KTUU.com | Alaska's news and information source | Local joint venture hopes to fill Mat Maid's shoes
Member Center:
by Lori Tipton
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007
MAT-SU VALLEY, Alaska -- In less than a month, an industry in the Valley will face a big challenge.
After December 7th, Matanuska Maid Dairy will stop buying milk from farmers.
But a new venture is in the works to keep the pumps running.
The group is called the Southcentral Dairy Joint Venture. Four farmers and two processors are working together to privatize the dairy industry.
Kyle Beus is the manager of the Southcentral Dairy Joint Venture.
He said if something doesn't happen, farmers in the valley will lose their livestock.
"There's only one thing that can happen to those cows, and they'll go to slaughter," Beus said.
That is, unless this joint venture works.
The group is already leasing a building, where the local food pantry used to be, and equipment is on the way.
The joint venture has a five year lease on their building, with a purchase option after five years.
Beus said they have a goal, to not lose a single drop of milk after December 7th, and to keep all the cows where they are.
The backbone of the joint venture will be fluid milk.
Instead of taking seven to 10 days for milk to be shipped in, Beus said they hope to go from the cows, to production, to the shelf.
Unlike other brands, Beus said their milk will be stamped with the "Alaska Grown" logo.
"We are 100 percent committed that we will only sell 100 percent Alaska milk," Beus said.
Beus said fluid sales can fluctuate depending on how much milk the cow's are producing, so the joint venture plans to also sell niche-based products like ice cream and cheese.
The news has quickly spread throughout the community.
Beus spoke at the chamber lunch yesterday, and received positive feedback.
"Alaskans tend to support Alaskans and so, we're going to look forward to having some consumer support," Beus said.
The group is also being fully supported by the Department of Agriculture and the Creamery Board.
Kristen Cole, the chair of the Creamery Board, said if the dairy industry in the Valley doesn't pull through, there would be a ripple effect on all agriculture.
She said this venture could help the entire state.
"It's been the most exciting thing that we've seen in a long time," Cole said. "It's going to be profitable for them. It's going to be good for us as citizens to have those available, and it's going to be good for agriculture."
It's also good for the cows that would otherwise "utterly" disappear.
Beus said the joint venture hopes to get off the ground by the middle of December, and will hopefully start producing cheese right away.
Contact Lori Tipton at ltipton@ktuu.com
