Wendy Mitchell (left) and Carmen Wilson, residents of Huntley, Manchester, show off equipment for the conveyor belt to be assembled for a juice factory in the community. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Wendy Mitchell, a resident of Huntley, Manchester, has for 10 years, through rain and drought, been involved in the establishment of a juice factory in the community.

"It was the dream of four women to have a cottage industry or a purée factory in the community," Mitchell told The Gleaner.

Corine Richards, Veta Cowan, Jasmine Dwyer and Iredel Rattray, who cultivated a strong interest in community development, planted the all-important seed in the psyche of the people of the small agricultural district.

Great anticipation

Cowan has not lived to witness the day of harvest when something bigger materialised from her dream, but it is clear that her legacy lives on.

A decade later, after much hard work, trying times and a host of other challenges, the three women are among a community of people who wait with bated breath as any day now the conveyor belts will begin to chug juice into containers to be sold.

Mitchell recounted how, after the women took the idea to a community meeting and it was accepted, they wrestled with the next big challenge - finding the money to finance the project, estimated to cost in excess of $17 million - an expensive expenditure by the standard of a struggling farming community.

Ready assistance

Mitchell recalled that the idea was submitted to and accepted by the Agriculture Support Service project to the great joy of community members.

"They liked the idea and decided to assist the community by providing 80 per cent of the financing if the community would find the other 20," Carmen Wilson, another community member, explained.

"This means that the community would find labour, material and other costs associated with construction of the factory."

Mitchell revealed that the project commenced at a snail's pace, but the community's devotion to the cause never wavered.

"Building started more than five years ago," she said.

The deadline for start-up of the operation of the factory has passed and patience threatens to wear thin at times but, until the machine begins to function, Mitchell said the adrenaline of the people will continue to pump in anticipation of the big day.

"We are now doing the electrical work and most of the machinery has already been purchased," Wilson declared. She said these included the conveyor belt and cold-storage facilities.

Future plans

"We will be starting with carrot purée and then move on to other fruits," she gushed. "We have adequate supply to meet the demands."

Wilson disclosed that plans were afoot to obtain other fruits, such as mangoes and cherries, to expand the variety of the products.

She said that 40 members of the community had already bought shares in the company and a management team, under the direction of an experienced general manager, was being established to operate the facility.

gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com