.JPG "Mint Farming Business")
It is a herbaceous rhizomatous perennial plant growing 30–100 cm tall, with variably hairless to hairy stems and foliage, and a wide-spreading fleshy underground rhizome. The leaves are 5–9 cm long and 1.5–3 cm broad, with a serrated margin. The stem is square-shaped, a trademark of the mint family of herbs. Spearmint produces flowers in slender spikes, each flower pink or white, 2.5–3 mm long and broad.
Hybrids involving spearmint include Mentha × piperita (peppermint; hybrid with Mentha aquatica), Mentha × gracilis (ginger mint, syn. M. cardiaca; hybrid with Mentha arvensis), and Mentha × villosa (large apple mint, hybrid with Mentha suaveolens).
Types and Uses
Mint comes in hundreds of types, each with a specific minty
flavor. Most people are familiar with the peppermint and spearmint variety, but
there are many others. Some of these even include surprisingly chocolate,
pineapple and banana! Mint is also an herb that is easy to grow, making it a
good money crop to sell for use in cooking and scented potpourris and for
natural healing purposes as mint tea and mint rubs.
Growing
Growing mint depends on how much is wanted for sale upon
harvest. A few beds would be good for selling in a yard side stand. More is
needed if the mint is intended for a larger farmers market. Either way it is
best to buy mint plants from a home garden supply store. Mint does grow from seed,
but it takes much longer. Growing a crop from mint plants is more efficient in
making a profit. Plant the mint in the spring in a contained bed or in an open
area of ground away from other plant varieties so that the mint does not spread
into them. Mint does best in a lightly shaded area. As the plants grow, water
them occasionally to keep soil slightly moist but not saturated.
Harvesting
Mint is harvested by pinching off the leaves. After removing
the mature leaves, pinch off the stem and discard to make more room for growing
plants. Harvesting is done once the plants have fully formed larger leaves.
Plants grow at a different rate at times, so it is fine to harvest whenever
necessary. Then, when the season ends in the fall, harvest whatever remains.
Spread the leaves out and allow drying before packaging them for sale, if
desired, or they can be sold fresh picked.
Packaging
Packaging the mint leaves is a fairly easy process in a
small business. For roadside stands, the leaves can be placed in zipped plastic
baggies. This will keep them fresh. A label can be added to the baggie
detailing what kind of mint is inside. For selling at larger farm markets,
organic markets and shops, jars make a good packaging container. For extra
motivation for customers to buy, attach labels with the history of mint printed
on them or a list of its uses. The mint is now ready to be sold by the desired
method.
Selling
Selling options range from easy to the more involved. With
the roadside stand, simply set the packaged mint out in sight. Make a yard sign
informing passersby that mint is sold there. The larger farm and organic
markets have procedures to follow to sell product in their markets. Give them a
call before planting to get a complete understanding of what is expected.
Another way to sell the mint crop for money is online. Set up a webpage with
all pertinent information on what kinds are available, how much it costs and
how it will be shipped. Score, a small-business support association, can offer
more advice on this method and related large mint business procedures and in
small business in general. Making money with mint because of the variations of
choices throughout the process is a viable option in adding to current income.
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