Catnip as a Cash Crop

We definitely approve of growing great quantities of Catnip (though we are not quite certain why), but we would just as soon you not consume or brew or otherwise waste it:

Catnip as a Cash Crop:Most people are well aware of the fact that cats are fascinated by catnip. It seems the little animals can't resist the lure of Nepeta cataria's essential oils, which are said to be similar in scent to the chemicals a female feline gives off during her mating period.

Lesser known, however, is the fact that the plant's dried leaves and flowers make a tasty herb tea, and-when brewed a bit stronger-the beverage becomes a potent medicinal concoction for the treatment of common colds, menstrual pains, baby colic, flatulence, flu, tension headaches, nervousness, and insomnia.

On our Florida farm, we grow the attractive herb for all those reasons, but-primarily-our catnip patch is a 20-acre cash crop . . . that adds thousands of dollars to our income!

Helps with flatulence, you say? Okay. Drink up, everyone.

—Swiper the Cat

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