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CapitalPress.com
Friday, March 27, 2020
Mint: ‘Mint is a really interesting specialty crop to grow’
Continued from Page 1
The Reerslevs run one
of just three remaining mint
distilleries in the valley in a
time when, despite continued
consumer demand for mint,
Northwest growers grapple
with deadly fungi and foreign
competition.
“Mint is a really interesting
specialty crop to grow,” said
Reerslev. “But it’s not easy.
You’ve got to have a sense of
humor to grow mint.”
He grinned.
Last mint standing
John Reerslev/Reerslev Farms Inc.
The Reerslevs grow a vari-
ety of crops on 2,000 acres.
In 2005, the farm grew about
600 acres of mint that yielded
60,000 pounds of mint oil.
This year, the farm will grow
just 150 acres of mint and pro-
duce about 15,000 pounds of
oil.
The farm is scaling back its
operation, said Reerslev, in the
face of industry challenges.
“We’ve seen a lot of other
farms stop growin’ mint alto-
gether,” said David Reerslev,
68, John’s brother and farm
co-owner. He shuffled from
foot to foot on well-worn
boots.
When the Reerslevs built
their distillery in 1966, they
did it alongside two other
farms — which are no longer
growing mint.
“We’re the last man stand-
ing,” said David Reerslev.
Mint oil during the distil-
lation process.
Sierra Dawn McClain/Capital Press
John Reerslev, a second-generation mint grower in Junction City, Ore., plucks a sprig
of young mint from a dormant field in March.
duction, adding more each
year. And Washington has
already outpaced Oregon,
producing about 2.2 million
pounds of oil.
Together, Ostlund esti-
mates, the three states con-
stitute 80% of the domestic
industry.
One of the reasons mint
acreage is simultaneously
shrinking in Oregon but
expanding elsewhere is Idaho
and Washington, relatively
new to the industry, have
more “virgin soils” available
that aren’t contaminated by
verticillium wilt, mint’s arch
nemesis.
‘Maybe mint’
Shrinkage, expansion
Although Oregon now has
fewer distilleries, the North-
west mint industry continues
strong. Acreage isn’t disap-
pearing; it’s just shifting loca-
tions from Oregon to Idaho
and Washington, where the
cost of production is often
lower.
According to Bryan Ost-
lund, executive director of
the Oregon Mint Commis-
sion and administrator of the
Mint Industry Research Coun-
cil (MIRC), the Willamette
Valley alone produces some
10,000 acres of mint.
Statewide, he said, Oregon
has about 50 growers and will
plant about 18,000 acres of
mint this year, resulting in 2
million pounds of mint oil —
enough to give every person
on earth 13 sticks of mint-fla-
vored chewing gum.
“It’s big here, but we’ve
recently lost some acres in
Oregon,” said Ostlund.
Some Oregon growers told
the Capital Press they’ve cut
back mint acreage by as much
as 20% in the past year.
Meanwhile, Ostlund said,
acreage is swelling in neigh-
boring states.
Idaho, he said, now nearly
rivals Oregon in acres of pro-
According to Kelly Vin-
ing, horticulturalist and mint
researcher at Oregon State
University, verticillium wilt,
caused by the fungus verti-
cillium dahlia, causes wilting
and death in mint.
Once a field is infected, it
stays that way. Mint is a peren-
nial plant typically grown
in four-year rotations. Many
other crops, such as straw-
berries and potatoes, are not
themselves hurt by this strain
of wilt but can act as hosts to
keep it alive in the soil. Even
if farmers rotate crops hoping
to choke out the fungus before
the next mint crop, their efforts
are often in vain.
The Reerslevs primar-
ily grow Mentha xpiperita,
or peppermint, a sterile plant
propagated through root rather
than seed. For each new mint
crop, David Reerslev said, the
family buys “clean,” or fun-
gus-free, root stock from vir-
gin soils in Burns, Ore.
“But we plant the clean
roots in our wilty soil, and
they get contaminated,” said
David Reerslev.
“We like to call the fresh
root stock ‘baby mint,’”
added John Reerslev, casting a
knowing smile at his brother.
“But it’s not baby mint any-
more; it’s maybe mint.”
To combat the fungus,
some growers propagate their
own root stock, such as Scott
Setniker, a third-generation
farmer in Independence, Ore.
The fungus was introduced
to Northwest soils through
early farming practices when
settlers crossed the continent,
according to the Mint Industry
Research Council.
