Sunbelt Transplants

For onion growers looking to start harvest earlier, fill a market window or establish a crop under difficult growing conditions, an onion transplant can be a useful part of the production plan. At Sunbelt Transplants in Arizona, providing those plants is a family business built on generations of farming experience.

Today, Jacob Mayfield leads the operation, growing more than 50 onion varieties for customers across the United States, Canada and Mexico. His work combines lessons learned from his father and grandfather with experience in produce sales, packing and grower relations.

The goal is straightforward: deliver healthy, well-handled transplants that give growers a strong start.

A family rooted in agriculture

Both sides of Jacob’s family have long agricultural histories in Arizona.

His mother, Carrie Mayfield, told the Arizona Farm Bureau that her grandfather, Luis Flores, immigrated from Mexico to Eloy as a young man. He worked as a mechanic during World War II, then began sharecropping with a local farmer before eventually purchasing his own land.

Carrie’s father, Wayland Harris, came to Eloy from Oklahoma with his family, who operated cotton camps during picking season. After marrying Carrie’s mother, he took over the Flores farm. Carrie spent many childhood summers working alongside her father and grandfather.

On Jacob’s father’s side, Charlie Mayfield owned a welding shop in Chandler, Ariz., before moving into farming in Buckeye. His son, Richard, continued farming until Gary and Carrie Mayfield purchased the operation in 1996.

Jacob grew up working in the business, but his route back to the farm included time away. After studying agricultural economics and business management at the University of Arizona, he worked for produce companies, gaining experience in sales, production management and relationships with outside growers.

In 2016, Gary invited him home with a clear plan: spend several years learning the operation before taking responsibility for it.

Jacob began leasing ground in 2019, growing crops such as alfalfa and corn while working with his father. In 2021, he purchased the business.

Helping growers reach their market

Most commercial onions are grown from seed, Jacob explained, but transplants offer advantages in particular regions and production schedules.

Because the plants are already established, they can give growers roughly a three-week to one-month head start over onions seeded at the same time, depending on variety and growing conditions. That earlier start may help a grower reach a favorable market window or begin operating a packing shed sooner.

In areas with challenging spring weather, transplants can also help growers establish a stand. Under some conditions, they may produce larger onions and higher yields than direct seeding.

For many customers, transplants complement seeded acreage, giving growers another way to spread production and harvest timing.

Matching the plant to its destination is part of Sunbelt’s work. A variety suited to New Mexico may differ from one intended for New York’s muck soils. Sunbelt grows red, yellow, white and sweet onions, along with varieties selected for storage and other market needs.

Although the plants begin their lives in Arizona under similar production practices, their eventual growing regions and uses guide variety selection.

Building on experience

Jacob’s years in the produce industry continue to shape how he works with customers.

Managing a packing shed taught him the importance of timing and coordination. Working with outside growers helped him understand their production concerns, while selling to large retailers gave him insight into purchasing expectations farther along the supply chain.

His farming background helped him connect with growers, and visiting other operations broadened his understanding of how different businesses work.

That experience now supports an operation where transplants are hand harvested and careful handling and shipping matter to the customer’s eventual crop.

Sunbelt also grows fresh onions and other crops. Jacob sees that mix as a way to support crop rotation and diversify the business. Fresh onions fit the farm’s existing growing practices, while additional crops spread its opportunities across more than one market.

The company is also expanding into garden centers, retail sales and direct online orders. Customers can order and reserve plants through its website, and Jacob is considering smaller bundles for backyard gardeners.

Keeping the farm moving forward

Stewardship has long been part of the family’s approach. Carrie described farming as a constant evaluation of soil, weather and pest pressure, including beneficial insects. Crop rotation and natural fertilizers such as cow manure help support the soil while recycling agricultural waste.

For Jacob, farming is both a business and a way of life. He values the independence, the daily challenges and the satisfaction of continuing what earlier generations built.

He and his wife have four young children, whose interest in the farm currently centers on tractor rides. Whether they eventually choose agriculture remains to be seen, but he wants to preserve that opportunity.

His plan is to keep improving the transplant business, develop other markets and maintain a varied farming operation that can support another generation.

For Sunbelt’s customers, that commitment comes back to the same task each season: growing quality onion transplants and getting them harvested and delivered in good condition, ready for the next grower’s field.