by Halei Heinzel

The temperatures are dropping, the leaves are falling, and the birds are heading south. Winter must be coming this way!

Members in the Something Special from Wisconsin program bring together Wisconsin’s best flavors from all corners of the state. As you cross items off your preparation list for your next holiday get-together, consider incorporating some SSfW products, which are certified to have at least 50% of their ingredients, production or processing from or completed right here in Wisconsin. If that doesn’t make the season even sweeter, I’m not sure what would.

Many of the SSfW program’s nearly 500 members create products that highlight flavors Wisconsinites enjoy thanks to our diverse cultures, natural environments and agricultural practices. Here are some examples:

Heartland Craft Grains. Owners Rochelle and Evan Schnadt know that many of Wisconsin’s delicious and nutritious foods depend on our state’s fertile soils, so they implement farm practices that create a healthier soil, in turn growing nutrient-dense and flavorful grains to be enjoyed in the kitchen with family and friends. Their homegrown grains range from corn to ancient grains such as spelt and einkorn, rolled oats, and wheat varieties for pantry staples.

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Honestly Cranberry. Thanks to water availability and sandy soils in the state’s central region, Wisconsin is the top producer of cranberries in the U.S. Honestly Cranberry is preserving that goodness for you to enjoy year-round. Their unsweetened dried cranberries are a shelf-stable option without added sugars, juices, oils or other ingredients. The cranberries are certified non-GMO, and the facility is allergen-free, as cranberries are the only product processed and packaged there. “Heart the Tart” and enjoy Wisconsin’s state fruit this holiday season.

Carr Valley Cheese Co. You can’t get far down the list of Wisconsinites’ favorite flavors before you get to cheese, and the variety from Carr Valley Cheese Co. is perfect for hosting. Carr Valley is a fourth-generation family-owned company nestled in the hills of the Driftless Region. They make cheese the old-fashioned way, in small, open vats, and are known as the world’s top award-winning cheese company. Both their Reserve Cheddar and Gran Canaria — a sheep, goat and cow milk cheese — are Master Cheesemaker-certified cheeses, showcasing the tradition and flavors crafted by Carr Valley for generations.

Sheboygan Pasty Co. Some of our favorite flavors come from foods that Wisconsinites historically ate, like the pasty. This folded pastry filled with meat and vegetables made its way into the Midwest with miners from England in the 1830s and ’40s. Today, Sheboygan Pasty Co. is elevating the simple utilitarian pasty to a truly artisanal level. They keep it traditional with their beef or Italian sausage flavors, while throwing in a little Wisconsin with their Sheboygan bratwurst or the cheesy breakfast pasty options, all enclosed in a delicious, flaky crust, handmade with an old-world style.

Fazio’s Chocolates. Fazio’s Chocolates brings old-fashioned flavors to sweet treats. Their two-layered hand-crafted chocolate consists of a layer of bourbon ganache and a layer of orange ganache with bits of dried cherries dipped in a Belgian chocolate. It is then garnished with orange peel, dried cherry and rock candy — a perfect chocolate to say “cheers from Wisconsin” for the holiday season.

Silver Spring Horseradish. A product is only as good as the ingredients that go into it, and I’m so thankful that Wisconsin ingredients make amazing products! A juicy prime rib on a Saturday night at a Wisconsin supper club isn’t complete without a dollop of horseradish, and for 95 years, Silver Spring Foods has been bringing the zing. The family-owned company is committed to crafting delicious, versatile condiments with premium ingredients grown right here in Wisconsin. For a sweeter take on the zing, their cranberry horseradish is a great complement to pork chops, pot roast, chicken, brie and more.

Confections For Any Occasion. With all these delicious Wisconsin flavors, no one wants to have to pick. With Confections For Any Occasion, you don’t have to! Chef Joel, owner of this old-fashioned candy store, has curated a Wisconsin Gift Box with cheese, sausage, honey, syrup and several of his delicious handmade confections. The Wisconsin State Fair-winning Berry Bogs and Pumpkin Pie truffles are a couple of crowd favorites, but Joel and his team also offer nostalgic candies, handmade chocolates in a variety of designs, funky sodas and a wide selection of Wisconsin-made products.

Whether you incorporate these Wisconsin flavors into your holiday gathering, a weeknight dinner, date night or any other occasion, you’ll be sure to impress! Visit somethingspecialwi.com or look for the red and yellow SSfW logo in your local store to bring the flavors of Wisconsin home.

Heinzel is the 77th Alice in Dairyland.