The Rapid City Journal seems jubilant over the success of a Native American endeavor to sell popcorn, sort of takes you back to first grade when you read about the "first Thanksgiving," but I digress.
The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe started the business about seven years ago. It buys the popcorn seed and then raises it on 8,000 acres (about 12 sections; 6 1280-acre spacing units) of irrigated land, Heiss said.
In addition to selling a variety of popcorn flavors on its website and at grocery stores throughout the Midwest, Lakota Foods provides popcorn to major manufacturers like ConAgra Foods and American Popcorn Company who sell it.
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan recently toured the Lakota Foods plant while learning about South Dakota's agriculture industry.And the story goes on. And on. And on.
So, for several paragraphs you read how incredibly good this company seems to be doing, and then suddenly, the train hits a barrier:
But Lakota Foods has still not reached profitability, and Heiss believes it could be another several years before the company is in the black. The tribe has invested nearly $3 million in the business during the past five years, he said.
Still, he adds, making tons of money has never been what the company is about.
"Our tribal chairman and council says if we can break even and employ people, tribal members, to be self-sustaining and create job opportunities, (that's) the main No. 1 priority," he said. "If the company breaks even and employs people, that's our mission.
And naturally it would just be the gravy if it became profitable, but profit in the industry eyes is different than what it is here."Say what? "Tons of money." It would be nice if they made a pound of money.
Say what you want but this seems to be a way for taxpayers to send money to Washington and then after the DC bureaucracies skim their take off the top, the white fathers in DC send back $3 million to fund a losing proposition, but one that makes people feel good.
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