Emily Hicks

I’m sure you have to be licensed, but I’m not sure how. You should contact your health dept.

No — direct means that you are personally interacting with the buyer when the sale happens. But there are also rules about what a food establishment can sell — I don’t think you can even setup a table in a coffee shop and sell there directly.

I think the main reason is that they just don’t need to. Farmers markets are so popular that most of them have an abundance of sellers lining up. Some have a year-long waiting list. There are also some markets that only focus on produce, which is understandable.

Farmers markets that accept CFOs are usually ones that simply like the idea of…[Read more]

I haven’t heard of someone getting a barcode, but I’m sure it has been necessary for some indirect sales. If it were me, I’d wait until you have deals with the retail stores, and they can let you know if you need a barcode. They may not require one, or they may put a sticker on themselves.

Usually when rules state that business supplies need to be kept separate, it means that they need to be in their own cupboard or own shelf. You should have a designated area where you put them, though that area doesn’t need to be cordoned off from everything else. If you store things in the fridge, you usually don’t need to have a separate fridge…[Read more]

I don’t know and it’s best to talk to your environmental health dept. I’m pretty sure that you don’t need to worry about the ink on your labels. As for the packaging, I think it wouldn’t need to be food safe, but if you’re selling the items in the box, then maybe there’s a rule out there that states that it must be safe.

I don’t think they are. You can check with your environmental health dept, but they aren’t on the list so I highly doubt they will be allowed. (even though they are the combination of two allowed items)

No, you need a commercial kitchen for that. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Your homeowners insurance will almost certainly not cover your business. http://forrager.com/faq/#insurance

A cottage food operation is only for someone preparing and packaging products in their home kitchen, and then selling them to consumers for consumption outside of the home. I’m not sure if home cooking classes are even possible in CA, but you can talk to your health dept to see what the options are.

I’d prefer to answer your questions on the site so others can benefit from the info. If you have questions beyond that, you should call your health dept.

I believe it’s the state that issues seller permits, but I’m not sure if you need one. I know some counties require them, and fortunately they’re free. Even if your county doesn’t require them, a venue you sell at might require them. I know some CFOs get one just in case. The environmental health dept can tell you if they require thme.

Selling uncooked mushrooms would fall under the realm of the ag dept, similar to selling produce. It wouldn’t fall under the cottage food law and I don’t know the rules about selling those.

End-of-year income tax is going to be based on gross sales, and probably as a self-employment tax. You just add up the total sales, remove your deductions, and your tax program should tell you what you owe. If you make enough money, you may have to submit estimated taxes quarterly.

Typically any sweet fruit jelly is allowed. It should have a significant amount of sugar in it… low sugar preserves would likely not be allowed. Pepper jellies would not be allowed.

Yes, if you have a commercial license from the health dept, you’d be relatively unrestricted.

I’d recommend a sole-proprietorship. Please see here: http://forrager.com/groups/california/forum/topic/can-you-expand-answer-on-llc/

This wouldn’t fall under the cottage food law. You’ll need to talk to the health dept.

There is no legal way to sell homemade cheesecakes in TN. Your mom needs a commercial license, which would also allow her to take online orders and do interstate sales. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Yes, you can do any direct sales to customers.