A 1940 article in the Courier-Northerner proclaimed Clinton County, Michigan to be the mint capitol of the world. In a vivid description of the county, the paper recounted that the air smelled similar to the sweet odor of chewing gum. To obtain a usable product, farmers would distill mint leaves. This created a heavy colorless oil that would add taste and scent to every mint flavored food. In 1939, the paper stated that the southern third of the Lower Peninsula harvested 15,000 acres of mint. As of 2020, Michigan ranked fifth in the nation for mint production.
