Oregon Farm Direct Can you legally sell food from home in Oregon?

Cottage Food Law

The Farm Direct Bill in Oregon is for processors that grow the primary ingredients of what they produce, and it allows them to bypass licensing and fee requirements. For instance, this law would work well for an individual that grows strawberries in their garden and wants to sell the strawberry jelly they make at home.

The law limits farm direct marketers to $20,000 per year of sales of acidified foods, and it limits the types of foods allowed to mostly canned goods and produce. This law isn’t for everyone, but Oregon does have a cottage food law and domestic kitchen laws that allow almost anyone to sell certain types of food out of their home.

Table of Contents

Selling Allowed Foods Limitations Business Labeling Workplace Resources Forum

Selling Where can you sell homemade food products?

Allowed Venues

Events Farmers markets Home Online Roadside stands

Allowed Services

Delivery Mail order Home Pickup

Farm direct marketers can allow other farm direct marketers to sell some types of foods on consignment.

Allowed Foods What food products can you sell from home?

The only ingredients which may be purchased and added to your products (other than the primary ingredients that were grown by the producer) are herbs, spices, salt, vinegar, pectin, lemon or lime juice, honey, and sugar. Garlic, onion, and celery are not allowed, as they do not qualify as spices.

Producers may not commingle their grown goods with other producers.

Only "non-potentially hazardous" foods are allowed, but certain non-PHFs may not be allowed. Most foods that don't need to be refrigerated (foods without meat, cheese, etc.) are considered non-potentially hazardous. Learn more

Limitations How will your home food business be restricted?

Limitations

Direct sales only Sales limit

There may be more limitations, but the ones above have been confirmed

Sales are limited to $20,000 per year

The $20,000 limit only applies to acidified foods

Business What do you need to do to sell food from home?

Acidified Foods Testing

If your recipe for an acidified food does not use an approved process, you must get your product testing by a process authority.

Although no licensing is necessary, farm direct marketers must maintain records for some types of products, including batch testing. The records must be maintained for three years.

Labeling How do you label cottage food products?

Label Requirements

Allergens Business address Business name Ingredients Net amount Product name Statement

Sample Label

Chocolate Chip Cookies

"This product is homemade and is not prepared in an inspected food establishment"
"Not for resale"

Forrager Cookie Company

123 Chewy Way, Cookietown, OR 73531

Ingredients: enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), butter (cream, salt), semi-sweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milkfat, soy lecithin, natural flavors), brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract (vanilla bean extract, alcohol, sugar), baking soda, salt (salt, calcium silicate)

Contains: milk, eggs, wheat, soy

NET WT 2 lb 4 oz (1.02 kg)

Certain foods require a slightly abbreviated statement on the label: “This product is not prepared in an inspected food establishment” and “Not for resale”

Workplace Are there any home kitchen requirements?

Some processing of your products can happen on-site at an event, like roasting peppers, grilling corn, or popping popcorn. However, these items cannot be sold for immediate consumption.

Resources Where can you find more information about this law?

Links

OAR 603-025-0215 thru 603-025-0275 Farm Direct Marketing, Producer-Processed Products Farm Direct Marketing, Agricultural Products Oregon Food Safety FAQ

Department

Agriculture

Contacts

Job Title: Operations & Automation Specialist
Organization: Food Safety Program, ODA
Email: sschwab@oda.state.or.us
Telephone: 503-986-4569

Job Title: Food Safety Inspector & Cottage Food and On-farm Specialist, Oregon City
Organization: Food Safety Program, ODA
Email: wfargo@oda.state.or.us
Telephone: 503-232-1014

Law Dates