Alice in Dairyland reminds us of Holiday gifts that are really special

Gift giving can be an exciting and nerve-racking time while you try to find the perfect gift. You can take some of the pressure off by giving something special – literally. This holiday season, look for the Something Special from Wisconsin label to know that you are giving a unique, quality gift.

Something Special from Wisconsin is a trademark marketing program administered by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection since 1983. When you see this red and yellow trademark, it guarantees that at least half a product’s ingredients, production, or processing activities are from Wisconsin. There are items from more than 300 companies of all sizes from all parts of Wisconsin that could all make great gifts.

For friends who have just moved to Wisconsin, help them learn about this great state with books from Mary Bergin like Sidetracked in Wisconsin or Hungry for Wisconsin. (These are also great for any Wisconsin resident no matter how long they’ve lived here.)

Body-care items are a pretty traditional holiday gift. Make those gifts special with Lacey’s Lathers Goat Milk Soap and Lotion or Sugar Maple Emu Oil. In Mineral Point, Claire Wiesbrook uses milk from her goat herd to handcraft soap and lotion bars in different sizes and scents. The goat milk helps retain the right amount of moisture in your skin. Also good for skin is emu oil; it can penetrate to add moisture to the deeper layers of skin.

Food can make a great holiday gift. Best Products of Richfield makes oatmeal-based pancake or muffin mix that comes in hand-sown bags in different holiday fabrics. The even put together gift boxes complete with some whipped flavored honey. Glenna Farms, located in Amery, also creates great gift boxes complete with pancake mix and maple syrup from their farm. And maple syrup from Kickapoo Gold in Viroqua comes in decorative holiday containers.

Holiday gifts of food can be delicious and healthy. Like sausage from either Beltie Beef LLC or Cherokee Bison Farms. Beltie Beef LLC/Caldwell Farms is certified organic, grass-fed beef from Milladore; gift boxes of their sausage can be sent anywhere.

Cherokee Bison Farms near Colby makes buffalo summer sausage in original or with sweet dried Wisconsin cranberries. Take a look at their cold-pressed sunflower oil, too.

You can create gift boxes of different Something Special from Wisconsin spices and sauces for that cooking or grilling enthusiast. Howling Wolf is a new company to Theresa, Wis.; they make delicious barbeque sauces and spice rubs that are great to use anytime during the year. Martha’s Hot Mustard is made by Martha McLean in the basement kitchen of her home. Silver Spring Foods, Inc. of Milwaukee, the world’s largest grower and processor of horseradish, makes a whole line of specialty mustards and sauces that any chef would appreciate. Penny Lane Farm LLC in Baileys Harbor also makes gift boxes of their sweet and sour dipping sauces.

For someone who likes food hot and spicy, Stumps’s in Wausau has a whole line of Hot Olives, Pickles, Peppers and Bloody Mary mixes; you can customize hot gift boxes for that special gift. Even jams can be spicy like those from Hixton Blue Collar Café. Their jams like strawbañero are made with home grown habañero peppers.

Any sweet tooth will enjoy any of the rum or liquor cakes from Marlene’s Premiere Desserts, LLC in Green Bay. With flavors like vanilla, key lime, and pomegranate, you can’t go wrong.

Wine makes a great host gift. Cedar Creek Winery has two special holiday wines including a Christmas Blush, a semi-dry pink blush wine, and White Christmas, a vibrant semi-dry white wine. Wollersheim Winery has a tremendous line of red and white wines including the truly special Ice Wine.

Finding these Something Special from Wisconsin holiday gift ideas and many more is simple. Visit www.savorwisconsin.com for a complete list along with the companies’ Web sites and information on where or how to buy. Remember, buying Wisconsin products helps support our local farmers, producers, communities, economies, and all Wisconsin agriculture. And getting things that are Something Special from Wisconsin doesn’t have to be only during this special time of year. You can get these items to use every

day. Alice in Dairyland is Wisconsin’s agricultural ambassador. She travels over 40,000 miles each year to spread the word about our agricultural industry. Alice in Dairyland can be reached by writing to DATCP, 2811 Agriculture Drive, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, WI 53718.

You can schedule Alice for an upcoming event by contacting the Alice in Dairyland Program at (608) 224-5080 or by e-mail at DATCPAlice@wisconsin.gov.