In its ever-widening efforts to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees" (D&C 81:5), the Church recently opened a new milk processing plant at Welfare Square near downtown Salt Lake City.
On Sept. 9, members of the Church's Welfare Executive Committee toured for the first time as a group the new Deseret Dairy, located at 751 W. 700 South.
On the tour were President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency and chairman of the Welfare Executive Committee; President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency; Elders Russell M. Nelson and Joseph B. Wirthlin, both of the Quorum of the Twelve; Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy; Presiding Bishop H. David Burton; Bishop Richard C. Edgley, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric; and Sister Mary Ellen Smoot, Relief Society general president.
Other members of the committee, Elder Earl C. Tingey, a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Bishop Keith B. McMullin, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, were away on Church assignments.
The dairy is part of a 13.5-acre complex devoted to helping the poor and needy. The complex includes a cannery, a bakery, a Deseret Industries Store, the Bishop's Central Storehouse, an employment center, and a granary.
After the tour, President Monson spoke with the Church News about the new 50,000 square-foot dairy. The plant processes bottled milk, powdered skim milk, butter, cottage cheese, cheese and sour cream. Also it blends the fruit drink mix and powdered dry chocolate milk for the Church's storehouse system and dry pack canneries.
"This new dairy operation is state of the art," President Monson said. "Every aspect is monitored and tested to ensure that the highest quality is produced.
"Construction of the new dairy was made necessary by an increased need for these products and particularly in an effort to help those worldwide who suffer from tragedies of all kinds — earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and other disasters and emergencies. Children in such situations suffer the most. Our capacity to provide nutritious and tasty powdered milk, along with other products we send from Welfare Square, sustains life and engenders hope."
