Episode 100: Where Are They Now?
In this very special 100th episode, previous guests come back on to share an update of what’s changed since they were last on the show, what’s surprised them, and what they’ve learned along the way
Growing A Movement with Lisa Kivirist
Lisa Kivirist of Browntown, WI shares an update on the past, present, and future of the cottage food and food freedom movements, and how she’s helping support them with many different resources
How To Build A Customer Base of Raving Fans with Heather & Corrie Miracle
Heather & Corrie Miracle of Fairfax, VA share their top advice for cottage food entrepreneurs based on what they’ve learned from creating their very successful paid membership filled with raving fans
Find Work That Fulfills You with Jenny Berg
Jenny Berg of Bend, OR started baking sourdough bread during the pandemic and shares how she turned her new hobby into a home business that has finally given her a sense of fulfillment in her work.
The Competitive Cake Artist with Jewel Burgess
Jewel Burgess of Rancho Cordova, CA shares how she started a cottage food business selling realistic cake sculptures and what she’s learned from participating in four Food Network competitions.
The One-Woman Show with Amanda Luecke
Amanda Luecke of Maple Grove, MN shares how she built a thriving custom decorated cookie business with over 26k Instagram followers by focusing on her customers, community, & family.
Cupcakes In Full Bloom with Sarah Thongnopneua
Sarah Thongnopneua lives in San Anselmo, CA and shares how she grew her “bouCAKES” (floral cupcake bouquets) business from her home kitchen into a commercial kitchen & won a Food Network competition.
Can A Product Be Too Good? with Janna Paterno
Janna Paterno of Charleston, WV shares why she wasn’t making money in her custom-decorated cookie business, despite having phenomenal decorating skills and more customers than she could ask for.
How To Build A Food Business (And Life) That You Love with Sari Kimbell – Part 2
Sari Kimbell of Fort Collins, CO shares tons of advice about growing a food business, including pricing, choosing products, branding, selling wholesale, scaling up, find a commissary kitchen, and more.
How To Build A Food Business (And Life) That You Love with Sari Kimbell – Part 1
Sari Kimbell of Fort Collins, CO shares the importance of having a strong “why”, what type of mindset you need to be successful, and what you should focus on when starting or growing a food business.
Facing Adversity, Embracing Success with Jennie Gibson
Jennie Gibson of Jacksonville, FL shares how she built one of the most successful home-based custom-decorated cake pop businesses in the United States despite facing many challenges along the way.
What I Learned From 50 Podcast Episodes
David Crabill takes you behind-the-scenes and shares what he learned from producing the first 50 podcast episodes, including the top 8 traits of successful cottage food entrepreneurs.
Top Business Tips For Cottage Food Entrepreneurs
In this special 50th episode of The Forrager Podcast, hear from 16 Facebook group owners who share some of their best tips about starting and growing a cottage food business.
How To Sell French Macarons Online with Anthony Rosemond
Anthony Rosemond lives in Phelan, CA and shares how he and his wife Yami moved from France to start a French bakery that went from selling macarons at farmers markets to now selling them nationwide.
Mom By Day, Baker By Night with Daniela Zographos
Daniela Zographos of Anderson, SC shares how she niched down to only selling custom-decorated cake pops, which made her home bakery even more successful and gave her more time to spend with her kids.
If You Don’t Like The Law, Change It with Shelley Erickson
Shelley Erickson of Big Lake, MN shares how she became the leader of the cottage food movement in her state, by improving her state’s cottage food law and starting a cottage food association.
No Stopping, Keep Popping with Payshee Felt & Steve Bivans
Payshee Felt & Steve Bivans of St. Paul, MN share how they went from selling homemade, prepackaged popcorn at their local farmers market to selling $5k of popcorn in a weekend at large events.
Family, Freedom, & Pie with Kourtney Rojas
Kourtney Rojas of Anaheim, CA shares her long, organic journey into creating a successful home pie business that helps support her family and gave her the freedom to quit her job.
The Self-Taught Supermom with April Spencer
Cake decorator and sugar artist April Spencer from Harrod, OH shares how she sells custom cakes and lollipops from home and on Etsy while being a nearly full-time stay-at-home mom of 3 young children.
Small Is Beautiful with Eric Sorensen
Eric Sorensen from Pullman, WA shares how he runs a profitable small side business in retirement by selling sourdough bread, bagels, pretzels, cookies, and more from his driveway and farmers markets.
The Resilient Baker with Justina Rucinski
Justina Rucinski from Burlington, IA shares how she resurrected her custom cookie business after being sexually assaulted by a supposed client, and how her experience impacted the cottage food industry.
Putting Yourself Out There with Beverly Clutter
Beverly Clutter of Fairmont, WV shares how she organically built her successful side business by showcasing her custom decorated cookies on social media and focusing on serving others in her community.
From Sugar Geek to Online Influencer with Liz Marek – Part 2
Liz Marek of Beaverton, OR talks about running a cake decorating business, winning cake competitions, teaching around the world, and creating The Sugar Geek Show, which has over 300,000 followers.
