A few years ago I met a farming family, and fell in love with their ingenious products. Every year that I’ve gone back to Natural Products West, I eagerly seek out their booth to see what new delights I might find. Finally, I can write the article about them that I’ve been trying to share with my readers for so long now. Without further ado… Meet the Seelys!!!
This 3rd generation farming family grows MINT! Yes, you read that right, they’re mint farmers. Located on their family farm up in Oregon, you can find the Seely family sustainably harvesting both “premium-quality heirloom Black Mitcham Peppermint and Native Spearmint.” They process the mint themselves, and turn it into both mint tea, and various other products that all benefit from their mint oil.
Now, if you’re wondering why there are pictures of candy attached to this article, that’s because those “various other products” that I was talking about, are in-fact Candy! The candy canes and chocolate treats you see pictured, are all their creations. Beautiful candy canes, both in the traditional shape, and shaped into ribbons, are annual staples of what they produce. You may have already seen their handy work, as the ribbons have been stocked in Whole Food Markets (as well as other stores) for several years now. They’re especially proud of their mint patties, but for my money, the best thing I was able to sample were their mint melts (both in Belgium and white chocolate). I could eat an entire handful easily, and as a bonus, still walk away with great smelling breath to boot.
Having spoken to them more than a couple of times over the years at Food shows, I can say that they are friendly people, looking to preserve a family farming tradition; while keeping true to their sustainable practices. If you’ve been looking expand your field-to-fork options beyond the standard dinner table fare, then here’s what you’ve been looking for. From the growing, harvesting, and processing of their mint, the Seely family’s mint farm now offers you the chance to include your dessert options in your goal to eat green.
As mentioned above, you can find several of the Seely candy line in most Whole Foods around the nation, but if that isn’t an option you can also order directly from the farmers themselves. You can find the entire line-up of sweets for sale on their website, and if you’re looking for something by Christmas, they’ve posted that they can still try to make that happen as long as you order by 12/20. However, you can still keep ordering all year long. Trust me, it’s worth it. Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!
Practically-Green.com 