FARM BUREAU COORDINATING AGRICULTURE EXCHANGE TOUR ABROAD

Norman Weiss is looking forward to a two-week visit to Bulgaria.

"Bulgaria is one of three Eastern European nations that first lifted visa requirements for Americans," said Weiss, who will be one of a group of agricultural leaders who will visit Bulgarian farm areas in August.

"The country is now a democracy, and we're anxious to see its present-day farm practices," Weiss said.

The Cape Girardeau County Farm Bureau is coordinating agriculture-related tours, which will bring a Bulgarian exchange team to the Cape Girardeau area in July. Weiss and Bob Nitsch are co-chairmen of a special committee that is coordinating the exchange program.

The program is being coordinated with the Bulgarian Culture Institute, headquartered at Sofia, Bulgaria. A representative of the institute, Victor M. Kantchev, has an office in Cape Girardeau.

"The Farm Bureau will host 15 Bulgarians here in July," said Weiss. "While here they will visit grain, cattle and hog farms. Following their visit here, we will send an exchange team to Bulgaria in August."

Weiss and his wife are no strangers to overseas travel; they have visited Germany, Switzerland and Egypt.

"We're hoping for a delegation of 10 to 20 people for this exchange program," said Weiss.

He said that the Bulgarian government was returning farm land that was taken from owners 45 years ago to the families and descendants of those confiscated farms.

"Many of these new owners have little knowledge of present-day farming," said Weiss. "Our area here is similar in climate to the Bulgarian agricultural land."

The Bulgarian farm group is the second group from that country to visit the Cape Girardeau area within a year.

A group of 13 Bulgarian business leaders spent two weeks here attending the International Business Seminar sponsored by the Center for International Studies at Southeast Missouri State University in 1991. The Bulgarian group was here from Oct. 22 to Nov. 6. While here the business group visited A.G. Edwards and Sons Inc., a stock brokerage firm in Cape Girardeau.

"A small group visited some farms and agri-businesses here at that time," said Weiss. "They were fascinated with several aspects of U.S. farming and were especially excited with the visit to a farm machinery dealership.

"They were familiar with two big U.S. farm machinery names, John Deere and International," said Weiss. "They were also fascinated with the difference in row-crop and no-till planting equipment."

The group that will visit the area next month will consist of Bulgarian farmers and agriculture leaders.

"They will be shown different types of farming methods and agri-business firms in our area," said Weiss. "In return they will show us their country for 14 days in August."

Weiss said the U.S. contingent would leave JFK Airport on Aug. 12, and return Aug. 26. "We still have some vacancies for the exchange team," he said.

"Some special arrangements have been made for the trip," said Weiss. "We're offering Farm Bureau members an opportunity to go on the Bulgarian tour for a cost of $1,650, which includes air fare, hotels and three meals each day."

The U.S. group will start its tour in Bulgaria's capital city of Sofia.

"From there we'll go to Plovdiv, one of the oldest cities in Europe," said "Weiss. "There we will see buildings that are over 2,000 years old. Visits will also be made to Veliko Turnovo, the royal city of the country, where the group will view the royal Place and "execution rock."

The U.S. group will visit the primary agricultural areas of the country during the second week.

"We'll meet with farmers in both the northern and southern areas of the countries," said Weiss. "While in Southern Bulgaria, the group will visit the Rila Monastery, which was built in medieval times.

"From the monastery we will go to the Greek Mediterranean coast for two days, before departing for New York on Aug. 26, said Weiss.

"We don't really know what to expect there," said Weiss. "We understand that most of the Bulgarian farms range from five to 10 acres each. A 100-acre farm is a big one there."

"We'll be interested in their operations," said Weiss, a retired Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service director who has a 300-acre cattle farm. "Most of my farm is in hay and pasture, with just a few crops."