Hi there,

Congrats to Georgia and Tennessee!

Both of their bills have now passed, and will mark significant improvements to their laws.

Also, Minnesota has rolled some of their desired changes into an omnibus bill, which I'll explain below.


Let's start with Georgia (HB 398). Their bill is basically a rewrite of their existing law and it makes a LOT of changes.

Here's what Georgia's bill will do:

• Will allow indirect sales (wholesale) of products (at retail stores, restaurants, etc)
• Will allow all nonperishable foods and drinks
• Will allow interstate sales
• Might remove the requirement to get a cottage food license, get a kitchen inspection, and take a food safety course
• Will allow a producer to avoid putting their home address on labels
• Will amend other labeling requirements
• Will allow producers to use a home kitchen in a second home

Whew, that's a lot! The allowance of wholesale will be a great improvement, and Georgia notably joins a growing list of states that are allowing interstate sales.

Georgia's new law is supposed to go into effect on July 1st, but it could get held up in a rulemaking process by the ag department, so we'll see.


Next up, Tennessee's bill (HB 130), which is also very significant, but much easier to explain.

Their bill will add most types of perishable foods to their food freedom law, enabling producers to directly sell perishable foods from home without government oversight.

It even allows some types of perishable food to be sold indirectly.

With this change, Tennessee adds to a growing list of states that are allowing items with red meat, if those items fall under a certain exemption.

Tennessee's new bill will go into effect on July 1st.


And finally, Minnesota has cottage food language within a large omnibus bill (HF 2446).

This bill would do a few significant things:

• Allow shipping within the state
• Lower the registration fee from $50 down to $30
• Remove the registration exemption for small sellers

Minnesota is one of the most active cottage food states, so without doubt, there are hundreds of cottage food entrepreneurs there who would love to be able to ship within their state.

Entrepreneurs who sell less than $7,500 per year likely wouldn't be thrilled about this change, because it would require them to pay and register their business. But entrepreneurs who are already registered would benefit, since it would lower the registration fee.

It's not yet clear if it will pass, but it looks like it has the best chance of any of Minnesota's bills this year.


So there you have it! Two major law improvements, plus another cottage food bill. 2025 continues to be a great year!


Check out the 2025 Cottage Food Bills Map


Forraging ahead,

David