North America’s mint
industry started on the East
Coast, said Ostlund, where
there was a natural pathogen.
“Settlers kept looking for
fresh ground,” he said, “and it
progressed from east to Mid-
west and ultimately out to the
Far West.”
Peppermint, spearmint
Some mint varieties,
such as spearmint, are rela-
tively resistant to wilt. But to
limit oversupply, in 2018, the
USDA created a rule to limit
who can grow spearmint and
in what quantity.
Spearmint and pepper-
mint are actually very differ-
ent. Because of its 40% men-
thol content, peppermint has a
pungent smell and a cooling,
refreshing taste — popularly
found in toothpastes and hol-
iday treats.
Spearmint, in contrast,
contains only 0.5% menthol,
resulting in a delicate scent
and sweet, herbal flavors. It
is often used in savory recipes
such as Mediterranean lamb
dishes. The demand — and,
therefore, the acreage — for
peppermint is far greater.
Race to the future
Growers across the North-
west, frustrated by the dis-
ease that ails their peppermint
plants, say they’re excited
about
ongoing
research
to develop wilt-resistant
varieties.
Vining, the OSU horti-
culturalist, studies genom-
ics, or genetic mapping, of
mint, and is working to iden-
tify genes and markers for wilt
resistance. Vining uses tra-
ditional plant breeding tech-
niques rather than genetic
engineering.
But she and other research-
ers have not yet developed a
variety suitable for the market,
because the relatively wilt-re-
sistant plants so far produce
low yields, poor oil and the
wrong scent.
“It will take a lot of
crosses,” said Vining. “We’ll
just slog through until we get
it right. We’re not quite there
yet, but we’re getting closer
to field trials, and I hope
soon we’ll have something
marketable.”
Mint growers, Vining said,
have offered to be part of
future field trials.
World of mint
Americans aren’t the first
to cultivate mint.
More than 25 species of
mint are grown throughout the
world for many purposes.
The ancient Egyptians used
the herb as a remedy for indi-
gestion, and dried peppermint
leaves have been found in pyr-
amids dating to 1,000 B.C.,
according to the Museum of
Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo.
In Greek mythology, a
beautiful nymph, Minthe,
angered Persephone, the
goddess of vegetation, who
turned Minthe into a plant —
from which we get the later
Latin word “mentha” and the
English “mint.”
Ancient Roman author
Pliny commended young
Romans to wear mint wreaths
to “exhilarate their minds.”
The Bible records that the
Pharisees paid a tenth of their
mint as a tithe.
Mint appears in classic lit-
erature and plays, ranging
from Chaucer to Shakespeare.
And in the Middle Ages,
people used powdered mint
leaves to whiten their teeth: a
tradition that has continued.
Today, according to the
industry’s Research Coun-
cil, 45% of mint oil is used
to flavor toothpaste, mouth-
wash and other oral hygiene
products.
Mint was, and is, global.
And so is the competition.
‘Walmart effect’
“It’s the Walmart effect,”
said Ostlund of the MIRC,
“globalization.”
China, Brazil and espe-
cially India have developed
strong mint industries in
recent decades. Researchers
say these global crops, pro-
duced more cheaply than U.S.
mint, have become a major
source of competition for the
domestic industry.
Globally produced mint
hasn’t been able to entirely
displace the domestic indus-
try, because experts say U.S.
oils are higher quality in scent
and flavor.
“The Willamette Valley
produces the highest quality
mint anywhere,” said Ostlund.
“But if you can’t compete
price-wise, it’s all for naught.”
The harvesting and dis-
tilling processes for mint are
complex and expensive.
“Mint harvest is like a
mini-business in itself,” said
John Reerslev.
John and his wife, Karla,
have a biological son, a
daughter adopted from India
and five adopted from Ethio-
pia. When harvest time came
through the years, it was “all
hands on deck” — with John’s
brothers David and Kenny,
John’s nephews, Karla and
the kids and an assortment of
locals — working together, in
shifts, 24 hours a day, for three
weeks.
Even with a smaller oper-
ation this year, the harvesting
and distilling process will still
be intense and costly.
Mint growers say they
work at the front of a long
distribution chain: including
farm laborers, drivers, deal-
er-handlers (there are only six
in the U.S.), flavoring house
specialists in lab coats exam-
ining the oils, product manu-
facturers, retailers and at last,
consumers.
