Ashley Colpaart

I don’t think many, if any, counties allow meringue powder. Other CFOs who are using it may be doing so illegally.

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

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.

No, cooked potatoes and cheese would not be allowed in cottage food items. You’ll need to use a commercial kitchen. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Christian, if you are a Class B CFO, then you can sell to commercial businesses, and it is my understanding that they can sell your product by the same means that they sell their own. So assuming that the farmers market vendor is a commercial food business (and not simply a farmer that sells produce), then I would think that they could resell your…[Read more]

Michelle, I’m not surprised that they wouldn’t allow canal water. Usually private water allowances are in regards to underground wells that are not in proximity to animals, waste, etc. Private wells are allowed after they have been tested. Perhaps you could offer to have your water tested, though they might still not allow it because there are too…[Read more]

Correct, you cannot sell online as a CFO. To sell online, you need to go the commercial route. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Angela, I’m sure your mom’s pimento cheese mix is amazing. However, I’m going to be straight up with you… if you or a family member is not willing to market the product, then it’s probably not going to get off the ground. Making amazing products is fairly easy; selling them is very hard — it took me years to learn this. Even Coca Cola still…[Read more]