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Russ Higgins' ancestors settled this patch of land in northern Illinois in 1858.
1858年，拉斯·希金斯的祖先选择在伊利诺伊州北部的这片土地上定居下来。
Since the first plow churned up the fertile soil here nearly 160 years ago, one crop that has always had a place in the fields was wheat.
自从大约160年前祖先们第一次耕地以来，这片沃土上便一直有着小麦的一席之地。
The next crop is going to go in as soon as we take this year's soybean crop out, hopefully within two and half to three weeks.
今年收完大豆之后我们马上就会再种上另一种作物，但愿能在两个半到三个星期之内把活干完。
But there is not much wheat to see around here, not just because it's out of season.
但是放眼望去却见不到多少小麦，除了过季的原因，
There just aren't a lot of farmers planting it.
还有就是现在已经没有多少农民在种了。
I've watched Illinois over the last 20 years really concentrate on corn and soybean production.
过去的20年间，伊利诺伊真的是一心搞玉米和大豆生产。
Including Higgins, who dedicates only a small part of his farm to wheat, which this year provided only a modest return on his investment.
其中就包括希金斯，他只把农场的一小部分用于种植小麦，今年的小麦收益也很少。
We averaged about 83 bushels this year. Truth be told, this probably is going to look a little better than corn and soybean.
今年我们平均收获了83蒲式耳的小麦，说实话，这个产量可能比玉米和大豆还要好一点。
Better or not, Higgins says the climate in northern Illinois is not ideal to grow wheat,
然而不管是好是坏，希金斯表示伊利诺伊北部的气候不适合小麦生长，
and since there are fewer farmers producing it, it is gotten too expensive to grow.
而且因为种植小麦的农民越来越少，小麦种植成本也随之水涨船高。
There's not a readily available market year round. We have the chance to market wheat in about a three-week window.
我们没有一个现成的小麦市场，一年到头大概只有三个星期的时间可以进行小麦交易。
Executive Director of the Illinois Wheat Association, Jim Fraley, says another major factor for wheat's demise in the U.S. is global competition.
伊利诺伊州小麦协会执行董事吉姆·弗莱利称，美国小麦产业走向衰弱的一个主要因素就是全球竞争。
It is grown worldwide, grown in countries that are really even underdeveloped
全世界都在种小麦，甚至是在一些不发达的国家，
but still growing good wheat crops to help feed themselves and so we are seeing a lot of competition worldwide.
他们仍然可以种出优质小麦，努力做到自给自足，所以我们真的是在全球都面临很多竞争。
And so the U.S. has entered into the field of play with many, many different countries.
美国现在就是在和很多很多国家同台竞争。
Fraley says past experience also influences a farmer's future decisions.
弗雷利还表示，以前的经验也会影响农民做决定。
A lot of them still remember the wheat of 10 and 20 years ago, where test weight was poor, quality was poor, and it just never paid.
很多人现在还记得十几二十年前的小麦，不仅容重低，而且质量也不好，所以基本上赚不到钱。
But the varieties today, and the management techniques we can use regard to fungicide application and disease management
但是现在不一样了，不单单是小麦品种，还有在杀菌剂使用以及疾病管理等方面的管理技术，
has just really improved here in the last few years, and it's making wheat viable and profitable to grow here in Illinois again.
在过去几年中都已经得到了很大的改善，这些条件一定可以让小麦重新在伊利诺伊茁壮成长，也能保证农民们有利可得。
Profitable or not, farmer Russ Higgins says it isn't as simple as changing the seeds a farmer plants in the ground.
而不管是否能够盈利，农民拉斯·希金斯表示，这件事可不仅仅是像农民种地时换种子那么简单。
For those who have not grown wheat for a number of years, there's a little bit of a risk with wheat.
对于那些已经很多年没有种植过小麦的人来说，重新种小麦确实是有些风险。
Corn and soybean yields tend to be a little more consistent,
玉米和大豆的产量往往更稳定一些，
and I think a lot of the farmers in a good year see more upside potential on that.
不过我觉得，很多农民都已经在丰收年看出了小麦产量的上升空间。
However, if low prices for corn and soybean continue to reduce a farmer's overall profits, a return to wheat might be the solution.
然而，如果玉米和大豆的低价会持续减少农民的总利润，那么重新种植小麦也不失为一种解决办法。
Kane Farabaugh, VOA news, Morris, Illinois.
VOA新闻，凯恩·法巴休于伊利诺伊州莫里斯为您播报。
