People throughout East Tennessee have asked WBIR why Walmart stores are no longer carrying Mayfield milk. Walmart has confirmed it no long carries Mayfield milk, with the exception of five Walmart locations close to the Mayfield plant in Athens, Tennessee.
In Athens, resident Jennifer Collins only buys the brand of milk that was founded there in 1910.
"We have some Mayfield milk today," said Collins in the Food City grocery store parking lot on Tuesday. "The dairies selected for Mayfield milk are high-quality. It costs more, but it tastes better. I want to support our community and our local dairies."
The sentiments expressed by Collins reflect the large and loyal customer base Mayfield has built in East Tennessee. Mayfield products are easily-recognized with their iconic yellow jugs and cartons. The Mayfield family sold the business to Texas-based Dean Foods Company in 1990.
Dean Foods has continued selling Mayfield products regionally under the Mayfield brand, including milk and ice cream. The Mayfield plant in Athens continues to operate and employ more than 600 people.
The Walmart split with Mayfield is part of a larger break-up with Dean Foods. Walmart has canceled its contract with Dean Foods and built its own milk processing plant in Indiana.
"In an effort to keep quality items on our shelves at a great everyday low prices we’re always looking at our assortment. Recently, we made a change in our assortment in Tennessee to ensure we could continue to provide customers with the low prices they expect from us. We know Mayfield Dairy plays an important role in Athens and will continue to offer their products in stores in that community," wrote Molly Blakeman, Walmart Media Relations, in an email.
Competing grocery stores are milking the opportunity to attract loyal Mayfield customers. The Food City in Athens has a large Mayfield cow display in its parking lot. The grocery chain is advertising on Facebook that Mayfield milk is "still proudly available at Food City."
In Scott County, the Helenwood Foods IGA also took to social media to let locals know it would still be selling Mayfield milk in the store.
WBIR contacted Dean Foods for its reaction to the split with Walmart. Reace Smith, director of corporate communications for Dean Foods, wrote, "Mayfield continues to be the leading brand of conventional white milk in East Tennessee. We don’t comment on specific retailers."
Walmart canceling its contract with Dean Foods, combined with an overall flooded milk market, has had a trickle-down effect on dairy farmers in East Tennessee. Dean Foods recently ended contracts with several East Tennessee dairy farms that previously provided milk to Mayfield.
Employees at the Mayfield plant could not comment to WBIR about the situation with Walmart or the contracts with local dairies, but directed us to a recent letter to the local Daily Post Athenian newspaper by Mary Williams, vice president of sales for the southeast division of Mayfield Dairy.
In the letter, Williams said she was heartbroken contracts were canceled with local farmers, but noted Mayfield still employs 600 people in Athens and continues to get milk from 45 dairy farms and co-ops in Tennessee.
Williams also cracked the code so shoppers can ensure the Mayfield milk in stores was produced locally. Beside the expiration date on milk products, the numbers 47-131 indicate the milk is from farmers in Tennessee for the plant in Athens. The code for the Athens ice cream plant is 47-225.
