There's a lot of expectation invested in a few acres of hemp growing on a hill overlooking the small town of Callaway on the edge of the White Earth Reservation.

"I'm kinda nervous," says tribal secretary-treasurer Tara Mason. "I don't think I've been this concerned about how a crop is doing on White Earth until we planted these."

Mason is nervous because the tribe has nearly $100,000 invested in this project and because she sees so much potential for economic development on this remote reservation.

"I think we've got a whole micro-economy that can be surrounded by hemp," she said. "You know, this could really be the start of a lot of great things we can build on in the future."

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Dan Gunderson ~ MPRNews.org ~