Monica Ford

Generally speaking, any type of food that needs to be refrigerated is not allowed. Homemade mayo and garlic/oil mixtures are not allowed, and you would need to use a commercial kitchen to produce them. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

Although cottage food operations cannot sell items that require refrigeration, I believe that almost any gluten item that would be allowed under the law would also be allowed if produced gluten-free. Gluten-free items may not have as long of a shelf life and refrigerating them may help preserve them, but they probably wouldn’t become potentially…[Read more]

I don’t believe food swaps fall under any regulation, since there is no money trading hands and people aren’t engaging in commerce. California has some extremely strict rules, but I know that food swaps happen in the Bay Area all the time and I haven’t heard of one getting shut down. I assume it would be less strict in MD.

However, the food swaps…[Read more]

You would not be able to use the cottage food law. You would have to get a commercial license and rent a commercial kitchen.

You should be able to, but there are strict standards to abide by. What I’ve heard from the ag dept is overviewed in the limitations section: http://forrager.com/law/pennsylvania/#limitations

You should be able to, but there are strict standards to abide by. What I heard from the ag dept is overviewed in the limitations section: http://forrager.com/law/pennsylvania/#limitations

No — you can only sell at your home, markets, roadside stands, and via delivery to event venues.

Hummus wouldn’t be allowed since it requires refrigeration. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

I don’t think you have to have liability insurance, though some venues (eg farmers markets) may require it.

I think you could use that code, but a more accurate one may be 44529, because likely you will be selling your products outside your home.

That would all be illegal as far as I know. I’m not sure how strict central Kentucky is about following the laws though.

Miasha, I’ve listed the basic info, along with external resources here: http://forrager.com/law/virginia/
I am not familiar with any significant websites for Virginia.

Most people make labels themselves and print them at home. Some also use online print shops to produce their labels.

I don’t think you can sell home-brewed kombucha. You’ll likely need to use a commercial kitchen: http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

The dept that manages zoning in your area will likely determine whether a farm stand is allowed where you live. You should also check with the ag dept to see if they have a requirement for what a farm stand needs to be (for instance, it might need to primarily sell produce). Sometimes the requirements for this are county-dependent.

You will not be able to use the cottage food law. Instead, you need to get a commercial license: http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial