More than a dozen Dorothea farmers confronted Agriculture Commissioner Louis Petersen Monday morning, demanding an immediate audience to air grievances about the supply of water.
The farmers presented Petersen with a letter signed by 12 farmers requesting assistance from the Dorothea Agriculture Station for water for their farm plots. Crop and livestock farmers were represented.
The document says in part, "It is imperative that the government be responsible for supplying consistent, reliable and clean water, at the very least to the individuals who occupy its farm plots.”
The Dorothea farmers, who note that they have spent energy, time and money, say the lack of water over the past month is "inexcusable from the Department of Agriculture, an agency that professes to be our advocate."
In an exchange that lasted about two hours, Petersen fielded the farmers’ questions. He explained that one of the main reasons for the lack of water has been limited financial resources, coupled with equipment problems.
Tempering the meeting to begin with, Petersen held up his hands.
"I am not here to lie to you,” he said. “I am being honest. I will listen to you."
He then explained reasons for the lack of water, along with the fact that it’s the driest time of year, with little rain.
"The pond pump is broken," Petersen said.
That pump has been out of commission for some time, the farmers pointed out.
"A pump on a floating raft is in the process of being installed,” Petersen replied. “We need a crane to move the pump to the raft."
Farmers wanted to know why the department didn’t simply replace the pump that had been in the pumphouse. Petersen said it’s a matter of cost.
"The cost for a new pump to replace the old pump was exorbitant," he said. "It’s a matter of spreading our resources out for the most impact. It’s basically another approach which will work just as well."
The commissioner also presented the group with a piece of good news: A new water truck has been certified and will be in operation Tuesday.
"This means we can deliver water from WAPA to fill our cistern for your use," Petersen said.
The delivery will present a challenge to his work force, because he will have to shift personnel around to supply a driver. There’s no specific driver in the department’s budget.
Two wells will be dug as soon as he is able to find a well digger, Petersen said.
"We have none on St. Thomas,” he said. “I even tried Puerto Rico. But I’ve located a well digger on St. Croix. Just this morning, I spoke again with him. Within the next month or two he said he will be available. He will dig one well in Bordeaux, and two in Dorothea.”
There is no formal agreement that the department is under an obligation to supply the farmers with water, Petersen said later.
"However," he said, "basically, we do our best to address this need. There is nothing that the government commits to with respect to water resources."
June Archibald, one of the leaders of Monday’s meeting, was especially upset at the "toxic mess" in her driveway, with a smell that she cannot deal with. She wrote Petersen in May about the situation and has not received any relief, she said.
"I won’t be able to develop the farm until the garbage is removed,” she said. “My frustration is that I have been awarded a grant from the USDA to develop the farm over the next two years. I have waited two years to get this grant and now that I have it, I can’t begin the process because the Agriculture Department has not followed through with removing the garbage at the entrance."
After speaking with Petersen, Archibald has hopes of having the garbage removed, she said.
Petersen said water tanks are available for farmers at $500 apiece. The department negotiated the price down from $875, which means the department is subsidizing part of the cost, he said. The tanks hold 1,000 gallons.
"Very few have been purchased on St. Thomas, more on St. Croix," he said.
After the meeting, Petersen characterized the meeting as a success.
"I have to say the meeting went well from two perspectives,” he said. “One, we had an open exchange of information from both directions. I understand clearly what the farmers’ needs are. It’s not a case of being unaware of their needs. From another perspective, it seems to me that a cooperative is now in the making. A farmers’ association as a result of issues in common can increase production."
One issue that became evident at the meeting was a lack of communication between the farmers and the Department of Agriculture. Petersen acknowledged the gap, noting more public-relations efforts will be made to inform the farmers of what the department is doing.
