The Wheat State Wine Company began in 2008 when they planted their first vines on a farm just southeast of Winfield, Kansas. They knew their goal from the start – make the best wine in Kansas. With careful attention to detail and a methodic approach, they started making wine in 2011. Their wine won “Kansas Wine of the Year” honors in 2012, along with several medals at national wine competitions. 

In 1989, Free State Brewing Company became the first legal brewery in Kansas in over 100 years. Since opening the doors on Mass Street in Lawrence, Kansas, they’ve been working day in and day out to be a haven for people who love beer – where good beer and good food can inspire rich conversation and memorable experiences. The most important ingredients to this 14-barrel brewhouse are the care, respect and enthusiasm the knowledgeable staff has for each and every beer that they make. Free State Brewing now produces bottled beers in the expanding bottling facility. 

The Boot Hill Distillery began its story in 2014 when two western Kansas farmers decided to invest in western Kansas’ first-ever craft distillery. Dodge City’s history – born from a barrel, forged in the dust – made it the obvious choice for the distillery’s location. The building is located on top of the original Boot Hill Cemetery. With a craftsman’s eye for the highest quality ingredients, locally grown grain, and a dedication to ethically sourcing ingredients they can’t produce in-house. 

All candies, chocolates and drinks at Cocoa Dolce are handcrafted in house in small batches without preservatives. No batch of chocolate is kept for longer than four weeks. All ingredients, from caramel to marshmallows and peanut butter, are handmade with love – their chocolates are not only delicious but their ingredients are also responsibly sourced, grown and produced. There are multiple Cocoa Dolce locations in Wichita!

1. Downtown
2. New Market Square
3. Bradley Fair

Investing their hearts and hands in fine chocolate and confectionary, Hazel Hill in Topeka is a symbol of their dedication to a family tradition – currently operated by a third generation chocolatier. They only use the finest ingredients, fresh cream, and butter to produce handmade treats that explode with flavor. Made the old fashioned way, by hand in small batches, you’ll taste the craftsmanship in every bite. Hazel Hill’s heritage thrives through every delicious morsel. 

A specialty sweets shop in Emporia, Kansas, The Sweet Granada features handmade gourmet chocolates as well as other confections and gifts. They take pride in offering a large selection of gourmet confections made with premium ingredients. In the heart of Emporia’s growing arts and entertainment district next to the historic Granada Theatre, customers can enjoy watching the production team while browsing confections in the retail shop. 

Rollin Karg is a renowned glass artisan from the Midwest who creates sculptural pieces from molten glass. Karg Art Glass is brought to life through Karg’s dynamic use of color, which adds a unique dimension to the piece. Karg prefers to use traditional glassmaking techniques, but also adds his own inventive techniques to each project. Karg Art Glass is located in Kansas at Bearden’s Stained Glass, Overland Park; Courtyard Gallery, Lindsborg; Glass Impressions, Manhattan; and Phoenix Gallery, Lawrence.

Judith Mackey was a professional artist for over 50 years. One of the first artists of the Flint Hills Tallgrass Prairie, she opened the Flint Hills Gallery. A native Kansan who resided in the Flint Hills, Mackey painted what she wasmost familiar with – landscapes of the prairie, working cowboys and the ranch life that surrounded her rural home.While Judith has recently passed away, her legacy lives on in the gallery through a permanent display of her works and the opportunity to showcase other Flint Hills artists.  

Mickey Shannon is photographer, videographer, photo educator and marketing guru based on the prairies of Kansas. His passion for landscape photography developed out of a love for nature and travel during many trips across the state at a younger age. Shannon has photographed Kansas extensively. It is where he learned and honed his photography work – capturing the details and vibrant colors of sunrises, sunsets and Kansas thunderstorms. His photos can be purchased online at mickeyshannon.com

Find unique ceramic jewelry and pottery at Soul Sisters Ceramics. This unique ceramic shop began with a coffee date and a mutual love for a mug. What started in a basement quickly became an opportunity for a new business in Courtland, Kansas. They offer walk-in painting anytime during business hours and private party options. 

Artistic Works by Lu was founded on creativity and adventure in 2007. A home-based jewelry business turned into transformed into a studio-boutique in Leavenworth, Kansas. 

The Jason Wiebe Dairy produces natural cheese made in Durham, Kansas. The goal – to make the best cheese you’ve ever eaten – right here in Kansas. They raise their dairy cows on the farm that was started two generations previous. Not only is the Wiebe Family making history with their Farmhouse cheese, they live with history; the farm is located on the Santa Fe Trail. 

The Alma Creamery is a special place They sell a variety of cheeses – cheddar, Colby, pepper jack, Monterey jack, co-jack, curds and Parmesan. They also produce their own milk and sell other Kansas specialty food products from Wyldewood Cellars Winery, Grandma Hoerner’s, and jerky and sausage from Prairie Thunder Elk. 

Experience farm fresh at Providence Hill Farm. They believe in preserving the beauty and integrity found in the artistry of traditional craftsmanship. All products are handmade on the farm by family members using time-honored methods. Workshops are available to learn how to make your own artisan products. Visit the shop in Atchison, Kansas, to purchase goat milk soap, lotion and other bath and body products, breads and cheeses.

