De JTextArea a String

Lo puedes hacer d esta forma!
Saludos!
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.text.BadLocationException;
public class test extends JFrame {
JTextArea area = new JTextArea(6, 20);
JButton boton;     
 public test() {
     area.setText("texto1 \n texto2 \n texto 3");
     JScrollPane scrollingArea = new JScrollPane(area);
     JPanel content = new JPanel();
     content.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
     content.add(scrollingArea, BorderLayout.CENTER);
     ClickListener cl = new ClickListener();
     boton = new JButton();
     boton.setText("boton");
     boton.addActionListener(cl);
     content.add(boton, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
     this.setContentPane(content);
     this.setTitle("obteniendo conteniso");
     this.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
     this.pack();
 }
 public static void main(String[] args) {
     JFrame win = new test();
     win.setVisible(true);
 }
 private class ClickListener implements ActionListener  {
   private int clickCount = 0;
    String cadena;
   public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
     if (e.getSource() == boton) {
       String text = area.getText();
       int totalLines = area.getLineCount();
            int start = 0;
            int end = 0;
       for (int i=0; i < totalLines; i++) {
try {
start = area.getLineStartOffset(i);
end = area.getLineEndOffset(i);
} catch (BadLocationException e1) {
e1.printStackTrace();
}
           String line = text.substring(start, end);
           System.out.println(line);      
       }    }
 }}}
import java.awt.*;import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javax.swing.*;import javax.swing.text.BadLocationException;
public class test extends JFrame {JTextArea area = new JTextArea(6, 20);JButton boton;      public test() {     area.setText("texto1 \n texto2 \n texto 3");     JScrollPane scrollingArea = new JScrollPane(area);     JPanel content = new JPanel();     content.setLayout(new BorderLayout());     content.add(scrollingArea, BorderLayout.CENTER);     ClickListener cl = new ClickListener();     boton = new JButton();     boton.setText("boton");     boton.addActionListener(cl);     content.add(boton, BorderLayout.SOUTH);     this.setContentPane(content);     this.setTitle("obteniendo conteniso");     this.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);     this.pack(); } public static void main(String[] args) {     JFrame win = new test();
     win.setVisible(true); }    private class ClickListener implements ActionListener  {    private int clickCount = 0;     String cadena;    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {      if (e.getSource() == boton) {              String text = area.getText();        int totalLines = area.getLineCount();            int start = 0;            int end = 0;
       for (int i=0; i < totalLines; i++) {try {start = area.getLineStartOffset(i);end = area.getLineEndOffset(i);} catch (BadLocationException e1) {e1.printStackTrace();}            String line = text.substring(start, end);            System.out.println(line);      
       }    }     }}}