Cottage Food Law: What It Is (and What It Isnโt)
Letโs clear up one of the biggest sources of overwhelm right away. Cottage food law is not a giant rulebook you have to memorize. At its core, cottage food law is simply: A set of state rules that allow you to sell certain homemade foods without using a commercial kitchen. Thatโs it. ๐ช What cottage food law usually DOES cover While every state is different, most cottage food laws answer these basic questions: - What types of foods youโre allowed to sell - Where youโre allowed to sell them (home pickup, markets, etc.) - Whether permits, training, or registration are required - Basic labeling rules You do not need to understand every detail on day one. ๐ซ What cottage food law does NOT require This surprises a lot of people. In most cases, you do not need: - A commercial kitchen - An LLC to get started - A website or online store - Social media accounts - A long list of approvals Those things can come laterโif you even want them. ๐งญ The only cottage food questions you need to answer first Right now, focus on just these three: 1. What foods am I allowed to sell in my state? 2. Where am I allowed to sell them? 3. What is required to be legal before my first sale? Everything else is background noise. ๐ What to do next - Look up your stateโs cottage food law (Iโll help you interpret it) - Donโt panic if the wording feels confusingโtotally normal - Ask questions here before assuming something is โnot allowedโ - Drop a comment with your state and whatโs confusing you most.Weโll break it down together. โ Jen ๐ค