In the bustling city of Naperville, Illinois in the United States, lies a beautiful 14.5-acre farm known as Mayneland Farm. Every morning, workers hurry to the farm to cultivate various agricultural products, aiming to provide safe and reliable natural food for the local community. All of this is thanks to the 81-year-old owner of the farm, Jeremy Mayne.
For Mayne, running the farm is not just a job but also a way to stay healthy, create job opportunities for young people in the community, and contribute to society. Mayneland Farm is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary milestone, having been established in 1976 as a simple wooden vegetable stand. Mayne took over in 1980.
By 1999, as the farm work became overwhelming, he had to devote himself full time to managing it, leading him to give up his long-standing career in the international transportation industry. Since then, he has been farming on the land until this year when he finally leased the farm out.
Throughout most of his time running Mayneland Farm, Mayne hardly had a day off. He usually wakes up at 4:30 in the morning to handle paperwork before heading to the fields with his employees at dawn. The end of the workday is around 7 p.m., and he goes to bed around 9 p.m.
“I often take a nap in the afternoon,” he said. “I sleep longer in winter.”
After leasing out the farm this year, the hardworking Mayne has finally begun living a semi-retired life. He spends three hours a day practicing classical piano and enjoys reading.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining physical activity and continuous self-improvement for the elderly, urging against leading a sedentary lifestyle. Despite semi-retirement, Mayne remains actively involved in the farm’s operations, enjoying teaching tenants and their employees how to grow specialty crops.
“I have always enjoyed farming because I like working with the soil, watching various legumes and other vegetables sprout, working with young people, and providing the freshest agricultural products in the area to my customers,” he said.
Mayne’s robust health may be attributed to his agricultural activities. “Although I am over 80 years old, my health is still very good,” he said.
During summer and fall, Mayne and his 75-year-old wife, Ikuko, enjoy the farm’s all-natural produce. He also shares these fresh agricultural products with his two daughters and their families.
Over the years, Mayneland Farm has employed local residents of different age groups, from young people to retirees. For many young employees, this is their first paid job, where they learn how to prepare soil for cultivation, fertilize crops, control pests, and sow seeds in greenhouses and fields.
“I have taught dozens of young people how to operate gear levers and clutches on three tractors,” Mayne said.
Mayne places a strong emphasis on imparting these agricultural skills to young people, and many workers will never forget the wonderful times they spent at Mayneland Farm.
“Every year, about 10 to 12 former employees come back to say hello or send us Christmas cards,” the octogenarian farmer said.
For Mayne, working in agriculture is not without its challenges as he must cope with unpredictable weather and issues like inflation, but he has always maintained a high level of positivity.
In 2020, when most restaurants were forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayne was happy to know that his farm could continue operating legally. “We could still legally sell the vegetables picked on the farm,” he said. This bolstered his confidence to continue farming.
Having moved to Naperville in 1949, Mayne has spent most of his life in this city, valuing serving the local community. Over the years, the farm has donated an average of 20,000 pounds of food annually to a local charity food pantry called Loaves and Fishes.
“I Love Working With the Soil”: 81-Year-Old Farmer Continues Stewarding the Land, Loves Teaching the Next Generation