As technology develops,
domestic producers are fac-
ing a more uncertain future.
Researchers say synthetic
oils are gaining popularity,
especially in candies and
treats.
And according to Ostlund,
professional flavorists are per-
fecting the skill of blending
oils — using a cheaper Indian
mint base with just enough
Northwest-grown mint to cre-
ate, for example, a “Willa-
mette flavor profile,” mimick-
ing the valley’s high-quality
oil at a lower cost.
Experts say it remains to
be seen whether brands move
away from reliance on domes-
tic growers, or young consum-
ers push for more “local” and
“natural” mint as they have
done with other products.
Some brands have man-
aged to maintain relationships
with local farmers in the face
of international industry shifts.
Setniker, the mint grower,
estimates Colgate-Palmolive
still sources more than 60% of
its mint from the Willamette
Valley.
“I and my son are in a video
Colgate made,” he said. “And
you can even find a picture of
us with Colgate toothpaste on
Amazon. Our little moments
of fame.”
He chuckled pleasantly.
‘Booms and busts’
Vining of OSU said there
have always been “booms and
busts” in the mint industry. In
recent years, she said, between
international competition, fun-
gal challenges and new crop
trends — like displacing mint
fields with long-term hazel-
nut orchards — domestic mint
has been pushed out of the
limelight.
“But it may make a come-
back,” she said. “We’ll
see what happens with the
research. And regardless,
there will always be a niche
for Northwest mint, espe-
cially Willamette Valley mint.
It’s grown on family farms.
And it’s an important regional
tradition.”
Morning sunlight spilled
into John Reerslev’s distill-
ery, creating a kaleidoscope
of golden blocks and deep
shadows on the floor. He
stood beside the great iron
boiler built in 1944. The room
smelled of peppermint.
“The baby mint are just
poking out now,” said Reer-
slev. “And then we’ll harvest
around the first of August. I
was 12 when my father started
raising mint. And here we are,
another year.”
Water: Some farmers are enthusiastic about greater data access Outbreak: No reliable estimates
Continued from Page 1
farmers, move out of are cheaper and less time-consum-
of how long the shutdown will last
the way and they’ll ing, OpenET may allow farmers to use
our tools are for actually managing
water resources,” said Buzz Thomp-
son, a natural resources law professor
and faculty director for Stanford Uni-
versity’s Water in the West program.
“OpenET could be revolutionary.”
Draw a line from North Dakota to
Texas, and those 17 states to the west
will be included in the initial project,
according to Robyn Grimm, OpenET
project manager for EDF. The model,
Grimm said, may spread to remaining
states and other countries.
OpenET will not make private data
public, according to Melton of NASA.
Instead, OpenET will choreograph
fragments of already-public informa-
tion, such as weather data sets and field
boundaries, into one coherent platform.
“Water management agencies and
others already have access to this type
of information,” said Melton. “But
because in the past it’s often been lim-
ited and expensive, not everyone who
needs the data has had access to it. I
think having equal access to informa-
tion can lead to better decisions, espe-
cially for water management.”
Some farmers are enthusiastic about
greater data access.
“Right now, we use aerial imag-
ery and infrared technology,” said Don
Cameron, vice president of Terranova
Ranch in Helm, Calif. “And we pay for
it. If we had another tool, it would be
really helpful.”
Don Parrish, senior director of reg-
ulatory relations at the American Farm
Bureau, said he predicts OpenET will
cut farmers’ costs while increasing pro-
ductivity and efficiency.
“Saving water saves farmers money,
so they have a strong incentive to con-
serve,” said Parrish. “If a program like
OpenET makes cents — as in dollars
and cents — then make it available to
adopt it.”
But other farmers
told the Capital Press
they fear the data
could be used against
Don
them.
Cameron
“With the data
going open and pub-
lic, are growers going to have environ-
mental groups sue their pants off for
perceived overuse of water?” said a
Washington state viticulturist who did
not wish to be identified.
The data may also be used to enforce
water rights and enable water trading.
According to Thompson of Water in
the West, ET data has been used for at
least a decade in regulatory and legal
conflicts.
“This kind of data will help
police and enforce water rights,” said
Thompson.
In civil cases, he said, the standard
of proof is essentially “more probable
than not.” So even if data accuracy is
imperfect — OpenET will have a 15%
margin of error, according to Melton —
it can be used as case evidence.
But, said Thompson, a landowner
always has other options to gather more
fine-tuned data, such as hiring water
consultants.
OpenET has limitations, such as
monitoring in areas with cloud cover
over extended periods. But no system
is perfect, said Grimm of EDF, and
OpenET is meant to complement rather
than replace existing systems.
Other methods, such as well meter-
ing, continue to be important.
Meters measure what is being
pumped or extracted, while ET reveals
what is leaving the system. Both fac-
tors, Grimm said, are important for
water management.
Grimm said because ET estimates
other technologies less frequently, sav-
ing them time and money.
“I’ve talked to farmers who are eager
to get their hands on this data,” said Par-
rish of the American Farm Bureau.
Melton said OpenET users will
access data through an easily naviga-
ble web interface — with maps, zoom
options, irrigation district information,
water use history features and more.
The research team is working to
make data available continuously,
within 48 hours of measurement.
According to Tyler Erickson, devel-
oper advocate for Google Earth Engine,
users can request specific reports: for
example, of aggregated water use for a
watershed, administrative boundary or
agricultural field.
Those who want to dig deeper, he
said, can access a programming data-
base. OpenET will use optical satellite
imagery with a resolution of 30 by 30
centimeters, allowing farmers to com-
pare field to field, but not likely row to
row, said Erickson.
Farmers can also create their own
secure OpenET accounts in which they
can submit information such as prop-
erty maps that will not be shared but
will increase the accuracy of their own
data, said Melton.
“But we don’t want to just throw
information at people,” said Robyn
Grimm, OpenET project manager for
EDF. “We want to contextualize the
data.”
Grimm said OpenET will pro-
vide videos, manuals and in-person
trainings.
“I’m optimistic OpenET will turn
out to be more positive than negative,”
said Parrish of the American Farm
Bureau. “I know this makes some farm-
ers feel uneasy, but overall, I think this
could be a good thing for agriculture.”
Continued from Page 1
most of their crops under contract.
But farmers and others are also
worried that a prolonged COVID-
19-related shutdown could ulti-
mately hit them. No reliable esti-
mates of how long the shutdown
will last in the U.S. have been
offered, although officials in
China and South Korea report that
they have likely already seen the
worst of the outbreak.
Ruddenklau, who also grows
grass seed, worried that a prolonged
shutdown could ultimately cause
that market to nose-dive if the hous-
ing market goes into a slump.
“People might not have the
income to spend on house lawns,”
she said. “It’s not an essential. The
grass seed market took a down-
turn during the last recession, and
it probably will again.”
Ostlund, who is also adminis-
trator of Grass Seed USA, offered
an optimistic prediction for that
commodity.
“I expect the market for seed
for forage will still be good,” he
said. “And if golf courses stay
open in the next few months, that’s
still a significant source of income
for grass seed suppliers.”
Ruddenklau said farm supply
companies will still be busy.
“As farmers, we need our sup-
pliers,” she said.
Freeman of Marion Ag Prod-
ucts said he anticipates busi-
nesses connected to farming will
stay open: feed stores, equipment
providers, suppliers of seed and
fertilizer.
“I think we’re really fortunate
that, given this bad situation, our
organization still has the ability to
give customers the tools they need
to grow their crops,” he said. “I
just hope capital will remain avail-
able to farmers. We’re OK now,
but if this goes on for months,
everything could change.”
He and others predicted that a
prolonged shutdown in the general
economy could impact everyone,
including farmers.
“Looking down the road, I
think this will hurt a lot of sectors
of agriculture,” Freeman said.
Although agricultural busi-
nesses are staying open, said Dave
Dillon, executive vice president
of the Oregon Farm Bureau, the
long-term impact of the virus will
likely hit the farm economy hard.
“At least agriculture is still
open,” he said. “But there’s a
huge distinction between continu-
ing to operate versus operating
profitably.”
Dillon also said niche sec-
tors of agriculture will likely be
impacted: agritourism, farm-
ers markets, on-farm direct sales,
flower growers and farms selling
primarily to restaurants.
But he also said that if any-
one can get through the challenges
ahead, farmers can.
He recalled that several dozen
Oregon farms were recently hon-
ored as sesquicentennial farms for
staying in business 150 years.
“They’ve seen two world
wars, global depression, 18 per-
cent interest rates and more,” he
said. “There’s a perseverance and
ingenuity in agricultural people to
work through hard times like this.
But we might not come out the
same.”