美國“下鄉”大學生的逆襲

Jeff Arnold, 28, who has learned how to expertly maneuver a tractor, graduated from Colorado State University. Abe Bobman, 24, who studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, was clearing vines alongside Nate Krauss-Malett, 25, who went to Skidmore College.
28歲的傑夫·阿諾德(Jeff Arnold) 畢業於科羅拉多州立大學(Colorado State University)，他已經學會熟練駕駛拖拉機。24歲的阿貝·包博曼(Abe Bobman) 正在農田裏清理藤蔓，他曾在康涅狄格州衛斯理安大學(Wesleyan University)學習社會學，旁邊是25歲的內特·克勞斯-馬萊特(Nate Krauss-Malett)，他曾就讀於斯基德莫爾學院(Skidmore College)。

Mr. Krauss-Malett said he became interested in farming after working in a restaurant and seeing how much food was wasted. Mr. Bobman had the same realization working in the produce section at a grocery store before college.
克勞斯-馬萊特說，他過去在餐館工作，看到許多食物被人們浪費，於是對農業產生濃厚的興趣。包博曼也有同樣的感受，他上大學前在雜貨店的農產品區工作。

They had been in the fields here at Hearty Roots Community Farm in the Hudson Valley since 7 a.m. They all said they could not imagine doing any other job.
在哈德遜谷的哈特魯茨社區農場，他們從早上7點開始下田幹活。他們都表示，自己從來沒有想過做其他工作。

“Farming appeals to me, and probably to other people, because it’s simple and straightforward work outdoors with literal fruits from your labor,” Mr. Bobman said. “It doesn’t feel like you’re a part of an oppressive institution.”
包博曼說，“做農活兒對我很有吸引力，可能對其他人來說也是如此，因爲這是簡單直接的戶外工作，你可以通過勞動收穫果實。這不會讓你感覺自己屬於一家讓人備感壓抑的機構。”

For decades, the number of farmers has been shrinking as a share of the population, and agriculture has often been seen as a backbreaking profession with little prestige. But the last Agricultural Census in 2007 showed a 4 percent increase in the number of farms, the first increase since 1920, and some college graduates are joining in the return to the land.
過去幾十年來，美國農民佔總人口的比例逐漸減少，務農通常被看做不體面的辛苦工作。但是2007年最新的美國農業普查結果顯示，農場的數量增加了4%，1920年以來首次出現增長，有些大學畢業生也加入了迴歸農田的行列。

For decades, the number of farmers has been shrinking as a share of the population, and agriculture has often been seen as a backbreaking profession with little prestige. But the last Agricultural Census in 2007 showed a 4 percent increase in the number of farms, the first increase since 1920, and some college graduates are joining in the return to the land.
過去幾十年來，美國農民佔總人口的比例逐漸減少，務農通常被看做不體面的辛苦工作。但是2007年最新的美國農業普查結果顯示，農場的數量增加了4%，1920年以來首次出現增長，有些大學畢業生也加入了迴歸農田的行列。

Jordan Schmidt, a crew manager here at Hearty Roots, studied environmental science at Wesleyan. Ms. Schmidt, 27, did not have so much as a garden growing up, but in college, she said, she worked at a student-run farm and fell in love with agriculture. So she gave up on research science and moved onto a farm in Pennsylvania after graduating. This is her third season at Hearty Roots.
喬丹·施密特(Jordan Schmidt)是哈特魯茨農場的人事經理，她曾在衛斯理安大學主修環境科學。27歲的施密特說，打小除了養花，她沒怎麼做過農活，但是在大學期間，她在一家學生經營的農場工作，對農業產生了熱愛。她在畢業後放棄科學研究，前往賓夕法尼亞州的一家農場工作。這是她在哈特魯茨農場工作的第三個收穫季節。