EMERSON'S AGRICULTURE TOUR WILL BEGIN FRIDAY

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson will hold her annual agriculture tour in Southeast Missouri beginning Friday and running through Aug. 10.

She will visit 8th District farms and agricultural businesses.

"Commodity prices are lower than they have been in a long time and they just keep dropping. Farmers are worried," the Cape Girardeau Republican said.

"This is my chance to listen and see what we can do together to work through this tough farm economy. They are the experts and I look forward to sharing experiences and ideas about working with our farmers and ranchers for an improved ag economy," Emerson said.

The congresswoman is scheduled to attend the annual meeting of the Cape Girardeau Farm Bureau on Friday. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Jackson, Mo.

Emerson is scheduled to receive the Farm Bureau's Friend of the Farmer Award at the event.

The tour will resume Monday at 8:30 a.m. at the Steve Huber farm near Perryville, Mo., and conclude Thursday at 4 p.m. with a visit to the Birds Point Levee Project north of Charleston, Mo.

During the week, Emerson also will make stops in Madison, St. Francois, Washington , Crawford, Phelps, Dent, Texas, Wright, Howell, Oregon, Carter, Ripley, Butler, Stoddard, Dunklin and New Madrid counties.

In Mountain Grove, Mo., Emerson will host a roundtable discussion at the Wright County Livestock Auction. In Texas County, she will attend an ice cream social hosted by the Texas County Dairy Herd Improvement Association.