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Ed Martin at a campaign event. (Photo/Martin for Congress)

(ST. LOUIS, Mo.) Congressional candidate Ed Martin announced Tuesday that the Missouri Farm Bureau would be endorsing him.

“This current Congress seems determined to pass cap and trade and our farmers and small businesses are beyond concerned – they are downright fearful,” said David Reed, who sits on the Missouri Farm Bureau board of directors. “We need someone like Ed Martin who will take the time to listen and learn, someone who will in fact represent us. We can’t afford to allow anyone to simply rubberstamp a bill on anything.”

Spokeswoman Theresa Petry said, “Ed Martin has been traveling the district reaching out to farmers and those in the agriculture business for the past year. In June, he created an Agricultural Advisory Group to address particular concerns facing farmers. Earlier this month Ed Martin spent the day touring farms and agricultural businesses to witness first-hand the struggles they face.”

The Missouri Farm Bureau held interviews Monday night for the endorsement. Ed Martin attended; Congressman Russ Carnahan, who received the endorsement in 2008, did not.

Martin said, “he did not even bother to make an appearance last night.”

Carnahan’s absence is likely due to a scheduling conflict.

In a statement from Carnahan’s official office, his spokeswoman said the Congressman would be meeting with veterans at a district office to, “discuss recent safety lapses at the John Cochran VA Medical Center and other veterans’ health care issues.”

The veterans event took place at the same time as the Missouri Farm Bureau Endorsement interviews.