This holiday season, bestow Nebraska’s finest to Santa’s nice list. From farm-fresh delights to small-batch specialties, these homegrown goodies pack local flavor straight from the heartland to your festive table.

The Chocolate Season
Lincoln
thechocolateseason.com
(402) 466-1139

Baking is a sixth love language for Erika Jensen, owner and co-founder of The Chocolate Season. It burgeoned from a young age in the kitchen of her grandma, who taught her the invaluable lesson that every one of life’s seasons is best celebrated with chocolate.

The family-owned Lincoln chocolaterie and espresso bar began as an online business, producing chocolates in an old two-room schoolhouse north of Omaha. They opened their first brick and mortar in 2010, offering hand-painted chocolate truffles. Grandma’s presence is still felt in every corner of the chocolaterie; recipes like her flaky quiche crust are beloved by customers, made to feel like family the moment they enter the shop’s doors.

Erika, adoringly referred to as a “flavor alchemist,” designs edible artwork. With bon bons and truffles as her canvas, Erika decorates each artisanal chocolate to engage all senses through varying textures, flavors and sensations. Each hand-painted, bite-sized treat contributes to a vibrant collection in their best-selling gourmet chocolate boxes.

BonBon, a catering coffee and treats truck, tailors a tantalizing array of cinnamon and sugar coffee cake, Scotcheroos and cappuccinos for hire at personal events. Hot cocoa bombs, crunchy peppermint chocolate bark and classic peanut brittle with a brown butter twist are only a few stocking stuffers that will be gone before the presents are even unwrapped.



Jisa’s Farmstead Cheese
Brainard
jisacheese.com
(402) 545-2000

At Jisa Farms, corn, soybeans and alfalfa grow from the fertile soil of their Butler County farm. This land has fed the Holstein herd since Lad Jisa started the dairy farm back in 1946. Back then, Jisa Dairy milked 10 cows. Three generations of Jisa patriarchs carry on the family tradition. Lad’s son Dave and grandsons David and John operate proudly at the helm. 

When milk prices plummeted in the early 2000s, Dave decided to turn his dairy into value-added commodities like ice cream or cheese. Ultimately, he went the savory route; cheese was a staple in Americans’ diets. He joined the University of Nebraska food technology department’s pilot cheese plant. Here, he received assistance in making his first batch of cheese, product labels and nutrition facts panel. Jisa’s Farmstead Cheese was born. 

Three times daily, 300 cows are milked, and their fresh milk is transported just one mile down the road to the family’s cheese plant in Brainard. In vats that hold up to 20,000 pounds, the milk is heated, cooled and carefully cultured before it transforms into creamy cheese curds. The curds are then pressed into blocks or kept as cheese nuggets, seasoned and prepared for its vacuum-packed journey to tables across Nebraska. Meanwhile, the leftover whey feeds the next generation of calves, keeping the cycle of good cheese flowing. 

Jisa Farms’ creamy Havarti block, smoky Buffalo Wing nuggets and award-winning California Garlic Pepper nuggets, an American Cheese Society award winner, are something worth savoring.

 

Nutt Family Country Market
Ravenna
nuttfamilycountrymarket.com
(308) 440-7833

On warm summer days, you’ll often find the Nutt brood – Bailey, Gunner and Charlie – wandering through their family farm, baskets in hand, picking plump plums and wild berries straight from the bountiful vine. For the Nutts, every jar of jam begins here, where the fruit is handpicked by the same small hands that help stir each batch.

Led by Josh and Danelle, the family remains steadfast to old-fashioned methods of hand-stirring each product, crafted thoughtfully in small scales. Danelle’s mom, Marj, helps with jelly-making when the kids are in school. What began as only a few flavors in 2010 has flourished into the heart of the Nutt Family Jams & Jellies, a beloved farm-to-jar operation all made with ingredients grown right on their Ravenna farm.

The crew concocts flavors such as a saporous plum jelly, Danelle’s family staple for generations. Other delectable spreads include a sweet chokecherry jelly and tart strawberry rhubarb jam.

