This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

Louisburg Cider Mill is a family-owned cider mill, bakery, craft-soda bottler and country store on 80 acres at 14730 K-68 Highway, Louisburg, KS 66053, about three miles west of Louisburg in Miami County — roughly 20 miles south of the Kansas City metro. It was founded in spring 1977 by Emmett O’Rear, whose daughter Shelly and her husband Tom Schierman incorporated the business that year and took ownership; their daughter Alexis Schierman and her husband Josh Hebert became owners in 2015 and run it now, the third generation. The mill presses apple cider, fries apple-cider donuts to a recipe Shelly developed, and microbrews the Lost Trail craft-soda line at its own bottling plant. Its Ciderfest runs two weekends each fall. Tier 1 — three-generation family ownership, no outside parent.1234

Description

The Cider Mill is three businesses sharing one farm: a beverage manufacturer (fresh-pressed apple cider, sparkling ciders, fruit butters, and the Lost Trail craft-soda line, sold wholesale as well as retail), a bakery known regionally for apple-cider donuts, and a destination retail and agritourism site built around the Country Store, the Pressing Barn, and a fall season of corn mazes and pumpkin patches.315

The Country Store, built in 1978, is the retail home of everything the mill produces, alongside dry mixes, spices, jams, jellies, preserves, candies, kitchen gadgets and home décor. Apple-cider donuts are sold singly or by the dozen and paired with cold cider, hot cider, or a cider slush; soft-serve ice cream and craft-soda concoctions are added in summer. There is no admission fee to enter the store or the Pressing Barn, where cider-pressing can be watched.3

Lost Trail is the mill’s own craft-soda brand, microbrewed and bottled on site with pure cane sugar. First-party product pages carry ten SKUs: Root Beer, Diet Root Beer, Sarsaparilla, Cream Soda, Orange Cream, Strawberry Cream, Black Cherry, Ginger Brew, Atomic Fizz, and Rainbow Drizzle. The root beer is made “from the original formula of the great-great-grandfather of one of our founders.”67

Ciderfest is the mill’s signature event — two weekends each fall with a Louisburg Lions Club pancake breakfast, live cider- and donut-making demonstrations, bluegrass on the Lost Trail stage, craft vendors, caramel apples, kettle corn and smoked turkey legs, free to enter and park. The 2026 edition is published for September 26–27 and October 3–4.4

The mill also runs its own orchard, Pome on the Range, at 2050 Idaho Rd. in Williamsburg, Kansas — 80 acres with 25 acres of u-pick apples plus cherries, peaches and pears.8

Ownership and history

Emmett O’Rear bought the acreage in Miami County in 1975 and established the Louisburg Cider Mill in spring 1977. First-party history frames the venture as deliberately family-directed: O’Rear had seen similar operations in Michigan and wanted an enterprise that would draw his three daughters’ families home while supporting them. KANSAS! magazine adds his biography — born in Missouri, raised in Michigan, designed automobiles for Henry Ford, later ran a restaurant in Arizona and built houses, and had wanted an orchard all his life.12

His daughter Shelly and her husband Tom Schierman were the first to arrive at the farm in 1977; they incorporated the business that year and ultimately took ownership, and first-party credits them with building it “into the thriving brand and institution it has become.” The apple-cider donut — now the mill’s best-known product — was Shelly’s, created from an original recipe as a way to use surplus cider.12

The early growth markers are documented. The original small barn held everything at once: apple crusher, press, donut fryer and counter. A 1978 Kansas City Times piece by entertainment editor Shifra Stein put the mill on the regional map. A 1981 wholesale order from Dillons forced an infrastructure expansion, and a north barn was added in the mid-1980s. Later came the Lost Trail soda brand, which drew national notice on Food Network’s Unwrapped, the Country Store’s retail growth, and the fall corn-maze and pumpkin-patch season.12

