a new time in agriculture - will motivate the next generation to turn around the statistics. “Never before have we had the innovations in technology which have led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been,” he said. “there’s really a place for everybody to fit in.”
瑞安·贝斯特是美国未来农民组织的主席，他一直提着手提箱，在全国各地旅行，并与高中生一起探讨农业方面的职业。21岁的贝斯特希望这是农业的新时代，激励下一代扭转统计数字。“我们这些以前从未有过的技术创新，将使得我国的农业成为有史以来最高效的农业，”他说，“真的适合每一个人。”
