Oshkosh, NE

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Hawaiian grown, Nebraska roasted coffees from Oshkosh



We paid a visit to Mark Ferrari Specialty Coffees in Garden county recently, and learned that coffee is still the focus. But there are many other fun items being offered at the store as well. “Our family has a farm on the Big Island of Hawaii,” owner Mark Ferrari said. “My dad is 80 now, and still runs the family farm with his crew. We are a full coffee company from farm to cup. We raise the coffee on the Big Island. It’s Kona coffee on the Kona coast. We ship it back here, roast it fresh, produce it, and it’s available in our shop packaged or in our espresso bar, and we distribute it everywhere from Oshkosh.” If you want this coffee shipped to you, you can go konausa.com. You can find the coffee at some stores in Nebraska, and in Lincoln at the Mercato, which is a store connected to the Piedmontese Beef operation near 84th and Havelock.

The coffee in Oshkosh is roasted by Mark Ferrari on a special machine. “It’s an Italian-designed roasting system,” Ferrari said. “We roast everything fresh in the machine. It allows me to yield about 100 pounds per batch. I can typically roast about 3 or 4 batches an hour. We generally produce about 30,000-plus pounds of coffee a year out of Oshkosh. Coffee roasting is basically like being a chef. You have to understand the details of the coffee beans you bring in, how to combine them, and how to roast them properly through the different temperature profiles. I’ve been doing this for 38 years and I never get tired of it.”

There are a number of other offerings at the store in Oshkosh besides coffee. “We have a honey caramel tart,” Mike Piva said. “We have the Sweet Macs, and we feature a coffee cake. That’s a recipe from my family.” Around Christmas time, Ferrari says they introduce his family’s Biscotti recipe. He says to follow the shop on Facebook and Instagram for all of the new offerings on the menu. However, there’s one item that’s always available. “The Sweet Macs are always out there daily,” Ferrari said. “These are the Macadamia nut cinnamon rolls, and they are now in their fourth year. We recommend you call ahead to reserve them if you are coming for them. We have people drive three or four hours for these rolls, and they’ve taken on a life of their own.”

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Producing fine leather products in the panhandle



OSHKOSH, Neb. (KOLN) - If you are in the market for a pair of cowboy boots, you can get them custom made at a business called H-Cross Leather in the community of Oshkosh. We caught up with business owner Shiloh Holthus to talk about his craft. “I specialize in boots, chaps, and tooled items like rope bags, purses, wallets and belts,” Holthus said. The business owner balances a couple of different jobs, and says he’s usually in his shop three or four days a week. Holthus said he got started in the leather business thanks in part to his dad. “Growing up, my dad always repaired his own tack and saddles,” Holthus said. “That probably got me thinking about it. It started tooling leather about 12 or 13 years ago. I went to a boot making school in Parker, Colorado, and learned from a main named Dave Hutchings. Jim Brainard is my mentor now, who is also from Parker, Colorado.”

Hotlhus showed us a pair of boots that are made with plenty of pride and effort. “These boots are made completely out of leather,” Holthus said. “There are no man-made materials like plastic or nails, besides the rubber heel cap.” Holthus says it can take him 40 hours or more to make a good pair of boots. The base price for a pair like this runs around $1,200. There are different sizes that can be made. Holthus takes various measurements to make the boots. “I measure the ball of the foot, the instep, the high instep, the waist, the heel measurement, the calf measurement, and the height of the boot,” Holthus said. “I also take a tracing of the foot. This ensures the boot will fit well.” If you are interested in having a custom boot made by a local Nebraskan, consider a visit to H-Cross Leather in Oshkosh