The third generation took ownership in 2015: Alexis Schierman — Tom and Shelly’s daughter — and her husband Josh Hebert. First-party confirms the mill is “now in its third generation of leadership” without naming the principals; the names and the 2015 date come from KANSAS! magazine (2020). No source located this pass reconfirms the ownership roster as of 2026, so current-day ownership carries a **** for re-verification even though continuity is not in doubt.12

menu_status: partial — packaged-product prices below are read from the mill’s own online store at louisburgcidermill.com, 2026-08-13. The Country Store’s in-house counter prices (donuts by the each or dozen, cider by the cup, cider slush, soft serve) are not published first-party and are recorded here as items without prices rather than sourced from any aggregator. No delivery-platform or third-party prices are used.96

Apple cider — half gallon ($6.95–$7.45 by variety): Cinnamon Apple Cider $6.95 (spot-verified on its own product page) · Honeycrisp Apple Cider $7.45 (spot-verified) · Sunshine Apple Cider $7.45 (spot-verified) · Pear Cider $7.95 (spot-verified) · Old Fashioned Apple Cider and Cherry Apple Cider also sold by the half gallon, in the same $6.95–$7.45 band.9

Apple cider — single serve: $3.25 — Old Fashioned, Honeycrisp, Cinnamon, Cherry, Sunshine, Pear.9

Sparkling cider — 4-packs: $6.95 — Sparkling Apple, Sparkling Apple Cranberry, Sparkling Apple Hopped, Sparkling Apple Pomegranate, Sparkling Apple Raspberry.9

Lost Trail craft soda — 4-pack: $5.95 — Root Beer, Diet Root Beer, Sarsaparilla, Cream Soda, Orange Cream, Strawberry Cream, Black Cherry, Ginger Brew, Atomic Fizz, Rainbow Drizzle.67

Country Store counter — items only, price: apple cider donuts (single or by the dozen), cold cider, hot cider, cider slush, summer soft-serve ice cream, craft-soda concoctions. The store also carries first-party fruit butters, preserves, salsas and barbecue sauces, spices, soups and dry mixes, plus gift baskets.35

Also sold: hard cider and apple wine (first-party product pages exist; prices not captured this pass — ****).3

Sources

Footnotes

  1. “How It All Began,” Louisburg Cider Mill — official history page (accessed 2026-08-13). Asserts: Emmett O’Rear established the mill in spring 1977 on an 80-acre farm outside Louisburg purchased in 1975; his vision was inspired by Michigan operations and intended to bring his three daughters’ families home; Tom and Shelly Schierman arrived at the farm in 1977, were the first to establish operations, and ultimately took ownership and “led it into the thriving brand and institution it has become”; the original small barn held apple crushing, pressing, donut making and customer service together; a 1978 Kansas City Times article by entertainment editor Shifra Stein raised regional visibility; the north barn was added in the mid-1980s; later growth included wholesale manufacturing, the Lost Trail craft soda brand, Country Store retail, Ciderfest, corn mazes and pumpkin patches; the mill is “now in its third generation of leadership”; ongoing events include Junque n’ Donuts and Lost Trail Days; mission statement “create wholesome products and experiences that unite families.” ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  2. “Emmett’s Place,” KANSAS! Magazine, published August 31, 2020 (travelks.com) (accessed 2026-08-13). Asserts: Emmett O’Rear founded the mill over 45 years before publication; O’Rear was born in Missouri, raised in Michigan, designed automobiles for Henry Ford, later ran a restaurant in Arizona and built homes, and had long wanted an orchard; he purchased acreage in Miami County; daughter Shelly O’Rear and her husband Tom Schierman incorporated the business in 1977 and took over ownership; Alexis Schierman and her husband Josh Hebert became owners in 2015 and currently operate the mill (third generation); the 80-acre property sits three miles west of Louisburg; fresh-pressed cider began in the mid-1970s; the apple cider donut was created by Shelly from an original recipe to use excess cider; the first commercial store and Ciderfest launched one year after opening; a 1981 Dillons wholesale order spurred infrastructure expansion; Lost Trail craft sodas comprise nine flavors made with pure cane sugar and gained national attention on Food Network’s Unwrapped; Ciderfest spans two weekends with 80+ arts and craft vendors and cider-pressing demonstrations. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. “Country Store,” Louisburg Cider Mill (accessed 2026-08-13). Asserts: store built/opened 1978; carries the mill’s own apple cider, hard cider and apple cider donuts plus dry mixes, spices, jams, jellies, preserves, candies, kitchen gadgets and home décor; summer soft-serve ice cream and craft soda concoctions; donuts sold individually or by the dozen with cold cider, hot cider or cider slush, available daily except New Year’s, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas; hours Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.–6 p.m., open year-round; no admission fee to the Country Store or Pressing Barn; address 14730 K-68 Highway, Louisburg, KS 66053, about 20 miles south of Kansas City; phone 913-285-5300; email info@louisburgcidermill.com. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. “2026 Ciderfest,” Louisburg Cider Mill (accessed 2026-08-13). Asserts: 2026 Ciderfest dates September 26–27 and October 3–4; no admission or parking fee; events run morning to 6 p.m., Louisburg Lions Club pancake breakfast 8–11 a.m.; live cider and donut-making demonstrations; pony rides, inflatable slides, face painting (prices vary); live bluegrass on the Lost Trail stage; craft vendor booths; fresh cider, caramel apples, kettle corn, smoked turkey legs; “over 20,000 guests each weekend.” ↩ ↩2

