Walker, aides tour drought-stricken farms

BURLINGTON, Wis. (AP) -- Gov. Scott Walker is touring farms in southern Wisconsin to assess crop damage from the ongoing drought.

Walker's first stop Friday was the Ehrhart farm in Burlington. Farmer Jeff Ehrhart says corn has suffered the most from the hot and dry conditions.

Ehrhart showed Walker yellowed corn that would not recover. The farmer says the entire crop has been affected but he won't know how badly for a couple weeks.

Walker also plans to tour a farm in Dodgeville. His agriculture, insurance and natural resources secretaries are accompanying him.

The tour comes after Walker expanded a drought emergency declaration statewide on Wednesday. The U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday also upgraded the drought from severe to extreme across southern Wisconsin.

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