A Cottage Food Bill has cleared the Arkansas House and Senate, and now goes to the Governor for signing. I gave it a quick read, and it appars that you can sell non-potentially hazardous foods out of your home, directly to the consumer, as long as the labeling requirements are met.

Article
http://politics4all.com/campaigns/117-david-meeks-for-us-house/blog/11916-week-in-review-at-the-capital

Text
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Bills/HB1323.pdf

Congratulations!

Congrats to all who live in Arkansas!

REALLY??!!! So what does that mean exactly? Because I am getting excited!!!

Thinking of moving to NWA soon so definately interested.

The Govenor signed the bill!!! http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2011/feb/25/cottage-food-law-expands-markets-20110225/?latest

Yay! Congrats, guys!

But but it mean that you an only sell at Farmer's Markets?

In Arkansas prior to this passing of the "cottage food operations bill" you could not sell, bake, or advertise, give prices for any and all baked items from your home UNLESS you had a permit from the county that you have a certified kitchen and appliances.

This current bill allows you to produce food items from your home including bakery products, candy, canned fruit & butter, jams, jellies,etc.

The bill goes on to state: Those exempt also included in the cottage food production operation......on the condition that the operation offers its products directly to the consumer (1) from the site where the products are being produced (2) At a farmers' market (3) at a county fair (4) at a special event and must be (1) made available to the Department of Health for sampling.

Other conditions: (2) clearly labeled with no nutritional claims (3) label must have name, address of the business, name of the product, the ingredients of the product, and must say "This product is home produced".


You can sell at the farmer' market IF you also market (1) fresh unprocessed fruits or vegetables or (2) maple syrup, sorghum or honey or (3) commercially prepackaged foods

As I read it you can sell from where the product is produced. Read the article.

Can anybody in the "know" tell me the route to go to get this done in Wisconsin? Even though everybody is so up in arms in Madison it's bound to settle eventually.

Here is a link to the full text of the Arkansas bill (now an Act):

http://www.arkansashouse.org/public/php/pdf_viewer.php?pdf=ftp://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/2011/Public/HB1323.pdf

Just wanted to stop by and say Congratulations to all in Arkansas. Sounds like a win to me!

Hopefully before the end of this year we'll have a bunch more states added to the list of those that have a Cottage Food Law enacted.

This is so exciting! Now if I can just figure out what else I need to do in order to sell my cakes from home!

I think - after re-re-re-rereading the bill, that we have to have a label with our name, address and ingredients listed on everything that we sell. (Sell - after 8 years of giving everything away, I just can't imagine it!!!)

Congratulations! Now let's get working in other states!

Yes, you do have to have labels. But I'm guessing you also have to have a HD inspection and some kind of license.

I don't think so, but I have my friend, who has to go to the capital 3 days a week, checking for me. The big question is, how do you get people to start paying, for what they use to get for free??? (without hurting anyone's feelings?)

Tell them you're now a business and can't afford to give away your product.

It appears to me to be an exemption, which means no license, no inspections.

It appears that it was effective on the date the governor signed it, which was 2/18. It says you can sell certain non-potentially hazardous foods from your home kitchen as long as you sell directly to the consumer, and you label it appropriately. This is like an exemption, which is among the easiest ways for states to enact these types of laws; there are no rules, and it doesn't cost any money for the state. It's the ultimate form of the government getting out of our way to let us provide for ourselves.

However, there is this one little section:

I'm not clear on (F) whether they're referring to existing rules, or new rules that are going to be written. So the safest thing to do is to call them and ask how you can comply with the new law.

Who do you call?

I would call the Arkansas Department of Health headquarters in Little Rock if you don't already live there. If you do live there, call your local county office.

Thanks Kelly. I don't live there yet but will look them up.

Do you have to get a business license or permit in your city? Or can I just start charging people? I have no clue how to begin now, seeing as I never thought this day would come!

See kelleym's post above.

YA!!!!!!!! This is a big deal!!!!

I understand the bill to mean we can now bake and sell from our homes to customers. No license, no inspections, no separate structure for kitchen. All we have to do is have a label and a MUST on the label is : name, address of the person who made it; name of the product; ingredients in the product; and in 10-point type "This product is home-produced".

Yippeeee! I just found this out from someone I know that has been making cake for a while at home. A local bakery reported her! Really, like there's not enough business to go around? People can be so petty. I found a website that tells how to get approved in Little Rock, but I live in south Arkansas. So if someone knows what I need to do, please let me know. If I found out I will share the information to anyone who asks.

Just lost my job so this is such a big deal. I have been doing cakes for family and friends for over 25 years! Just to think that I could be a real business is very exciting!