nevada gift ideas

Share your love of the Silver State with friends and family.

By NEVADA MAGAZINE | November/December 2007

When you buy your friends and family gifts this holiday season, it will surely come from the heart, but why not have it come from Nevada, too? Following are a sampling of Nevada items that might be perfect for Uncle Bob or Aunt Susie, whether it’s a taste, scent, or even symbol, of the Silver State. All are “made in Nevada,” of course, but some of the businesses are part of the official Made in Nevada association that promotes products manufactured and crafted in our state. Visit madeinNV.com for more information.

Bread Basket
Russell’s Mercantile Doug and Kim Russell of Russell’s Mercantile in Minden fill decorated gift baskets with hot chocolate mix and freshly baked cinnamon buns, cookies, breads, and homemade jams and jellies. The couple and their children operate the bakery, gift shop, and café, which is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, and cater holiday parties (book early) in the Reno-Lake Tahoe-Carson City region. Customers also can order Thanksgiving and Christmas breads and pies. How to Buy: 1685 U.S. 395, Minden, 775-782-0019

Heavenly Nevada
L.B.J. Pottery Even after 25 years of working with clay, Lori Blum-Jackson of L.B.J. Pottery in Carson City is still fascinated by the variety of things she can make with it. A native Nevadan, Blum-Jackson began producing her innovative blue Nevada-shaped clocks after making one for the Carson City Lions Club charter celebration. She also makes custom tiles, jewelry, ornaments, and serving ware. How to Buy: lbjpottery.com, 775-885-9597

Lovely Lavender
Lavender Ridge Mike and Kristen Harris stock the shelves of their Lavender Ridge gift shop with soaps, oils, sachets, lotions, and herbs for cooking, all derived from eight varieties of lavender grown on their one-and-a-quarter-acre ranch, a 1920s farmstead in Reno. The Harrises also offer lavender cooking classes. How to Buy: 7450 W. 4th St., Reno, lavenderridgereno.com, 775-747-3222

Hot and Spicy
Killer Salsa You can choose from original, hot, extra hot, garlic, fire-roasted, verde, and nacho-cheese salsas to make up a mixed six-jar gift pack from Fran Pritchard’s Killer Salsa. The Gardnerville-based business, also known as Panchita’s, has been selling its additive-free salsas in Nevada grocery stores since the early 1990s. How to Buy: You can order salsa and find recipes for a variety of Southwestern and Mexican dishes on the Web site. killersalsa.com, 775-782-0048

Beef From the Range
Home Grown Nevada Jim Smith and his wife, Tina, operate their third-generation ranch in Wellington, where they raise grass-fed beef and certified organic alfalfa hay, herbs, and vegetables. Their Home Grown Nevada products are sold at farmers’ markets, but they can make arrangements for shipping quarter, half, and whole beef cuts. The cattle are raised with no hormones and no antibiotics, and the beef is custom cut and dry aged, Jim says. The meat is processed at Johansen’s in Orland, California. How to Buy: Great Basin Community Food Co-op, 271 Wonder St., Reno, greatbasinfood.coop, 775-324-6133

Christmas Candy
Sweets Handmade Candies You can order a chocolate truffle tree to decorate your holiday table from Sweets Handmade Candies. The tree comes in three sizes. Among the Sweets special gift baskets is the “Chocaholics,” featuring fudge, truffles, nuts and chews, licorice, toffee and caramel corn, cream caramels, and peanut brittle. Owner Becky Cavender says she uses only Belgian chocolate, and she has a line of sugar-free confections at her two Sweets locations, in Reno and Truckee. How to Buy: sweetshandmadecandies.com, 888-248-8840

Soap and Honey
Sierra Snow Soaps When Gardnerville resident Michelle Latham named her business Sierra Snow Soaps, she picked an apt title. She and her family gather snow in the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe to make their products in a cold-process method. She mixes other natural ingredients with palm, olive, and coconut oils and shea butter to create molded soaps, body scrubs, lotions, lip balms, and lotion sticks. How to Buy: sierrasnowsoaps.com, 775-265-0598

Joy’s Honey Ranch Leonard Joy, a retired Nevada bee inspector, produces wholesale honey and honey products for Joy’s Honey Ranch in Reno. Milk and honey molded soaps are made of glycerin and beeswax and sold at seasonal farmers’ markets and Reno stores, among them Napa-Sonoma, House of Bread, and Everlasting Health Center. Joy and his wife, Jackie, also make beeswax candles. How to Buy: 775-970-3568

Newly Minted
Marshall Mint In 1991 Hugh and Cynthia Marshall founded a private mint in Virginia City. Visitors can watch as custom-designed silver and gold medallions are manufactured. The mint and museum’s display of gems and minerals is one the largest collections in Nevada, and the shop offers nuggets, collectible coins, Black Hills gold, and gemstone jewelry. The Marshalls’ popular Angel of the Day medallion series is shipped all over the U.S. The mint is open daily. How to Buy: 96 N. C St., Virginia City, marshallmint.com, 775-847-0777

Wine List
Tahoe Ridge Winery Whether you’re looking for a wine to give as a gift or to pour at your holiday table, you can find a white, rosé, or red from Rick and Kathy Halbardier’s Tahoe Ridge Winery and Marketplace in Genoa. The tasting room offers complimentary wine sampling, and gourmet foods, gift baskets, wine accessories, jewelry, and books are for sale. Wine can be shipped to most states. How to Buy: 2285 Main St., Genoa, tahoeridge.com, 775-783-1566, 800-783-1566

