I inherited 14 acres of spearmint ready for harvest in Star Idaho I'm not a farmer. What to do?

Question

I inherited 14 acres of spearmint ready for harvest in Star Idaho I'm not a farmer. What to do?

Answer 1

Lease it out to someone local

Answer 2

Mint is growing all over the area, go ask a neighbor would be my answer if you are looking to get the crop taken care of--pretty late in the year.  I just live a bit out of Star.

Answer 3

Can you sell it to the state?

Answer 4

Eat it all.

Do you like tea?

Sell it on e-bay.

Seriously, if this is a serious question and not some math question for school.

Then, I say, offer to sell the property to me.

Answer 5

Go to a local feed store, or produce stand and ask the same question.  They should know what to do and how to do it.

Answer 6

Spray Roundup on it and plant corn!

Answer 7

sell sell sell!

Answer 8

sell it to a local farmer

Answer 9

You need to act quickly because of the timing.

Contact some local farmers and ask them to harvest the crop on a share basis until you learn the process yourself. They will benefit from the extra crop, you will get some money from it and best of all, you will learn what  is involved in  spearmint farming and you can decide if you want to do it again next year or sell the property,  share-crop it continuously, or have it managed by someone.

Answer 10

I'm near Blackfoot, ID, it's already snowing here.  Lucky you are on the warmer side of the state.

You need to get out your phone book, and find your nearest Ag Extension office.  Go down to the Ag Extension office and explain your problem.  The Ag Extension office can help direct you to local farmers growing the same type of crop.

A lot of spearmint and mint is grown in Idaho.  It's a good high dollar crop.  Do you have any idea where the person you inherited the land from was selling too?  

It would be best, if you can get another local farmer, who is growing/harvesting the same crop to help you.  This first year is going to be a serrious learning crash course for you.  I think the mints are harvested more than once a year too, so you need to be ready for next spring.

Talk to a local farmer, and try to work out a deal for him to harvest and help you sell the crop, so you are not totally taken to the cleaners.  

Here's a link on some of the bugs that plague the mints here in Idaho:

http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/Resources/PDFs...

Here's an article that shows what the prices have been (so you have some idea):

http://tax.idaho.gov/propertytax/PTpdfs/...

Here is a very good, but long (33 pages) article on spearmint production:

http://www.rma.usda.gov/pilots/feasible/...

As I understand it, mint production is rather controlled.  They may not allow you to harvest and sell your spearmint, if you did not also inherit the rights for it.  Truelly you need to talk to a farmer near the land who also grows the same crop.

Here's a copy of one of the alotment forms (not Idaho, however):

http://www.farwestspearmint.org/password...

Best of luck to you, I wish I could be of more help!

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 11

Call the local coop in the area and tell them your situation.  Tell them that you would like to hire a crop manager and for him to handle the harvest.  Was it your family that planted it or was it rented out, or did they contract somebody to do each part.  I bet if you talk to locals, you will find out who did it last year and who you should talk to.