From Farm to Feet: The Story of Mayo Mills
What if the cotton growing in a field in Tarboro could end up as the socks on your feet?
For Mayo Mills, that idea has become a family business rooted in North Carolina agriculture, manufacturing and a desire to create something close to home.
Tarboro native Tate Mayo, a fourth-generation farmer, joined forces with his sisters, Grace and Deanna Mayo, to launch Mayo Mills in 2017. Their concept starts with something their family knows well: cotton grown right here on the Mayo family farm.
From there, the cotton makes its way through North Carolina, where it is processed into yarn in Thomasville before returning to Tarboro to be made into socks at the Mayo Mills facility. It’s a process the family describes simply as “farm to feet.”
But the story is about more than a pair of socks. It’s about family, agriculture and keeping a North Carolina-grown product connected to the state throughout its journey.
Now, Mayo Mills is continuing to grow. The company entered the wholesale market in January 2026, and its products can now be found at retailers in North Carolina and beyond. In September, the family also opened a Mayo Mills outlet store in Tarboro.
In the Fall 2026 edition of Tar River Arts + Culture Magazine, we take readers behind the brand to learn more about the Mayo family, the process behind their products and how a crop grown in Edgecombe County is becoming a finished product right here in North Carolina.
We also want to give a BIG thank you to the advertisers who helped make this edition possible:
And a special thank you to Allegra for helping bring this publication to print.
Read the full Mayo Mills story in Fall TRA+C →