From the Farm
Lattin Farms Nothing says Fallon like Hearts O’ Gold cantaloupe, but only Lattin Farms turns the town’s prized fruit into jam. “The cantaloupe is an heirloom variety not grown much anywhere else,” says owner B. Ann Lattin, who also recommends the raspberry-rhubarb spread. For another sweet sensation, try Ray’s Honey—as in Gilbert Ray, who raises bees on Lattin Farms’ property. “It’s all natural. There’s no heat or processing,” Lattin says. If your sweet tooth isn’t as persuasive as your tart one, Lattin Farms’ pickles are for you. Handpicked farm-grown cucumbers are soaked for a month in a salt and vinegar brine before the pickles are put on the shelf. How to Buy: Lattin Farms, 1955 McLean Rd., Fallon, Open May to October, lattinfarms.com, 775-867-3750; Flower Tree Nursery, 2975 Reno Hwy., Fallon, flowertreenursery.com, 775-423-1113; Napa-Sonoma, 294 E. Moana Ln., Reno, napa-sonoma.com, 775-826-0595, custom holiday gifts

A Sweet Trio
Alyssa’s Bakery Alyssa Harrison and her mother, Nanci Boehmer, make “eclectic desserts and all things yummy” for folks in Carson City and nearby areas. Alyssa’s will bake Christmas cakes, Thanksgiving pies, and wedding cakes ranging from two to five tiers. Repeat customers often will call and ask for a specific favorite, like Black Forest cake, or ask Alyssa and Nanci to make whatever they want from their vast repertoire. How to Buy: , 775-750-6344

Las Vegas Sweets You can buy a bag of chocolate poker chips or a slot machine full of gold-covered chocolate coins at Las Vegas Sweets in North Las Vegas. The candy company has a large selection of holiday-oriented candies and candy for special events such as weddings, baby showers and birthdays, and companies can have candy stamped with their logos for gift giving. How to Buy: lasvegassweets.com, 702-399-0090

V&A Honey Bees owned by Dave and Denise Cole of V&A Honey, based in Gardnerville, spend their days pollinating wildflowers, cottonwood, and sage. Carson Valley Bloom, a light spring honey, and dark fall honey are sold in pints and quarts at seasonal farmers’ markets and Better Health to You in Carson City and Candles ‘n Crafts in Gardnerville. Other products include soap, hand and body cream, lip balm, and candles by order. How to Buy: 800-996-4436

Pick Your Own
Bradshaw Apples You can pick your own apples for your Thanksgiving pies in August and September at Bradshaw Apples near Caliente. Don Bradshaw is the third generation to operate the End of the Rainbow Ranch, 20 miles south of Caliente in Rainbow Canyon. Once a cattle operation, the ranch boasts one of the state’s largest certified organic orchards. For a fee, customers pick a barrelful of the fruit. How to Buy: 775-726-3373

Nice Variety
Candles ’n Crafts Custom candles for the holidays are found at Candles ’n Crafts in Gardnerville. “We do a wedding candle that is awesome,” says owner Peggy Reed, whose husband Archie makes special Christmas candles with pine and bayberry scents. Peggy creates soaps with luxury oils, such as olive and coconut, and shea butter, and she also puts together personalized gift baskets. How to Buy: 1540 U.S. 395, 775-783-3525

Prepared Food
Country Cupboard Open every day but Christmas in Virginia City, Country Cupboard can customize food gifts and ship them to your friends and family. “We manufacture over 200 products,” says company president Beverly Cowan. “And we have lots of items for the holidays. We package beans, pasta, jams and jellies, and we have a complete line of sugar-free products for diabetics. Our number-one-selling dried soup is ham and bean.” How to Buy: countrycupboard.com, 800-38-BEANS

The Old West Revisited
Ghost Towns Memorabilia If you’ve ever looked back on Nevada history and been envious of the former gold mine owners, this opportunity may be for you. Mike Mrofchak’s Ghost Towns Memorabilia offers customized Nevada mining stock certificate replicas, professionally framed to display on your office or home walls. This is one way for you or someone you’re buying for to relive the glory days of the Old West. How to Buy: ; P.O. Box 4078, Warren, OH, 44482-4078

A Piece of Nevada
The Nevada Store Tucked into the Moana West Shopping Center in Reno is the ideal store for lovers of all things Nevada. Among many Made in Nevada products, you’ll find homey brand names such as Reno Envy and Sierra Snow Soaps. The Nevada Store, which opened in September, even makes custom gift baskets in the shape of Nevada. The store also incorporates a touch of memorabilia, including Reno Evening Gazette newspapers dating back to the ‘60s. How to Buy: 3378 Lakeside Ct., thenevadastore.com, 775-825-3318

Natural Meats
Wadsworth Ranching Company in Panaca offers natural beef and lamb as well as vegetables in season, and you can pick up some organic compost for your garden and farm. Matt and Jule Wadsworth also sell their produce at the Caliente, Henderson, and North Las Vegas farmers markets. How to Buy: 775-728-4292

Fresh Food
Winder Farms Since 1880, Winder Farms has been delivering high-quality food to homes in southern Utah. Last year, the company began delivering hundreds of fresh foods in Las Vegas. Mike Winder, great-great-great-grandson of founder John Winder, says the Winder products are all natural, such as meat not treated with artificial growth hormones, organic yogurt from local dairies, and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Gift cards are available. How to Buy: winderfarms.com, 800-WINDER-1

More Meat
Wolf Pack Meats Fresh and smoked meats, sausage, lamb, pork, and beef plus roasts, turkeys, and hams for the holidays can be ordered through the University of Nevada, Reno’s Wolf Pack Meats. You can find gourmet beef patties seasoned with wine and garlic or marinated tri-tip at the student-run facility. Then there’s the football salami, popular at UNR tailgate picnics. There is no delivery—customers pick up their orders. How to Buy: 5895 Clean Water Way, cabnr.unr.edu/wpm, 775-857-3663