In 1923, the first ever tub of Mayfield Ice Cream was sold in McMinn County. Now, a century later, Mayfield Creamery is a household name across th
In 1923, the first ever tub of Mayfield Ice Cream was sold in McMinn County. Now, a century later, Mayfield Creamery is a household name across the southeast.
The Mayfield family’s story goes back to 1820 when Jesse Mayfield settled in McMinn County. The family raised and sold Jersey cows. In 1922, Jesse’s grandson, T.B. Jr, opened the first plant in the area capable of pasteurizing milk. In 1923, T.B. and his wife bought an ice cream freezer and started selling ice cream under the name Mayfield Creamery.
To celebrate 100 years in business, Mayfield is inviting people to the Mayfield Visitor Center in Athens, Tenn., for a free scoop of Birthday Party ice cream on Thursday, June 29, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can also enjoy face painting and take photos with Maggie the Cow.
“Over the past 100 years, Mayfield Creamery has been all about celebrating life’s big and small moments, delighting ice cream lovers with our delicious and indulgent flavors,” said Mary Williams, general manager of Mayfield Dairy Farms. “As we celebrate this milestone birthday, we wanted to give back and show appreciation to our devoted fans.”
Over the years, Mayfield Creamery expanded its milk and ice cream sales across the southeast. Time Magazine named them the “World’s Best Ice Cream” in 1981, and in 2017, they became the official ice cream of the Atlanta Braves baseball team. In 2020, Mayfield was acquired by the Dairy Farmers of America, a dairy cooperative owned by nearly 11,000 family farmers. According to a release from Mayfield, 100% of their profits go to dairy farmers and their families.
