DeputyAgricultureSecretaryKathleenMerriganseesanepidemic(流行病)sweepingacrossAmericasfarmland.Ithaslittletodowiththeusualchallengessuchasfloodrisingfuelpricesandcrop-eatinginsects.Thecountry’sfarmersar

　　DeputyAgricultureSecretaryKathleenMerriganseesanepidemic(流行病)sweepingacrossAmericasfarmland.Ithaslittletodowiththeusualchallengessuchasfloodrisingfuelpricesandcrop-eatinginsects.Thecountry’sfarmersaregettingolderandtherearefewerpeoplestandinginlinetotaketheirplace.Nationalagriculturalcensus(普查)figuresshowthatthefastest-growinggroupoffannersisthepartover65.Merriganisafraidtheaverageagewillbeevenhigherwhenthe2012statisticsarecompleted.

　　Merriganaformercollegeprofessorismakingstopsatuniversitiesacrossthecountryinhopesofencouragingmorestudentstothinkaboutcareersinagriculture.Asidefromtryingtostopthegrayingof.America’sfarmersherworkismadetougherbyarecentblogpostingthatputagricultureatNo.1onalistof“useless”collegedegrees.Topfederal(联邦的)agricultureofficialsaretalkingaboutthepostingandithastheattentionofagriculturalorganizationsacrossthecountry.

　　“Therecouldn’tbeanythingthat’smoreincorrect.”Merrigansaid.“Weknowthattherearen’tenoughqualifiedgraduatestofillthejobsthatareoutthereinAmericanagriculture.”

　　“Inadditionagrowingworldpopulationthatsomeexpertspredictwillrequire70%morefoodproductionby2050”shesaid.

　　“Itrulybelievewe'reatagoldenageofagriculture.Globaldemandisatanall-timerecordhighandglobalsuppliesareatall-timerecordlows”saidMattRushdirectoroftheTexasFarmBureau.“Productioncostsaregoingtobevaluableenoughthatyoungerpeoplearegoingtohavetheopportunitytobeinvolvedinagriculture.”

　　TheDepartmentofAgriculturehasprogramsaimedatdevelopingmorefarmersandatincreasinginterestinlocallygrownfood.TheNationalYoungFarmers’Coalitionhasalsobeenpushingforstateandfederalpolicychangestomakeiteasierfornewfarmers.

　　RyanBestpresidentofFutureFarmersofAmericahasbeenlivingoutofasuitcasetravelingthecountryandvisitingwithhighschoolstudentsaboutcareersinagriculture.The21-year-oldBesthopeshismessage-thatthisisanewtimeinagriculture-willmotivatethenextgenerationtoturnaroundthestatistics.“Neverbeforehavewehadtheinnovations(创新)intechnologywhichhaveledto