Richard Mayfield
Left to right: Lucas Mayfield, Cody Cox, Clayton Cox, Karen holding Quay Wrangel, behind Grade Kinser, Richard holding Lyla and Addison, Copper Kinser and Blaine Mayfield with Esther Wrangel in front of Karen and Richard.
Buckeye- Maricopa County
Inducted in 2023
A lot has changed since Richard’s humble beginning as a 12-year-old newspaper delivery boy riding his horse to deliver papers and receiving approximately $30 per month.
Richard’s farming days began while he was in high school, where he was in FFA and had a small crop of cotton, with his father. Richard graduated from high school in 1958. After graduating he went on to attend college for a year. He met his wife Karen, while in the 8th grade at Chandler Grade School and they were married in 1959. They have been married for 63 years. At this time, Karen took over the bookkeeping and paying the bills, and they have worked hand in hand ever since.
In 1959 Richard and Karen moved to Glendale to start farming on 200 acres near 69th Avenue and Camelback. In these days they hired crews to come in and pick the cotton by hand, hauling the cotton to the gin in open trailers. He then purchased a one row cotton picker because he could see the labor crews were becoming harder to find. This allowed him to be able to rent more ground and then he could purchase that land or rent or purchase other land. The next year he rented 160 acres close to 115th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road and picked up another 240 acres on 83rd Avenue and Camelback. During this year he farmed cotton, wheat, barley, and cucumbers. He then bought 160 acres in Buckeye in the late 1960’s. He leased 600 acres in Arlington along with a feedlot in the late 1960’s. Back then he was putting a lot of miles on his pick-up truck farming from 115th Ave to Arlington. By now he realized he could drive a tractor and irrigate but knew he needed to be in the office more and attend farm meetings and chemical meetings to learn better ways to increase production and save water. In these days he was spraying cotton six or seven times to fight the Boll Weevil.
Richard bought his father out in 1968 and farmed cotton and grain but as prices got lower, he had a small feedlot and ran cattle on pasture. He felt there was a need to start other crops, so he tried cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower and finally onion transplants. This turned out to be his best choice. He traveled around the country meeting growers and showed them how well his product could be grown in Buckeye.
Richard was a stickler for wanting to keep the fields clean and conserve water, so he put in sumps and pump backs and built new types of equipment to save water and to harvest onions. Of course, not all of these worked out.
Shagg Rogers helped Richard get into the cattle business and gave him helpful advice. Farming was challenging during those years and the cattle helped him get through some lean times. He pulled out of Arlington in 1973 and ran cattle in Hereford, Texas, and Louisiana for a few years. The cattle business became increasingly difficult, so he sold out and concentrated on his farming operation. By the late 1970’s commodity prices became much more favorable, so he decided to concentrate on farming and real estate. In the mid-1980’s he started growing produce until the mid-1990’s when he retired from farming. Richard and Karen’s daughter Terri took over the personal bills and bookkeeping while his son Gary now runs the farming business. This is changing soon, as Gary is going to retire and his son, Jacob will take over the farming operation. This will be the fourth generation of Mayfield’s to farm in Buckeye.
Richard worked hard but also played hard. Team roping was his main activity. He loved horses and competing, but most of all he liked people with his same interests. He took his family on all of these trips, and they also competed. He tried to attend all games and school events for his two children. He also loved fishing and traveling. At 40 years old Richard took up golf. So, between golf and roping he has continued to enjoy life. He also enjoys fishing when he can find the time. Karen and him have enjoyed traveling especially their trip to France and visiting Normandy beaches and Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
Richard believes that agriculture had been very good to him in all those years with plenty of ups and downs, but the people he met made his life very interesting and invaluable.
Richard and Karen have two children, four grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. He still tries to attend as many of his great-grandchildren’s sports activities which consist of T-Ball, flag-football, and soccer. Richard and Karen believe that there will be a fifth generation of Mayfield’s to carry on the family farm. The Mayfield’s have enjoyed farming and feel very blessed at the life farming has given them!
Affiliations
Production Credit Board
Liberty Gin Board, 8 years
Buckeye Union High School Board, 8 years
Buckeye’s Sherriff’s Posse Search & Rescue, 5 years
First Southern Baptist Church
