EUGENE, Ore. -- It looks like milk, stores like milk and drinks like milk but this new beverage is far from dairy.   

In this current recession one local company is hoping coconut milk will do your body good.

 Turtle Mountain company  is getting ready to launch the worlds first coconut milk drink.

The company's senior vice president said in today's down economy, he's sure this drink will be flying off store shelves.

"People are willing to pay for value market products such as what we provide and its evident  by the fact that we are able to see such tremendous growth," said John Tucker with Turtle Mountain.

The company has added coconut milk to its lists of other specialty foods. And because most of production and manufacturing is done locally, their delicate drinking delight keeps jobs local. 
 
The company employs more than 100 people at their Eugene and Springfield facilities. They expect those numbers  to increase when summer production of products begins.

"The raw materials we do bring from other parts of the world, the actual labor costs and effort of putting the products together even the development of the product are done locally," said Tucker.

Tucker said the coconut milk is an alternative  for people who can't drink dairy milk. And for those lovers of soy milk, it can be a change to your drinking repertoire.  
 
The company's coconut based products outsold its soy ones last year. They hope coconut milk will join the ranks as more research is done on the potential health benefits. 
 
The Product will debut at the Natural Products Expo West 2009 and hit stores shelves late March or early  April.