  5. “Wholesale Customers,” Louisburg Cider Mill (accessed 2026-08-13). Asserts: “We offer our apple cider, fruit butters, Lost Trail craft soda, and much more to wholesale customers. From mom and pop shops to large scale grocery chains.” ↩ ↩2

  6. “Lost Trail Soda,” Louisburg Cider Mill (accessed 2026-08-13). Asserts: ten first-party soda product pages — Root Beer, Diet Root Beer, Sarsaparilla, Cream Soda, Orange Cream Soda, Strawberry Cream Soda, Black Cherry Soda, Ginger Brew Soda, Atomic Fizz, Rainbow Drizzle; listed price $5.95. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  7. “Root Beer,” Louisburg Cider Mill product page (accessed 2026-08-13). Asserts: price $5.95, sold as a 4 pack; “We created our flavorful draft-style root beer from the original formula of the great-great-grandfather of one of our founders. At our Cider Mill bottling plant, we microbrew our Lost Trail Root Beer for the most authentic flavor possible.” ↩ ↩2

  8. Louisburg Cider Mill — orchard information (Pome on the Range) (accessed 2026-08-13). Asserts: Pome on the Range is the mill’s orchard at 2050 Idaho Rd., Williamsburg, KS, about a 30-minute drive from the Cider Mill; 80 acres total with 25 acres of u-pick apples, u-pick cherries, and 12 acres of peaches, pears and more; mill described as a third-generation, family-owned business begun in 1977 as a roadside stand; Country Store hours Mon–Sat 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.–6 p.m. ↩

  9. Louisburg Cider Mill — first-party online shop, apple cider category and individual product pages (accessed 2026-08-13; individual product pages spot-checked at /product-page/cinnamon-apple-cider-half-gallon, /product-page/honeycrisp-apple-cider-half-gallon, /product-page/sunshine-apple-cider-half-gallon, /product-page/pear-cider-half-gallon). Asserts: half-gallon prices $6.95 (Cinnamon), $7.45 (Honeycrisp), $7.45 (Sunshine), $7.95 (Pear); single-serve ciders $3.25; sparkling cider 4-packs $6.95; product roster Old Fashioned, Honeycrisp, Cinnamon, Cherry, Sunshine and Pear ciders in single-serve and half gallon, and Sparkling Apple, Cranberry, Hopped, Pomegranate and Raspberry in 4-packs. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

See also

Categories

On the record — ks.city/registry/louisburg-cider-mill · record updated 2026-08-13