THANK A FARMER: Mappes Family brings farm-fresh meat to Norman

May 18—Editor's note: This story was updated May 20 at 10:22 a.m. to correct the Mappes Farms Meat Market hours of operation.

Farming is a family affair for the Mappes Family, who have raised hogs and cattle for four generations.

Darryl Mappes, the patriarch of the family, learned how to care for animals from his father, Henry "Doc" Mappes. Doc was the first veterinarian in Moore, and he had participated in 4-H from an early age.

Doc initially started a farm near what is now Sooner Road in rural Cleveland County. In 1982, he bought 108 acres in east Norman and gave five acres to each of his children, who moved out and got to work helping him raise Duroc hogs.

Doc and Darryl traveled the country showing their pigs, a practice Darryl continued after his father passed away in 2004. In 2011, Darryl made history with a pig named Crown Royal, who won $100,000 at the National Swine Registry Conference — the highest selling price of any Duroc hog up to that point in history.

Darryl and his wife, Tammy, passed down their love of farming to their children, Cole Mappes and Brittany Mappes-Opoein; Darryl said having his family close was among the most fulfilling parts of the job.

"We want to keep the tradition going," Tammy said. "We want to keep farming alive."

Darryl has started business ventures with each of his children. Cole and Darryl run Mappes Trucking, a hauling business.

The idea came to Darryl while he was harvesting hay. Going in circles out on the tractor, Darryl has plenty of time to think, and that's when he says some of his best ideas come to him.

"I counted 150 dump trucks one day," Darryl said. "I came home and told my son, 'We oughta get in the dump truck business!'"

With Brittany, Darryl opened Mappes Farms Meat Market, where the family sells beef and pork. Brittany runs the store, which is located on the family's farm, fulfilling both online and in-person orders.

It's hard work, farming cattle, hogs and hay alongside two business ventures. The Mappes Family doesn't sugarcoat that.

"[Darryl] doesn't get a day off, seven days a week. I mean, he's been out before daylight in the morning and not come home 'til 11 or 12 o'clock at night," Tammy said.

The couple were resolute in passing on that work ethic to their children.

"Our kids grew up knowing how to work, how to take care of something," Tammy said. "A lot of kids, their parents just buy them a car when they turn 16. Our kids saved their show money, and when they turned 16, they had cash to go buy them a car. And they didn't wreck their cars; my son still has his first pickup."

Now, Darryl and Tammy's five grandchildren, who range in age from 4 to 15, are learning those lessons. Brittany says her daughter has already taken a shine to farming, as has Cole's 4-year-old daughter.

"I want them to make their own choices in life," Brittany said. "It would be awesome if they wanted to carry this on, but they'll know where they came from if they choose a different path."

Darryl acknowledged it's getting harder and harder to run a family-size farm. In eastern Norman, many families are selling their farmland to housing developers.

"You can't blame them, when they offer them that kind of money," Darryl said, adding one farm was recently sold for $3.2 million.

Like many residents of eastern Norman, the Mappes Family is also concerned about losing land to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's ACCESS Oklahoma plan, which would route a new turnpike extension through rural Cleveland County.

"I saw this sign out in the middle of a field that says, 'You're gonna miss this,' and to me, that is how I feel," Brittany said. "We need the farmland. Farmers need the farmland."

"We enjoy the seclusion, we enjoy the peacefulness — which will probably go away when the turnpike is built," Tammy said.

But the Mappes Family isn't going anywhere any time soon. If you'd like to try their beef and pork for yourself, their store is open at 3901 E. Franklin Rd on Thursdays from 5-7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Shop online anytime at mappesfarmsmeatmarket.com. Order pickups are typically on Saturday.