Ag Marvels Partners With Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, Planting For Education and Medicinal Purposes on 3 Acres of Tribal Lands
Ag Marvels is thrilled to be working with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan to cultivate, process, and distribute 3 acres of hemp on tribal lands in Mount Pleasant. This partnership is the first step in a much bigger plan for working with the tribe, including goals to use these acres of hemp plants to create branded wellness products and educate the tribal community about growing hemp and the benefits associated with the plant.
With the help of Ag Marvels and the collaboration with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, the plants grown on these tribal lands will also be used to self-brand hemp-based products for the tribe on their various properties. This will be a great economic opportunity for both parties, and a big step forward for the hemp industry in Michigan.
CEO of Ag Marvels Mike Klumpp says, “We are excited to be partnering with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian tribe on this project and look forward to the many different opportunities that lie ahead as we grow together. We believe that this will be a long term partnership that will greatly benefit the tribal community as well as the future of the hemp industry, while having a positive impact on the planet. This undertaking is the beginning of many bigger things to come, and Ag Marvels is looking forward to continue working with the tribe to create a brighter future for the hemp plant and our community. It’s great to see collaborations like these coming together and having community leaders take steps to make these partnerships a reality. We’re excited to see what we can accomplish together as we continue to solidify this collaboration with a great organization.”
While the hemp plant sometimes gets confused with its cannabis counterpart, marijuana, these first three acres of tribal lands will be solely used for the planting, cultivation, and harvesting of hemp. Hemp, by definition, contains less than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana plants. Mike continues by explaining, “All of the seedlings that were planted on these tribal lands are feminized hemp strains, meaning they will produce lower than 0.3% THC. This makes them legally defined as hemp. In the next steps of this exciting partnership, the finished material will be harvested, extracted, and utilized by Ag Marvels to create finished hemp and CBD products with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.”
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Plants Hemp on Tribal Lands
On the morning of June 17th, 2022, tribal council members and Ag Marvels’ CEO and staff gathered at the site of the tribal lands being used for the project to hold a ceremony and prayer for the planting of hemp. A blessing of the plants was held by the tribal council members and all in attendance participated in giving respect to the land before beginning. Afterwards, tribal members Martha and Sammy hopped onto the hemp transplanter with four members of Ag Marvels’ staff, including VP of Sales Steve Scott.
The transplanter equipment used for planting industrial hemp works by digging a small hole in the soil with the wheel as the tractor moves along the row. The hemp seedlings are placed into the rotator by the rider in the seated rows, and the machine places them into the freshly dug hole one by one. The wheels on either side of the track are positioned at an angle, so the dirt is pushed snug against the newly planted seedling.
The members of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe were eager to learn the process, and helped plant the entire three acres of land, even managing to get covered in a fresh layer of dirt and dust with the rest of the staff! It was a great day and ceremony to kickoff the start of this partnership with the Saginaw Chippewa tribe. Ag Marvels is so excited to continue working with a great organization in the community to advance economic opportunities and the future of hemp in Michigan.
Read more about Ag Marvels’ partnership with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian tribe in the July 2022 edition of the Tribal Observer here.
Find out more about Ag Marvels here.