Beyond jams and jellies, Nutt Family country Market offers farm-fresh eggs, elderberry supplements and baked goods – all produced with the same care as their hand-stirred sweet spreads.

 

The Mill Coffee & Tea
Lincoln
millcoffee.com
(402) 475-5522

Lincoln’s first coffee and espresso bar, The Mill Coffee & Tea, wasn’t always an establishment synonymous with high-quality, craft java in the Historic Haymarket district. 

Originally, The Mill stood through biting winters in the mid-1970s as a local bike shop, serving “shop” drip coffee that was nothing to write home about. To generate revenue during the slow season, Dan Sloan, Duane Krepel and Dale Nordyke complemented Freewheelin’ Bike Shop’s mechanic services with better coffee. Lincoln buzzed with excitement, tipping them off to the lack of high-quality espresso in Star City. 

In 1975, the bike-aficionados became coffee connoisseurs and opened a small gourmet coffee and tea shop nearby. A decade later, The Mill only continued to thrive, growing to roast their own beans in-house. Today, the buttery aroma of small batch brews permeates their warehouse. Batches of sweet Colombian coffee with hints of black cherry and chocolate, a smoky dark Italian roast or a hearty, nutty-cinnamon blend invigorate the senses.

The Mill’s since grown beyond the bike shop. Dan Sloan still leads as owner, along with his wife Tamara, nurturing six locations around the city. Each cafe embraces the atmosphere of its respective neighborhoods in College View, Telegraph, Innovation Campus, 11th St. and even Midtown Omaha. But the flagship coffeehouse and roaster, the “granddaddy Mill,” still remains in the Historic Haymarket district on P Street.

If visiting one of their many locations isn’t in the cards, you can still taste their high-quality coffee straight from your own kitchen. The Mill offers online shipping for best sellers like the chocolate Nebraska blend, namesake Mill Light French Roast, whole beans, fine espresso grinds and a variety of teas.

And to think, Lincoln’s premiere brews all began with three guys on a bicycle with Dan Sloan still at the wheel. 

 

Fuehrer’s Cheespred
Sutton
fuehrerscheespred.com
(402) 440-7510

What began as a humble bowl of homemade cheese spread at family gatherings is now, 64 years later, a cherished Nebraska staple. The creamy Cheespred melts smoothly on the palate. Then, it delivers a bold kick of spice that lingers pleasantly until the next bite. When Eddie Fuehrer returned from World War II in 1946, he and his wife Laurie opened a small market in Sutton selling fresh cuts of meat.  

In 1960, the Fuehrers decided to take their family’s delectable cheese spread beyond the holiday table and offer it to their customers at the Sutton market. Dee, their daughter, recalls the early days of testing batches with her brother, Jerry. Carefully tweaking the spread until they found the quintessential balance of cheddar, American cheese, pimientos, garlic and green peppers, Fuehrer’s Cheespred was unanimously crafted to perfection. 

Today, Dee and her son Scott Worster continue to honor her parents’ legacy and the original recipe, following her mother’s advice: “Never change it.” Their loyal customers echo that sentiment, too. For over six decades, their spread has grown from a cherished family recipe to a product found in over 75 stores across the state. The rich, creamy dish is a versatile favorite that pairs well with everything, from tailgate snacks and burgers to veggie platters and wine accompaniments.

Despite eating this family recipe for her entire life, Dee has never gotten tired of that savory flavor. After all these years, the Fuehrer family still spreads their joy – one delicious spread at a time.

 

It’s All About Bees!
Ralston
itsallaboutbees.com
(402) 216-4545

When the Fletcher family began experimenting with honey-infused recipes, their trials led to a few early kitchen mishaps, affectionately referred to as “fruit soup.” Yet, these blunders were just the start of a sweet legacy that would blossom in Omaha.

The roots of this family buzz-ness trace back to the 1930s, when Margi Fletcher’s grandfather tended bees in Homer. During World War II, demand for golden nectar surged due to wartime sugar rationing. Margi’s other grandfather, who owned a produce farm in Dakota City, added his own flavor to the mix, selling homemade jams and baked goods. 

By 1972, the Fletchers officially entered the beekeeping scene. They acquired a migratory operation and moved their hives to crops needing pollination.  Their nomadic lifestyle saw them through several relocations before finding home near Omaha. 

As the family refined their craft, the “fruit soup” eventually melded into delectable honey-based products. They opened a quaint gift shop in 2004 in Ralston, originally taking up eight square feet of their larger commercial kitchen. They now occupy a larger storefront filled with products like Nebraska apple butter with honey, beeswax salve, honey mango salsa and bee-themed trinkets.

Under daughter Wendy’s guidance, the shop continues to thrive, offering a succulent savor of Nebraska’s best. A visit to their Ralston storefront or farmer’s market booths in Omaha is where happiness truly bee-gins.

 

Mac’s Creek Winery and Brewery
Lexington
macscreek.com
(308) 324-0440

As a kid, Barry McFarland spent his days running around the expansive backyard behind his childhood home in Lexington. Now, the backyard is covered in grapevines where McFarlands’ nieces, nephews, kids and dogs spend their days romping around.

Barry’s parents only planned to plant a few grapes when they bought the land back in 1999. In their first years, they made 1,500 gallons of wine and intended to sell grapes to other wineries. 

Now, Mac’s Creek Winery and Brewery is a family affair, producing 10 to 12 thousand gallons every year. Barry, elementary school principal by day, spends his off-hours tending to vineyard business. His brother, Seth, holds the title of winemaker and brewmaster, and sister, Abby, coordinates events. It wouldn’t be a family business without mom and pop: Max and Theresa oversee sales and distribution, continuing their legacy along the creek’s burbling banks.

A prominent facet of the family’s winemaking is inspired by working with Mother Nature, rather than against her. The McFarland family implements sustainable agriculture on the vineyard. They keep grapes pesticide-free, introduce bees to pollinate harvests and feed unutilized stems and seeds to local farm animals. 

Due to the harshness of Nebraska’s winters, the McFarlands take pride in growing hardy grapes to withstand up to 30 degrees below zero. Buzzards Roost Blush is a semi-sweet pink wine that slides off the shelves, just one of a dozen varying wines on their tasting menu.

Mac’s Creek also is home to a brewery, featuring craft beers and hard ciders. “If you drink it, we probably brew it,” Barry said.

 

McLean Beef
York
mcleanbeef.com
(402) 362-0055

As a kid, Barry McFarland spent his days running around the expansive backyard behind his childhood home in Lexington. Now, the backyard is covered in grapevines where McFarlands’ nieces, nephews, kids and dogs spend their days romping around.

Barry’s parents only planned to plant a few grapes when they bought the land back in 1999. In their first years, they made 1,500 gallons of wine and intended to sell grapes to other wineries. 

Now, Mac’s Creek Winery and Brewery is a family affair, producing 10 to 12 thousand gallons every year. Barry, elementary school principal by day, spends his off-hours tending to vineyard business. His brother, Seth, holds the title of winemaker and brewmaster, and sister, Abby, coordinates events. It wouldn’t be a family business without mom and pop: Max and Theresa oversee sales and distribution, continuing their legacy along the creek’s burbling banks.

A prominent facet of the family’s winemaking is inspired by working with Mother Nature, rather than against her. The McFarland family implements sustainable agriculture on the vineyard. They keep grapes pesticide-free, introduce bees to pollinate harvests and feed unutilized stems and seeds to local farm animals. 

Due to the harshness of Nebraska’s winters, the McFarlands take pride in growing hardy grapes to withstand up to 30 degrees below zero. Buzzards Roost Blush is a semi-sweet pink wine that slides off the shelves, just one of a dozen varying wines on their tasting menu.

Mac’s Creek also is home to a brewery, featuring craft beers and hard ciders. “If you drink it, we probably brew it,” Barry said.