Staff writer
Wiebe Dairy of Durham and Homemade Vanilla, a home business in Hillsboro, were representatives from Marion County when ShopKansasFarms, a marketing group recently established by Kansas Farm Bureau, had its second farm-to-market show last weekend in Lyons.
Wiebe Dairy quickly sold out of many cheeses, requiring restocking at noon. The business also was promoting its Cottonwood River Reserve new-age cheese, aged at least a year, sharp but not bitter.
Heather and Clint Corby and their 11-year-old son, Emerson, were marketing homemade vanilla under the label, Home Crafted Extracts. Their product was made from two different sources of vanilla beans, Madagascar and Tahiti.
They sell the vanilla at farmers’ markets and craft shows. Emerson, a sixth grader at Hillsboro Middle School, owns half of the business and pays half of the expenses.
He said the idea of having a business was born three years ago, when the COVID pandemic resulted in a lot of extra time for him. The family tried several ideas and settled on vanilla.
“I used to do lemonade stands, and I always wanted a business,” Emerson said, “I also like meeting new people.”