MAYFIELD FAMILY CONSERVES ORIGINAL DAIRY FARM
From the Chattanoogan.com

“We are indebted to Scottie Mayfield and the rest of his family for their efforts to protect McMinn County’s historic and scenic landscapes. The Mayfield family is well known, not only in Athens and McMinn County, but across the state of Tennessee, and the family’s support of The Land Trust is so very helpful to us as we tell our story of land conservation throughout Tennessee,” said Nelson.
The Mayfield farm is designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, a designation by the State Department of Agriculture that recognizes a farm that has been in a family continuously for at least 100 years and continues to produce farm income from the land.

“This land has been in our family for four generations and protecting it, both for the family and for the enjoyment and education of the surrounding community was essential,” said family spokesman Scottie Mayfield.

The Mayfield dairy legacy stretches back to 1912 when Thomas B. (T.B.) Mayfield and his son, T.B. Mayfield, Jr. established Live Oak Farms, bought 45 Jersey cows and began selling milk to local residents. In 1922, a new milk plant brought pasteurized milk to McMinn County, and, in 1923, T.B., Jr., bought a 10-gallon ice-cream freezer and began calling the business Mayfield Creamery.

Today, the company has more than 2,000 employees and distributes its products into nine states across the region.

Tricia King, southeast regional project manager for The Land Trust and based in Chattanooga, worked with the Mayfield family to secure the conservation agreement. She said Scottie Mayfield sought out The Land Trust after hearing about the organization’s work from land owners in Chattanooga.

“The greater Chattanooga area is growing so rapidly, and we are increasingly at risk of losing the unique landscapes of this region. The Mayfield family has ensured that the Athens community, as well as visitors to the dairy and farm, will forever benefit from the preserved history and scenic beauty of the Mayfield Farm. Now is a critical time for the Land Trust to work with landowners who wish to conserve what is special to them and to all of us who love the land in Tennessee,” said King.
Most of the conserved 690-plus acres will remain a mixture of crops as well as hardwood and pine trees.

Mayfield’s son, Michael, plans to start a heritage and agricultural tourism business in 2008, focusing on ornamental horticulture and education. About 100 acres will be set aside for fruit trees, a farmers market and a tour to remind the community of its rich agrarian history and tie it into the tour of the nearby dairy facility.

In 2007, The Land Trust launched an outreach and education program in the eight-county area in and around Hamilton County to work with landowners in protecting the region’s natural landscapes. Initiating this outreach was a matching grant received from the Benwood Foundation, with additional community support, including the Lyndhurst and Tucker Foundations, to provide educational services and assist landowners in executing voluntary conservation agreements that place permanent restrictions on the development and/or use of the property.

“The Land Trust is an organization of substance, and I was impressed by the work they have done in Chattanooga and felt they have the longevity needed to manage this land for years to come,” said Mayfield.

Nelson said the area around Greater Chattanooga will continue to be a focus for The Land Trust’s conservation efforts.

“We work with neighborhoods and communities to make sure that good growth and good conservation of special lands go hand in hand. We are here to help landowners in the region make their own personal statements about conserving the land throughout southeastern Tennessee,” said Nelson.

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