Crop Circles Strange Fruit

The costs and benefits of rural mysticism

Whether extraterrestrials or pranksters are to blame, in the Wiltshire countryside crop circles are costly: around £1,000 each, says Tim Carson, a farmer in the village of Alton Barnes, whose land has been dotted by 125 circles since 1991. Lost crops have become part of his annual routine, because his corner of the county is the global centre for crop circles. Fifty or more formations appear in Britain’s fields each year, usually between May and August; around three-quarters are in Wiltshire.

They are likely to make farmers especially cross in what has already been a tricky year. Fuel and fertiliser prices have risen; a dry spring means yields are expected to be down 25-30% on last year in the south-west. Now Wiltshire is being trampled by summer tourists, many of them mystically inclined. Some circular formations are visited by thousands of these enthusiasts, causing further damage to crops and sometimes property.

Occasionally, there is an upside for farmers. In 1998 commercial circle-makers acting for Mitsubishi, a Japanese carmaker, paid Mr Carson for the right to cut an outline of a new model named the Space Star in his fields. The commission “more than compensated for the loss of crop”, he says. Shredded Wheat, a breakfast cereal, once had its logo carved in a wheat field. Some landowners charge for entry or solicit donations, though the tale of the farmer who made £30,000 from tourists is exceptional.

But while farmers tend to suffer, others gain. The circles augment a mystical aura that emanates from Stonehenge, and that contributes hugely to Wiltshire’s £850m tourism industry. Visitor shops are stuffed with crop-circle memorabilia; coach tours frequent them. At the Barge Inn, a community-owned pub in Honeystreet, drinkers enjoy tipples named Croppie, Alien Abduction and Away with The Fairies. The pub has customers from all over the world, even out of season, and the nearby formations have “no doubt benefited the business”, says Terry Kemp, who works there.

The exact value of crop circles to the broader economy is unclear. Visit Wiltshire, the county’s tourism agency, is understandably reluctant to comment, given that acts of trespass and criminal damage are involved. But perhaps if the upside were better understood, the benefits might be more fairly shared.

麥田怪圈意外的收獲

鄉(xiāng)村神秘主義的收入與支出

不論外星人還是某人惡作劇，Tim Carson這個生活在Alton Barnes的農民正因Wiltshire郊外的麥田怪圈每年承受著1000英鎊的損失。自1991年起，他的田地里至今已有125個怪圈錯落其中。因為他所在的鄉(xiāng)村一角正是全球怪圈的集中地，損失農田對他來說已是家常便飯。每年英國都會出現(xiàn)至少50個怪圈 ，通常這類事發(fā)生在5到8月，而其中約有三分之二在Wiltshire。

看來，今年他們的出現(xiàn)使得本已艱難度日的農民日子更加不好過。原油、肥料價格上漲，加上一個干燥的春季——這意味著西南部農田的收獲預計會比去年少25-30%。而如今Wiltshire還正遭受著游人的蹂躪，他們中的許多有神秘主義思想傾向。有時數(shù)千狂熱分子涌向某個怪圈，造成了更多作物甚至財物損失。

偶爾地，也有對農民來說積極的一面。1998年，三菱(日本汽車制造商)為了打造商務麥田怪圈，付給Carson先生一筆費用以求取他的田地里一個叫星空的新怪圈中的一塊。Carson稱補償?shù)某杲?ldquo;比單單損失田地要來的豐厚”。小麥片，一種早餐谷物，曾把他的商標刻在麥田。一些土地所有人收取準入費或征求捐贈，盡管農民以旅游創(chuàng)收3萬英鎊的故事非常罕見。

但就在農民遭殃的時候，另一些人確從中獲利。這些怪圈提高了源自史前巨石柱的神秘氛圍，為Wiltshire 8.5億磅的旅游業(yè)作出了巨大貢獻。商鋪里滿滿當當?shù)囟际躯溙锕秩Φ募o念品，一車車的游客已司空見慣。在Barge Inn，Honeystreet上的一家社區(qū)酒館里，人們樂衷于品嘗名為“谷物”，“外星人的祝福”及“遠離小精靈”的烈酒。即使在不當季的時候，酒館里也有來自全世界各地的顧客，在那里工作的Terry Kemp認為附近的那些怪圈“毫無疑問幫了大忙”。

對整體經(jīng)濟來說這些麥田怪圈的具體價值還不明朗。鑒于涉及未經(jīng)許可擅入私人土地及刑事?lián)p害類行為，可以理解Wiltshire這個鄉(xiāng)村旅游部不愿就此多談。不過假如人們能更理解好的一面，那也許就能被更公平地享有其中的利潤。

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