THE HISTORY OF THE CITRUS GROVES IN NORTHEAST MESA GOES BACK IN OUR FAMILY TO THE EARLY 1900’S. H.THOMAS ARMISTEAD, THE FIRST GENERATION OF CITRUS FARMERS IN THE ARMISTEAD FAMILY WAS EMPLOYED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA EXPERIMENTAL FARM WHICH WAS LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF ALMA SCHOOL ROAD AND MAIN STREET IN MESA, ARIZONA. WORKING AT THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM SPARKED HIS INTEREST IN FARMING AND AROUND 1920 TOM DECIDED TO PURCHASE DESERT ACREAGE IN NORTHEAST MESA AND PLANT CITRUS TREES. WITH THE HELP OF HIS SON, LAWRENCE T. ARMISTEAD, WHO WAS ABOUT AGE 12, TOM WORKED THE DESERT SOIL, CLEARED THE DESERT FOLAGE AND PREPARED TO PLANT A NEW CITRUS GROVE. THIS WAS NOT AN EASY TASK AS THE SOIL WAS DRY AND LACKING IN NUTRIENTS, THE SUPPLY OF IRRIGATION WATER WAS LIMITED, AND THE NEWLY PLANTED CITRUS TREES WOULD NEED A LOT OF WATER. AS OTHER CROP FARMERS IN THE AREA HAD THE SAME NEED FOR WATER, THE LOCAL FARMERS IN THE AREA BANDED TOGETHER TO BUILD A NEW CANAL SYSTEM TO BRING WATER FROM THE LAKES AND RIVERS TO THEIR FARM ACREAGES. THE CANAL SYSTEM, STILL IN USE TODAY, IS OPERATED BYTHE ROOSEVELT WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT WITH ITS OFFICE LOCATED IN HIGLEY, ARIZONA.

LAWRENCE T. ARMISTEAD, THE SECOND GENERATION OF CITRUS FARMERS IN THE FAMILY, PURCHASED AND FARMED 200+ ACRES OF HIS OWN CITRUS AND ALSO SHARECROPPED ON SEVERAL HUNDRED ACRES OF CITRUS GROVES OWNED BY OTHERS. AS HE HAD NO SONS TO HELP, HE HIRED FARM HANDS TO HELP WITH THE CULTIVATING AND IRRIGATING OF HIS CITRUS GROVES. LAWRENCE HAD FOUR DAUGHTERS, AND THE THIRD GENERATION OF CITRUS FARMERS COMES FROM HIS YOUNGEST DAUGHTER WHOSE HUSBAND, DAVID MITTENDORF, CARRIES ON THE TRADITIONS OF THE ARMISTEAD FAMILY.

DAVID BEGAN WORKING WITH HIS FATHER-IN-LAW IN 1974 AND SHARED DUTIES IN THE CITRUS GROVES CULTIVATING, WATERING, PRUNING AND FERTILIZING THE TREES. THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF LAWRENCE’S CITRUS FARMING OPERATION WAS LOCATED NEAR WHAT IS NOW ADOBE STREET AND GREENFIELD ROAD IN EAST MESA. IN THE 1970’S ADOBE WAS A DIRT ROAD THAT LED TO THE EQUIPMENT YARD OF LAWRENCE’S OPERATIONS. AS THE AREA GREW AND AS HOMES WERE BUILT IN NEARBY AREAS, ADOBE BECAME A PAVED STREET. AT THAT TIME A STREET ADDRESS WAS ASSIGNED TO THE EQUIPMENT YARD LOCATION AND LAWRENCE’S CITRUS OPERATIONS BECAME KNOWN AS ARMISTEAD FARMS. THROUGHOUT HIS LIFETIME, LAWRENCE SERVED ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE ROOSEVELT WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND ALSO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE LOCAL CITRUS PACKING HOUSE, MESA CITRUS GROWERS, WHICH IS AFFILLIATED WITH SUNKIST IN CALIFORNIA. MESA CITRUS GROWERS PICKED, PACKED AND SOLD THE CITRUS FRUITS HARVESTED FROM ARMISTEAD FARMS CITRUS GROVES FOR OVER 60 YEARS.

THE 1990’S BROUGHT BIG CHANGES TO THE CITRUS GROVES IN EAST MESA. DEVELOPERS BEGAN BUYING CITRUS GROVES AND PULLING OUT TREES TO BUILD HOMES AMONG THE ACRES OF SWEET SMELLING CITRUS TREES. THE CITRUS GROVES QUICKLY CHANGED FROM CROP PRODUCING GROVES TO NON-PRODUCING, UPSCALE, GATED SUBDIVISIONS. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT LAWRENCE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 80. UNTIL HIS DEATH IN DECEMBER, 1993, LAWRENCE WAS STILL IN CHARGE OF THE FARMING OPERATIONS BUT RELIED HEAVILY ON DAVID FOR THE PHYSICAL WORK. SADLY, SOON AFTER LAWRENCE’S DEATH, THE CITRUS GROVES WERE SOLD. FEW ACRES ARE LEFT OF THE CITRUS GROVES IN EAST MESA AND THE MAJORITY OF THE ORIGINAL CITRUS FARMERS IN THE AREA ARE AGING AND HAVE NO HEIRS WHO WISH TO CONTINUE THE LEGACY IN THEIR FAMILY. THE CITRUS FARMER IS A DYING BREED IN NORTHEAST MESA, ARIZONA.

AFTER THE SALE OF THE CITRUS GROVES, DAVID CONTINUED TO LIVE THE FARMING LIFE BY LEASING AND SHARECROPPING 300+ ACRES OF CITRUS GROVES WITH HIS THREE SONS, KEVIN, CHRIS AND RYAN. THEY ARE THE FOURTH GENERATION OF CITRUS FARMERS IN THE FAMILY. THE CITRUS FRUIT VARIETIES PRODUCED IN THE ACREAGE INCLUDE NAVEL, VALENCIA AND ARIZONA SWEET ORANGES, LEMONS, WHITE AND RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT.

KEVIN, THE OLDEST SON, HAS WORKED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO OBTAIN ORGANIC STATUS THROUGH GUARANTEED ORGANIC CERTIFICATION AGENCY FOR THE CITRUS GROVES THAT ARE FARMED BY ARMISTEAD FARMS. DAVID AND HIS SONS FARM AND HARVEST THE CITRUS FRUIT AND WITH THE HELP OF PATAGONIA ORCHARDS, LLC IN RIO RICO, ARIZONA, PACK AND MARKET THE ORGANIC CITRUS FRUIT TO MANY LOCAL GROCERS. IT IS OUR ENDEAVOR TO GROW, PICK, PACK AND DELIVER OUR CITRUS FRUIT TO YOUR MARKET FASTER, FRESHER AND HEALTHIER THAN ANY OTHER CITRUS PRODUCER IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

ARMISTEAD FARMS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE CITRUS INDUSTRY FOR 80+ YEARS AND WE’RE NOT DONE YET. KEVIN’S SON COULD BE THE FIFTH GENERATION. WHILE HOEING IN HIS NANA’S GARDEN, HE SAID "LOOK NANA, I’M A FARMER!"