Monica Ford

I think the only way you can sell homemade jams/jellies online and via retail stores is by getting a domestic kitchen license.

Most states do not allow hot sauces, but it depends on your state.

Although it may be common for New Yorkers to sell homemade food on Etsy, it is nevertheless illegal. Also, cordials wouldn’t be allowed under the cottage food law for in-person sales. You will need to use a commercial kitchen to produce the cordials. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

No, you cannot sell there even though it’s your shop. You would need to produce the items under a commercial license to sell from your store. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

I believe that you would need a commercial kitchen to sell either pizza or pasta. You can’t use the cottage food law. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

It is possible that you can sell them at private events and make them in your home kitchen, but it entirely depends on what state you live in. Where do you live?

No, I haven’t heard anything.

I do not think that you can sell them, but you should double check with the ag dept. To sell them (at a roadside stand or elsewhere), I think you need to prepare them in a commercial kitchen. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

I don’t know the laws about making cologne, but I know that they would be separate from the cottage food law. I recommend you contact the health dept about this.

I have heard that you can have a dog if you can prevent your pet from EVER accessing the kitchen area, as well as any area/path that will be used to transport food/supplies to the kitchen. You should discuss this with the ag dept.

The rules for the new cottage food law are still being approved, so you can’t use them yet. It appears that they will become effective in the next few months, but it’s hard to know for sure. If you want to get started immediately, you should look into renting a commercial kitchen. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

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

Here’s a blog post I wrote about pricing: http://forrager.com/2016/05/the-price-is-wrong/

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]

Arkansas’ cottage food law doesn’t allow spices. You need to use a commercial kitchen to produce them. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial