More than a dozen people learned about a plan Tuesday at a town hall meeting to purchase, through a new cooperative, and reopen Island Dairies on St. Croix and St. Thomas to produce milk and new beverages, such as fruit juices and fruit infused water. The goal, according to the presenters, is to grow agriculture as a major industry in the territory.

The plan was received with enthusiasm by participants who remained after the meeting at the University of the Virgin Islands to talk about options.

Anthony Weeks, founder of the St. Croix Economic Development Initiative, said reopening Island Dairies is one way to begin focusing on feeding the local population. He explained that the Virgin Islands is the “only jurisdiction in the United States” that doesn’t have its own food supply. Cuba and Antigua through gradually have increased local food production from 20 percent to 80 percent, he said.

Weeks and Dale Browne, owner of Sejah farm, explained the cooperative’s acquisition plan. The co-op – the Virgin Islands Agriculture Development Corporation – with membership open to the public, made an offer on the properties in February and plans to restructure and reopen both dairy plants, they said.

“We can all agree collectively that local agriculture can be more viable,” Weeks said. “We want to lead the way, alongside the Department of Agriculture, working together to first and finally develop agriculture.”

Although he did not discuss the details of the offer to buy the facilities, Weeks said the dairies were listed at $3.6 million. A total of $5 million will be needed for the purchase and startup costs, he said.

Providing milk to the territory’s schools, as Island Dairies did in the past, will bring in around $1 million a year, enough to operate the company. Weeks estimated the total market – milk, juices, ice cream, produce sales – to be worth around $22 million.

Browne pointed out that there are no processing plants on St. Croix and that Island Dairies has everything the co-op needs but fruit boilers.

“The Department of Education’s lunch program is substantial enough to restart Island Dairies,” Browne told the audience.

The St. Croix plant will process milk for the territory’s public schools and eventually will process locally grown fruits, supplied by co-op members, to produce Virgin Puree – frozen and dried fruits for smoothies and pies – and Virgin Pur, water infused with fruit, herbs and/or vegetables. The plant on St. Thomas will be used for distribution.

“We can’t export mangos because of weevils, but we can puree mangos to export. We can take a lot of local fruits and create opportunities,” Weeks said.

After Island Dairies is reopened and the co-op has won the Department of Education’s school lunch milk contract, the ADC will begin selling members’ produce at Plaza Extra. The store’s owner is enthusiastic, according to Weeks, to set up a kiosk in the front of the supermarket to sell locally grown items.

The purpose is to provide an outlet for local produce and provide fresh food for residents, Brown said.

“Something coming in here is already 2 weeks old; whereas something local is just harvested,” he said.

A production and operations plan will need to be created for farmers, and residents with surplus fruit and vegetables, before the local produce kiosk program can move forward at Plaza Extra.

After 50 years of business, St. Croix Dairy Products, doing business as Island Dairies, closed operations in December 2011, citing overwhelming operating costs, including electricity and water bills of $25,000 a month. ADC plans to incorporate renewable and energy efficient equipment to cut utility expenses.

For more information on the program or co-op membership, contact Weeks at www.sedivision.com or www.farmersmarketvi.com.