Heartland Hemp Coop Launches Member-Owned Cooperative

Heartland Hemp Coop today announces the launch of its member-owned cooperative, focused on building a seed-to-shelf supply chain for hemp farmers in the Midwest. The coop will focus on the production and processing of hemp for fiber. 

“First and foremost, the founders of Heartland Hemp Coop are hemp farmers,” said Michael Morrow, vice president of Heartland Hemp Coop. “We started this coop with the goal of solving a problem that many hemp farmers are facing – that the industry as a whole is underdeveloped – especially for farmers who are growing fiber varieties. Our goal is to help shape the industry as it grows and to ensure that farmers are keeping the largest possible percentage of their market dollar.”

Heartland Hemp Coop’s founders, Marty Mahan and Michael Morrow, have long hoped to form a cooperative for hemp farmers growing for fiber use. The idea began attracting others in 2019, when tales of broken contracts were prevalent throughout the fledgling hemp industry in Indiana. Many farmers were left with barns full of baled hemp and no buyer. HHC is determined to make an impact by using the collective bargaining power of their member-owners to negotiate better prices - from procurement of inputs to sale of their crop – to benefit the grower. The goal is to own all of the processing equipment to provide a market ready product, keeping more hemp dollars close to home.

“As long as I’ve known Marty and Michael, they have been focused on how hemp could benefit small farms – both multi-generational farms and new farmers who want to diversify for economic and environmental reasons,” said Jamie Campbell Petty, executive director of Midwest Hemp Council. “We have always believed that cooperation and competition are necessary to create a strong foundation for this industry, while stabilizing the market. What better way to do that than with a cooperative of committed growers, processors and end-users that can collaborate to build a supply chain where everyone shares in the costs and the rewards.”

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About Heartland Hemp Coop
Heartland Hemp Coop is a member-owned hemp cooperative based in Indiana. It was founded with the goal of ensuring that farmers keep more of their market dollar by negotiating the best input prices and owning the machinery necessary for hemp processing. For more information, visit www.heartlandhemp.coop.

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