On Your Farm

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Magazines & Reviews

Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

Getting to the heart of country life with a look at individual farming endeavours

BBC Radio 4 FM

On Your Farm: Mint revival

Mint revival

BBC Radio 4 - On Your Farm, Mint revival

Anna Jones visits a farm in Hampshire where mint is proving a successful crop.

Anna Jones visits a farm in Hampshire where they're growing peppermint to turn into everything from luxury chocolates to hand lotion.

A century ago peppermint used to be grown as a commercial crop in Britain. The need to maximise food production during the Second World War put an end to that, but thirty years ago one farm owner in Hampshire went on a crusade to revive mint production. Now it's a successful crop on his farm, and is used to make everything from luxury chocolates to hand lotion. In this programme, Anna Jones visits the farm to find out how mint is grown and how it is distilled to produce essential oil, turning one of the farm barns into a smell sensation! She also hears from the man whose brainchild the whole enterprise was back in the 1990s.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Emma Campbell.

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

On Your Farm

Mint revival

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4