SOUTH BEND, Ind. – This year marks the 58th Master Farmer class in Indiana. The Indiana Master Farmer award is co-sponsored by Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, and Indiana Prairie Farmer. The program recognizes outstanding Indiana farmers and agribusiness professionals who demonstrate exceptional dedication, leadership and a strong work ethic in agriculture.

South Bend farmer Randy Matthys, who specializes in the production of mint, is one of five honored in the 2025 Master Farmer class.

Matthys, a fourth-generation farmer, manages nearly 6,000 acres of crops, including corn, wheat, and notably, both spearmint (500 acres) and peppermint (350 acres). His dedication to mint production has made him a recognized voice in the state.

The Matthys family may not be the first mint famers in Indiana, but it’s among the oldest. Matthys’ grandparents started raising mint out of convenience due to a nearby mint still in the 1930s. And Matthys has fond memories of running through the mint fields at Shady Lane Farms.

“It was obviously something I wanted to do and wanted to carry on and keep it moving forward,” he said. “It’s really a unique crop and such a small group of us growers are flavoring the world.”

This decision sparked a nearly century-long tradition in mint farming for the family near South Bend. Matthys has plans to increase his mint operation at Shady Lane Farms to 1,000 acres, in addition to his corn and soybean acreage. Matthys said sticking with the crop was a no-brainer as the farm transitioned from his father to him.

“We just always had mint,” Matthys said. “Every summer growing up, it was mint harvest time. It still is.”

Matthys held steadfast to mint while also staying on top of innovations for his corn and soybean operation. Matthys has continued to work with mint growers across Indiana and the U.S., staying involved with the Mint Industry Research Council (MIRC) and the Midwest Mint Growers. Shortly after the MIRC formed 50 years ago in Chicago, Matthys became involved in the organization.

“I wanted to make sure that Indiana is represented,” he said.

Mint was in demand at that time his grandparents grew it in South Bend and the crop grew well in their muck soils. Muck soils are ideal for raising high-quality specialty crops such as radishes, onions, carrots, potatoes – and mint. The soil is a darker color, which warms faster, and its fluffy density helps the roots take hold and mature faster.

The crop requires well-drained, fertile soil and benefits from a moist environment. It has a shallow root system that is sensitive to drought. Irrigation systems often are used to maintain ideal growing conditions.

“Northwest Indiana’s soil and climate is ideal for increasing mint production,” said Petrus Langenhoven, a Purdue University Extension vegetable specialist. “For instance, we can grow mint here in West Lafayette, but the mint oil yield will be a lot lower than what it will be in the northern part of the state. The quality of the oil will remain the same, but the quantity will be a lot less. They just try to maximize how much oil they get from that acre for that year.”

As with alfalfa hay, leaves are an important component of mint hay. Fewer leaves equal less mint oil.

“A lot of people don’t realize how much effort goes into collecting mint leaves,” Langenhoven said. “The main oil content is in the leaves, so if the grower loses leaves due to rain or a delay in drying, it can result in a significant financial loss.”

Mint is typically planted in the spring, soon after the ground has thawed. It’s planted by stolons that are cut into four-inch pieces. Mint can’t be planted with seeds. Rather, it starts from these root stolons, also called runners. A specialty digger is used to bore trenches for the roots. Then there’s a specialty planter to sow the roots.

These mint stolons are horizontal stems that grow from the base of the plant just above the soil surface and produce new plants from buds at their tips. Once established, mint is a perennial.

“I’ve always been told the plant must go into dormancy to produce oil the next year. It needs to have that season,” Matthys said.

According to Matthys, mint growers mow the crop in August through October, cutting and swathing with no crimping. They then leave it to dry in the field for about two days. The hay is then chopped and blown into large wagons or tubs to dry. Matthys said his wagons will hold 16,000-20,000 pounds of mint hay.

After this, the mint is then put through a hydro-distillation process. The wagons are hooked up to pressurized steam directed through small openings in the floor of the wagon. Both steam and mint oil are condensed and separated into a tank. Due to the density differences, mint oil rises to the top, and water sinks to the bottom.

Once separated, mint oil is skimmed from the top. Extracted mint oil is stored in stainless-steel barrels, weighted and sold to distributors.

“The oil is our crop,” Matthys said. “That’s what we’re after.”

Earlier harvests on certain varieties also can allow mint to have a double cutting if conditions are ideal and if plant regrowth reaches a certain height, usually 60 to 65 days after the first cut. The oil quality does not decrease with a second cutting.

“The quality of the oil remains the same, but the quantity will be a lot less,” Matthys said.

While mint growing began in the Midwest, it is no longer the only region in the country that is growing the plant. Today, most of the U.S. mint acreage is located in the Pacific Northwest, where farmers see larger yields.

Mint likes sunshine, Matthys said, but there’s a reason it isn’t grown down south. It needs to be a bit farther north so that it goes dormant during the winter as an important part of its growing cycle. The crop is not planted anew each year, but farmers usually can get three to four years out of each planting.

Matthys said there’s a decline in U.S. mint growers, adding that the industry has faced a series of hits with growing demand for foreign mint oil and synthetic flavoring. “I think we’ve hit the bottom,” he said, “but I’m the eternal optimist.”

Matthys, 70, is now passing the torch to his son Doug and Doug’s wife, Kala, who represents Indiana on the MIRC board.

Other Master Farmer awards for 2025 were presented to Kent and Isabella Chism (Galveston), Mark Kingma (DeMotte), Phil and Cindy Ramsey (Shelbyville) and Scott Smith (Windfall).