David Crabill
@david
active 4 days, 21 hours agoForum Replies Created
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Maple syrup isn’t specifically mentioned in VA’s cottage food law, so I’m not sure if you’re exempt from inspection, though you may be. You can sell your maple syrup as a home food processing operation, but that requires an inspection. You should contact the ag dept about this.
Lisa, the law says that you can sell at “a municipal, county, or nonprofit fair, festival, or event”. You can also sell at farmers markets. All other types of events are not allowed. So if it is not run by the local govt, or if it is not run by a non-profit, or if it is not a farmers market, then you can’t sell at it.
You can usually sell fresh, uncut produce without needing a permit. I believe that businesses can use your produce, but some counties have restrictions on accepted sources of produce. You can check with the health dept to see if that’s the case in your county.
Kelly, you can do everything you asked about. Just make sure that you collect payment from a customer in-person.
Although you don’t need anything from the health dept, you might need to adhere to licenses or requirements for starting a home business. Also, you will need whatever the farmers market or event requires. Here’s some more info: http://forrager.com/faq/#starting
I think you’re exempt from the state tax, but you might have county or city sales taxes that you need to collect. Here’s some more info: http://forrager.com/faq/#sales-tax
Yes, if you’re using a licensed commercial kitchen and have the proper license from the ag dept, you can sell online. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial
Courtney, most states use CFR 21 as a standard for jams and jellies, but unlike most states, CA has it written into their law. Regardless of the laws, following CFR 21 is recommended to ensure the safety of your product. Low sugar jams and jellies are possible, but they may need to be refrigerated. You should contact the health dept to learn about Mississippi’s requirements.
Eli, jams and jellies sold under the cottage food law need to adhere to CFR 21 — this requirement is listed in the law itself and cannot be overridden by a health dept. So the short answer is no, what you are doing is not legal. You need to use a commercial kitchen to produce low-sugar jams. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial
Paul, I know that some people roast coffee beans in their oven, but I don’t know how most people do it. It is possible to have your kitchen extend to other parts of the home (that aren’t sleeping areas), but I don’t know if a garage would be allowed. Assuming you’re in CA, you should talk with your environmental health dept about what they will allow.
