Ann

You wouldn’t be able to use Etsy, unless the buyer on Etsy came to your farm stand to pick up their purchase.

Deb, yes you can sell your cakes and yes, you need to register with the ag dept, and there are a number of other requirements, which you can read through on this page: http://forrager.com/law/minnesota/

If you want to use cream cheese frosting, then you can’t run your business from home. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Buttercream frosting is almost always safe, but some states and health depts still don’t allow it. Usually this is because they prohibit all uncooked dairy products in cottage foods, even though butter is perfectly safe when left unrefrigerated. So in this instance, I’d say it’s not a matter of whether or not it is perishable, but rather that it…[Read more]

It depends on what state you live in. Have you read about the laws for your state? http://forrager.com/laws/

You should be able to sell a dry mix like that at a farmers market, and you even might be able to sell/sample the prepared pancakes/waffles, if the health dept deems those as an allowable food. Butter shouldn’t require refrigeration, but I’m not sure if it could be offered… the bigger problem might be that at that point, you are selling for…[Read more]

I was just “thinking out loud”.

I’m sure it wouldn’t be approved in this situation as packages of ingredients would have to be opened, combined, re-packaged and transported to a location other than a farmer’s market or roadside stand. However (thinking out loud again…) could homemade pancake & waffle mixes be sold at a farmer’s market? Also…[Read more]

The cottage food law in Indiana is specifically designed for people who are selling items that are fully-prepared, packaged, and labeled in their home. Those items can only be sold at farmers markets and roadside stands, and that’s the only way I know of to personally profit from homemade food. I’m not sure about the rules for personal chefs, but…[Read more]