Blood Tribe and Indigena Capital Partner on Growth Investment in Blood Tribe Forage Operation

STAND OFF, Alberta, Sept. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Blood Tribe, together with their financial partner Indigena Capital, LP ("Indigena"), is pleased to announce a significant growth equity investment in the Blood Tribe's on-Reserve forage processing and export business, Kainai Forage, LP ("Kainai Forage" or the "Company").

With over 13,000 members, the Blood Tribe has been an active participant in Southern Alberta agribusiness for decades. The Blood Tribe's agribusiness, which is anchored by a prolific agricultural land base of more than 250,000 contiguous acres and irrigation infrastructure servicing more than 20,000 of those acres, has become Western Canada's premier processor and supplier of quality Timothy Hay and Alfalfa to international markets including Japan, Korea, the Middle East, and China.

Indigena's investment will expand the Company's storage and processing capacity to grow through long-term arrangements with both forage producers and end-users. Kainai Forage's dedicated, irrigated lands and attending water rights in Southern Alberta's agricultural hub provide a unique solution to customers' requirements for quality, consistency, and origin certainty.

"For decades, the Blood Tribe Agricultural Project has been an important part of the Blood Tribe's ongoing initiative to grow and diversify our commercial revenue streams to provide for the well-being of our Community," said Blood Tribe Chief Roy Fox. "Kainai Forage will play a key role in growing the on-Reserve economy and providing employment and advancement opportunities for our membership, while positioning the Blood Tribe as a broader participant in global agricultural businesses. With a proven track record of partnering with Indigenous Nations to provide capital to build opportunities based on our advantaged rights, Indigena is an ideal partner to accelerate the expansion of our agribusinesses."

"We have been investing in commercial enterprises with the Blood Tribe since 2012 and are honoured to continue this partnership with the launch of Indigena's agribusiness platform," said Christine Robertson, President of Indigena Capital's parent company, Indigena Holdings. "Kainai Forage is our inaugural investment in the agriculture sector and will be the first of many investments designed to maximize Indigenous participation in agriculture. Indigenous Nations have tremendous land and water rights which, when coupled with requisite capital and expertise, can be deployed to build sustainable, scalable economies for their communities."

Cullen Schaar, President of Indigena Capital commented, "Kainai Forage provides a unique solution to the challenges facing global agriculture around water scarcity, food security, supply chain integrity, and jurisdictional risk. Our partnership with the Blood Tribe demonstrates Indigena's model for community-based investing where we strive to deliver above sector-average returns via investments that generate the capital, job creation, and social outcomes sought by ESG and impact-focused investors."

About Kainai Forage

Established in 1997, as the Blood Tribe Forage Processing Plant, Kainai Forage grows, processes and exports premium grade Timothy Hay and other forage products to markets including Japan, Korea, the Middle East, and China.

About the Blood Tribe

The Blood Tribe / Kainai First Nation is a member of the Blackfoot Confederacy and a Treaty 7 Nation. Located approximately 200 kilometers south of Calgary, Alberta, the Blood Tribe has the largest Reserve in Canada, encompassing nearly 560 square miles, with over 13,000 members. The Blood Tribe's focus on business enterprises is anchored by decades of oil and gas development on their lands, and in their operation of the largest irrigation project in Canada.

About Indigena

Indigena Capital has specialized in partnering exclusively with Tribal Nations in the United States and First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada for over three decades. In response to Nations' requests to help build their economies, Indigena's principals have partnered in over 70 transactions, invested $450 million of direct capital, and sourced $1.7 billion in joint venture capital. Indigena partners with Indigenous Nations to assess their unique rights and resources, investing early stage capital to assist them in taking an active role in development. Through disciplined capital allocation, the return expectations of investors can be met while creating the foundation for self-sustaining economies for Nations. For more information please visit: www.indigenacapital.com.

Contacts

Indigena Capital: 
[email protected]

Media:  
Jonathan Keehner / Julie Oakes / Kate Clark 
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 
212-355-4449

SOURCE Indigena Capital