Dads Can Cake Too with Jeremy Davis
Jeremy Davis from Charlotte, MI runs a lucrative custom-decorated cake business from home while working a full-time job, taking care of his kids, and occasionally appearing on national television.
How The Coronavirus Pandemic Impacted The Cottage Food Industry in 2020
Recently I was asked to briefly describe how COVID-19 has impacted the cottage food industry this year. Here’s what I wrote:
“The pandemic has impacted everyone differently, but it has impacted everyone. Some cottage food businesses have shut down temporarily or permanently, while just as many others have seen their sales skyrocket. More cottage food businesses started this year than any other by far, and overall, the pandemic has caused a huge surge of interest in this industry.”
That’s a very simplified view of what has been a crazy and complex year.
In this post, I’ll dig into some of the major trends and story lines that impacted the cottage food industry in 2020.
13 Years Old and Already In Business with Lauren Inazu
Lauren Inazu of St. Louis, MO shares what she’s learned about legally starting her cottage food business as a 13-year-old, in hopes of inspiring other young entrepreneurs to try it out as well.
How To Start A Vegan & Gluten-Free Bakery From Scratch with Noel Martinez
Noel Martinez of Pittsburgh, PA sells Cuban-inspired, diet-specific, homemade baked goods. He shares some of the successes and struggles of growing his new business while working two part-time jobs.
From Art Teacher to Cake Pop Artist with Becca Aronowitz
Becca Aronowitz from Richmond Hill, GA shares everything cake pops (making, pricing, sculpting, decorating, etc), her journey from art teacher to business owner, and some crazy stories along the way.
Selling Honey & Supporting A Cause with Dr. Christine Bertz
Dr. Christine Bertz of Memphis, TN talks about the importance of beekeeping, how to start a beehive in your backyard, and how her fear of bees has transformed into an obsessive fascination of them.
The Cookie Cutter Queen with Tina Karnath
Tina Karnath from Saginaw, MI owns a plethora of cookie cutters and decorates hundreds of custom-designed cookies each week. She talks about pricing, resources, and what she’s learned over the years.
From Bread Factory to Artisan Home Bakery with David Kaminer
David Kaminer of Denver, CO talks about running a lucrative home bakery, how 15 years of experience in food service influenced his business, and why he only sells one type of product: sourdough bread.
How To Live On What You Make with Lisa Kivirist
Lisa Kivirist talks about living off the land, moving away from the corporate life-style, creatively packaging products, diversifying income streams, advocating for laws, and everything in between.
From Home Kitchen to Pie Shop in Under 2 Years with Diana Shockley
Diana Shockley owns I Love Pie in Carmichael, CA. After selling fruit pies at the farmers market for 1.5 years, she expanded into her own storefront. How did she do it and why was she so successful?
How To Start A Cottage Food Business From Your Home Kitchen
David Crabill talks about how to start a cottage food business from your home kitchen by using your state’s cottage food law, and how to validate your product idea with paying customers.
Starting A Cottage Food Business – Limitations
If you want to start a home food business, there are a number of potential limitations that you should be aware of. Learn about the different limitations that states may include in their cottage food laws.
Starting A Cottage Food Operation – Sales Limit
Many states limit the amount of homemade food that you can sell. Learn about why sales limits exist, how they’re enforced, and why they shouldn’t stop your food business from taking off.
Starting A Cottage Food Operation – Allowed Foods
In most states, you can only sell certain types of homemade food. Most cottage food laws only allow nonperishable food items, but some states allow almost all types of food, while other states are very restrictive. Learn about what types of homemade food products you can sell under your cottage food law.
Starting A Cottage Food Operation – Labeling
Nearly all states require a label on cottage food products, and there are many things to consider when creating labels for your home food business.
Starting A Cottage Food Operation – Food Safety Training
When starting a home food business, it’s usually a good idea to take some form of food safety training, and it’s often required. Learn about the three most common types of food safety training.
Starting A Cottage Food Operation – Kitchen Inspection
When starting a cottage food operation, you may have to get your home kitchen inspected. Learn about some of the things you should check before an inspection.
Starting A Cottage Food Operation – Business License
Do you need to get a business license to sell homemade food? Learn about what to consider when setting up a business license for a cottage food operation.
Starting A Cottage Food Operation – Health / Ag Departments
When starting a home food business, you will likely need to deal with the health or ag department. Learn about what you should be aware of when contacting these departments.
Starting A Cottage Food Operation – Zoning
Zoning laws may be the largest barrier to starting your cottage food business. Learn about why zoning laws exist and what you can do to comply with them.
Starting A Cottage Food Operation – First Steps
For most of us, starting a business isn’t easy. Let’s say you want to start your home food business — what do you do? Depending on where you live, there could be any number of barriers between you and your first sale. Learn about a couple of the first steps to take when starting a cottage food operation.