Steve Kramer

The inclusion of meat, potatoes, or vegetables disqualifies you from being a CFO. I haven’t found that people are resistant to buying from a home-prepared item, but you don’t have to worry about it because you’re forced to use a commercial kitchen to stay legal.

If you’ve remove it from its package, I don’t think you can even sell commercially-prepared dry pasta.

CO just amended their law and is unlikely to follow suit anytime soon. It sounds like you will need to build a commercial kitchen, either on your property or elsewhere.

No, I think all of your production for that business needs to happen in a commercial kitchen.

You cannot use your home… you must make it in a commercial kitchen. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Actually candy may be one of the only items for which you do need to charge sales tax. For some reason, most categories, like baked goods, are exempt, but candies often specifically require sales tax. At least that is true in other areas of the country. I’m not entirely sure for your area and your situation.

1. No, other than producing in a commercial kitchen.
2. Fermented foods are indeed very safe, but that doesn’t seem to have affected their perception.
3. You could consider proposing a bill to amend (or more likely create anew) the cottage food law. http://forrager.com/2015/05/lobbying-amending-cottage-food-law/

The law only allows for baked and canned goods, not raw ingredients like flours. So based on that, I assume that they wouldn’t be allowed, but you should still contact the ag dept to confirm.

No, that would not be allowed. You cannot sell liquids under this law, and even something as simple as water would require a different permit. I believe you need to produce your ice cream in a commercial kitchen. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

I don’t know if rice krispy treats are allowed (probably), but you can definitely use a recipe from a cookbook.

I think you will once again need to rent or build a commercial kitchen. Cut, fresh fruit is not allowed under the cottage food law, and you can’t sell interstate. I also don’t think you can ship products under the cottage food law.

1. No — it wouldn’t be allowed on two accounts: the cream and the cream cheese.
2. I think you can, but not under this law. I’m not sure if you need more than a sellers permit.
3. Yes, and many counties require that they be prepackaged. I have seen a number of CFOs do open samples, but I’m not sure if they’re doing so legally.
4. Probably not. If…[Read more]

It isn’t legal to charge people to eat at your home, nor will it likely be allowed anytime in the near future, despite the numerous new websites that promote hosted dinners.

Yes, you need to get them inspected if you use a private well or septic tank.