Occupying one of the oldest structures in town, the Blacksmith Coffee Roastery is a special, family owned and operated coffee shop and roasting company located in Lindsborg, Kansas. Blacksmith Coffee Roastery is an artisan micro-roaster, specializing in super premium, single-origin Arabica bean coffees. To compliment hand-crafted coffees, they also have homemade pastries, ice cream and cobbler. 

At Reverie Coffee Roasters, they’re committed to how they source, roast, and serve their coffee. Striving to satisfy each individual customer, they provide multiple brew methods on the bar. Hand-crafted beverages include pour-overs, craft espresso beverages, cold brews, and delicious drip coffee. They hope to enhance your experience and knowledge of coffee. 

Be sure to also check out their location in Newton!

The PT’s Coffee Roasting Company was born in 1993 in Topeka, Kansas, out of the simple desire for an excellent cup of coffee. PT’s is a leader in the specialty coffee industry. They roast dozens of single-origin specialty coffees and signature blends for retail locations, wholesale clients, and online customers around the world. 

Elk Falls Pottery was established around a couples’ homegrown lifestyle and love for things made by hand. With an appreciation for early American stoneware, Steve and Jane Fry began work in 1976 building a kiln and studio, and processing native Kansas clays in Elk Falls, Kansas. To this day, each piece is individually made on a potter’s wheel or by other hand methods, and glazed, decorated and fired. Visitors are welcome to stop by the studio to see a nineteenth century treadle wheel, mixing Kansas clays, or making some of the thousands of custom mugs made each year. School tours and group demonstrations are available. Elk Falls Pottery is open most days with varying hours.

Carol Long draws influence from plant and animal life and is fascinated by the small complexities of the micro aspects of nature. Carol Long Pottery in Hudson continues to evolve as she experiments with new ways to express the intrinsic qualities of nature we often take for granted. Long’s potter can be found in Kansas at the Strecker-Nelson Gallery, Manhattan; Bella Luz, Wichita; and Courtyard Gallery, Lindsborg. She also has a booth each year at the Outdoor Living show in Wichita.

Daisy M. Friesen grew up appreciating the beauty of nature, you can see that in her pottery. Mud was her playground – she knew she wanted to be an artist. After Friesen got a kiln, potter’s wheel and a real studio, she wanted her work to be accessible to people everywhere – in 2010 she opened Friesen Art on Etsy.

Her pottery can also be found in Kansas at the:

• Courtyard Gallery, Lindsborg
• Dyck Arboretum Gift Shop, Hesston
• Capitol Visitor Center Store, Topeka.

Located in Abilene, Kansas, Cypress Bridge Candle Co. hand pours and hand blends all the items in the shop. Owned and operated by a mom and daughter team, they come up with unique combinations for candles, potpourri, oils, lotions, melts, and sachets that share the story of Kansas seasons and farmers markets through a unique variety of scents. 

At Kansas Earth and Sky Candle, they offer soy candles and soy wax melts in calming farmhouse scents unique to the Kansas prairie. Kansas is known for its open skies, rolling prairies, friendly people and plentiful harvest, Kansas Earth and Sky Candle, aims to capture those moments in their high-quality candles. Family farm operated, they respect quality in every candle they hand pour. Located in Ellinwood, Kansas.

Waxman Candles originated from a $5 hobby kit ordered in 1969. Family owned and operated for more than 45 years they are located in Lawrence, Kansas. They offer unique and 100 percent handmade candles. From hometown favorites, to soywax and beeswax, to amazing seasonal favorites in paraffin wax, Waxman Candles is one of a kind. 

Do you want to own your own alpaca products? A dynamic alpaca ranch just south of Baldwin City, Ad Astra Alpacas is home to around 60 alpacas. Shop and feel the softness for yourself by stopping by their retail shop, located on the farm. The alpaca shop is open on Saturday mornings from 9 am to noon, and Sunday afternoons from 1 pm to 4 pm from October through March. Pet the alpacas, feed them, and feel how soft their fleece is!

There is also another vintage 20-acre farm in rural Miami County, Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm breeds and raises alpacas. They take advantage of available educational opportunities and offer courses at the farm. Continuing education helps them make improvements each year. Alpacas at Willowbrook Farm is located in Louisburg, Kansas. Hours of operation vary.

Oatie Beef started with a bowl of oatmeal – the idea that you can taste the difference when an animal is healthier and happier. The Picolet family worked together on the Picolet Farm and Ranch in Dwight, Kansas, to establish something they were proud of. Oatie Beef was created through hard work, dedication to quality and learning from mistakes. Their animals drink from natural springs on the farm and eat only the best. Oatie Beef can be found in Kansas at the Lenexa and Manhattan farmers markets every Saturday.

Yoder Meats specializes in the procurement, fabrication and production of local, all natural, high-quality products. They provide locally raised meat products and unique gift items. They have an assortment of gift baskets and boxes that include award winning smoked meats, cheeses and exotic meats. The retail stores offer unique and homemade products from homemade sausages, to Kansas and Amish goods. Yoder Meats is located in Yoder, Kansas, and three locations in Wichita, Kansas. 

Kansas City is where barbecue is a way of life – it can even transform a neighborhood corner gas station into one of the most popular restaurants in Kansas. Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que prides itself on the mystical properties of smoke that transform ordinary meat into extraordinary.