BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2024 December 9, Monday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
blairtoday@mail.com – Facebook
In an apartment kitchen in Blair, Nebraska, something special is bubbling. It’s where Nadine Buffaloe, alongside her husband Bob, has turned a way to fill evening hours into a thriving cottage food business that’s capturing the hearts—and taste buds—of the community.
Today, Nadine’s Jams And More offers four different $20 gift basket collections. The jalapeño basket includes three 4-ounce jars of different jalapeño jams with crackers. The “Tipsy Toppings” basket features four alcohol-infused jams. For those watching their sugar intake, there’s a basket with two varieties of sugar-free jams. The fourth option lets customers sample four different flavors from their standard collection.
“I married a wonderful man who is not afraid of helping out around the house, basically doing most of the housework,” Buffaloe explains. “I, being somewhat of a workaholic, found myself bored in the evenings and on the weekends because Bob, being retired, had already done all the housework. I decided to make a few jams to fill some time.”
The inspiration came from family roots. “My mom, Joan, has always been a canner of all things from beans, tomatoes, jellies, jams,” Buffaloe says. “So I asked her for her jam recipes. I tweaked them and made them my own version.”
When asked about sourcing ingredients, particularly the rhubarb that features prominently in her creations, Buffaloe shares the realities of urban farming. “Because we live in an apartment, it is pretty hard to grow our own, so we rely on our local stores. Fortunately, one of them carries fresh frozen rhubarb. Whew!” she says. “I used to get fresh rhubarb from various friends, but with working full time and the jams selling so well, we ran out of time to go pick, clean, and cut it up.”
The prominence of rhubarb in her product line stems from childhood memories. “My family has always loved rhubarb. We had a large patch in our back yard and many times, as kids, if we wanted a snack between meals, Mom would give us a tiny little cup of sugar and say, ‘go pick a piece of rhubarb.’ We loved it!”
Innovation comes naturally to Buffaloe. Her newest creation, Summer Bliss jam, was born from winter daydreams. “It was January and I wanted something to remind our customers of summer. Strawberries, raspberries, and watermelon are summer flavors, so I tried them together. After strawberry-rhubarb, it was my best seller of 2023.”
Her “Tipsy Toppings” line emerged from customer suggestions. “A friend asked me to make strawberry-mango margarita, so I did and I liked it. Bob’s son wanted something with Jack Daniels, so that is where the Mixed Berry JD jam originated.” The line expanded with careful thought: “Peach Bourbon was fairly easy since you can actually buy peach flavored bourbon, and the Apple Pie Fireball came to me because people always add cinnamon to cider.”
The Blair Farmers Market has been central to their success. “When we started, we were one of seven vendors for the first two years,” Buffaloe recalls. “Covid hit and we decided to keep our market open, but followed guidelines of spacing, masks, etc. So many new vendors came out because they had been at home creating. It was awesome. We now have anywhere from 10-21 vendors every Saturday. Several of them have been selling for 25+ years. We have been there 7 years and have loved it.”
The business’s growth required understanding complex regulations. “Having a cottage license allows for a few more products to be sold such as fudge and dipped chocolates,” Buffaloe explains. “I am lucky enough to be able to rent the kitchen at ‘The Church’ in Kennard. Because of that, we are able to sell our jams and fudge at the Blair Meat Market and at One Farm Market in Logan, IA.”
For aspiring entrepreneurs, Buffaloe shares lessons from her own experience: “Do your homework. Know what you are allowed to do before you get started and don’t try to do too many things at one time.” She speaks from experience, noting her previous venture with scones: “Although they were a hit—we sold around 5,000 per year—the time it took to make them was overwhelming with a fulltime job. Maybe some day I will get back to them.”
The business has grown exponentially, but prices have remained steady. “We started out at $5 per 8-ounce jar and we are still at $5 per 8-ounce jar,” Buffaloe proudly states. “We have probably tripled or quadrupled our sales over the last 7 years because of that. It is a win-win.”
Looking ahead, Buffaloe remains grounded despite impressive numbers. “We are on track to sell over 2,000 jars of jam this year and we are selling approximately 50 pounds of fudge every month,” she shares. “There are other things I would like to add to our product line, but we just don’t have the time.”
Through it all, Bob remains her steadfast partner. “He is the other half to this business,” Buffaloe emphasizes. “Because I also work full time, he does all the deliveries, sells to anyone he meets, shops for all the ingredients, loads the car. He is my hero in this adventure we have going.” She adds with a laugh, “Thank heavens Bob does dishes!”
Nadine’s Jams And More can be found at the Blair Farmers Market on Saturdays (in season). For orders or inquiries, customers can reach Nadine at 402-957-8971 (cell) or 402-426-5878 (home). She offers local delivery in Blair. The business also maintains a Facebook presence where customers can find updates and product information.
