Potawatomi leaders share hemp plans with county commissioners

Members of the Jackson County Commission and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Council had lunch together at the Prairie Band Casino Friday, April 30.

During the hour and a half lunch, members of the two government entities discussed county roads, economic development and the tribe’s newest venture – hemp production.

“Hemp grows wild out here. Kansas used to be one of the biggest hemp producers prior to World War II,” said Zeke Rupnick, tribal chairman. “Why couldn’t we get back to that, and utilize that plant in one way or another? I think we need to take advantage of it.”

Members of the tribal council were part of a groundbreaking ceremony in April on a new hemp farm operation on O Road for the purpose of growing and processing hemp, it was reported.

The industrial hemp farm will include three greenhouses and a six-acre field. The six-acre field will be used to grow hemp for biomass extraction, which with then be infused into Prairie Hemp products. The user-friendly, THC-free pain relief products will be produced by the PBP Nation and made available as gel capsules, gummies and in topical form, it was reported.

According to tribal members, the hemp operation will add eight jobs with six additional jobs in the coming year.

On Saturday, April 17, the nation general council voted in favor of investing $2.3 million in the new operation, it was noted.

“We’re excited about it, and hope we can get that business rolling,” Rupnick told the commissioners. “It should be a decent market for us, and we have the soil to grow it.”

Rupnick also said that Kansas State University researchers are completing a study on hemp as animal feed.

“Just the seeds alone are supposed to have a higher protein content than regular grass or brome,” he said.

Tribal council member Raphael Wahwassuck said that council members have reached out to state officials regarding road safety in Jackson County.

For more on this and other stories, log in to your holtonrecorder.net account and select “E-Editions.”

The Holton Recorder

109 W. Fourth St.
Holton, KS 66436
Phone: 785-364-3141
 

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