For those of you who are interested, here is the text from the blog. It's a bit lengthy, so prepare yourselves:
[MODERATOR EDITED TO REMOVE COPYRIGHT CONTENT]

http://www.bronwenweber.blogspot.com/

Sorry in advance for the rant.

I hate to say this and possibly anger folks in my first post, but I get where Bronwen is coming from. As much as I WISH I could legally bake from home, because I know I'd be sanitary and I know I could get great business, I know there are other people out there who just wouldn't be. I am upset by how I feel it hinders me, personally, but understand that it's a greater good kind of thing and don't feel I could argue adequately for it in face of some of the outright ridiculous things people do in their home kitchens. Does it make me want to yell "This is why we can't have nice things!" at those people? Some days, you betcha.

I also happen to live in a state where the only legal option short of building your own kitchen is renting out a commercial kitchen from an "incubator kitchen" service. We have all of 2 businesses of that persuasion in my area, and I think one of them is closed. Kitchen sharing, illegal. I am relatively certain home add-ons are iffy as well, not that they're an option for me. It's made me want to rip my hair out.

The argument of bringing down prices overall is somewhat valid, but doesn't worry me quite as much. I have, frankly, never met a decorator who let those laws stop them from doing cakes out of their house. I've been very careful and always limited it to friends and family, and in a situation where it technically qualified as personal gifting. I have been more careful than most, I'd say. In fact, in my experience the knowledge their cake businesses aren't legal is part of what makes home bakers price their cakes far lower than others. I think, in a weird way, being a legal and acknowledged business would make home decorators charge MORE, and not necessarily make that much more cake than when it wasn't legal.

Bronwen is a wonderful lady, and I've seen some pretty harsh low blows in this whole argument that made me hurt for her. I truly don't think her intent was ever to cut off someone's path to success.

Just my opinion:

I love baking cakes!! And even though I would love to see the bill passed, I guess with all the oposition, I still will be baking cakes. No one can tell me what I can and can't do. We simply wanted it to be legal. Now I now that some of you may say "we aren't saying not to do it," but let me just say that by saying you aren't in support, if you don't support the bill. With that said, let me also ask you think about the time you order things during the holidays like "tamales, or pan de polvo" These are just examples, and like someone else said. Think about child care. Are you taking your children to a licensed day care to some lady who takes care of kids. Are they using the proper sanitation procedures as outlined in the Licensing standards for day cares as specified by your state. Texas has a four step sanitizing procedure. But if you do take your children to a licensed day care, ask your child's caregiver how they santize. In Texas, they should say its four steps. Any less, and its unsanitary. Again, this is just an example comparing the two businesses. Yes, one is food, and one is about children. But, how important is one to the other when it comes to sanitary conditions.

Sorry for the rant!!!

If public safety were a true concern, not one state would have cottage food laws (or the number of complaints about home bakers in these states would be insane!), and bake sales, chili cook offs, pot luck dinners, etc. would be completely outlawed.

The public health concern is a ruse. It really aggravates me when people hide behind a smokescreen of bs, when the truth is so blatant.

Just say it. You don't want it to be "easier" for anyone else than it was for you.

Is that selfish? Yes. Immature? Yes. But if you own it instead of being passive aggressive about your stance, at least people will respect you for being honest.

Okay, so this is my opinion...they are like butts, we all have them and they all stink!

I didn't get that she was against home bakers in general. From what I understood of it, she was against some of the laws that might be a little lax in the bill? I am in Utah, and we do have a cottage food law here. And I am legally able to bake cakes from my home after going through the process. It wasn't a quick process. It involved me doing many things, like getting a food safety card so I KNOW how things will be affected by being left out and I know the rules about having a drinking cup in my kitchen and the proper way to sanitize my surfaces and utensils. I then had to submit all my recipes to the Dept of Ag so they could go over them one by one to make sure they were shelf stable. For ANYTHING that I want to offer, I have to go through that process if I haven't already. If something was questionable about being food safe, I had to pay (fortunately all my stuff was) for it to be grown in a lab to make sure that it was shelf stable. They came to my house to inspect it, they looked for free roaming animals, made sure my items were stored separately from my family and that I had a separate fridge ONLY for cake business stuff. They also made sure of things like the fact that my items weren't directly ont he floor, not stored near chemicals etc. I do open my home to be inspected at the drop of a dime, or at the complaint of a customer. I had to be inspected by the fire chief and additionally by the city for structural soundness and to make sure tha tI had bathrooms for my customers, that my path was safe for them to walk up etc. AND I had to get insurance to cover my cakes, busienss,a nd customers.

I think where Brownen feels they are being let down is where people might not be subject to these same guidelines. It sounds liek the people that went thru the above are fine in her book, but it also sounds like she feels the rules will be too lax for those wanting to bake from home, like no regulation. I can understand her position on that.

Okay, so hopefully I don't get reamed. I gave my opinon disclaimer at the beginning.

Keyshia

What frustrates me about the pricing argument and the "craig's list cakes for $10" is that those people are going to sell them legal or not legal. Some of them probably wouldn't even get licensed if this bill passes! They don't care, obviously, about the law! Why should the rest of us be punished because a few people already break the law and would continue to do so whatever the law is? Not passing this bill will punish those of us who have a passion for cakes but aren't able to get legal with the current law, whether it's money, jobs, kids, etc, keeping us from doing cakes full time. There's no way I can do cakes full time, but I'd love to be able to make some money making a couple of cakes a month for my friends. Right now, I just give them away, because I love doing cakes. They give me supplies, I give them a finished product. Or I give it for free, depending on the occasion. It's a "labor of love" right now, but I'd love to make a few bucks off of it in the future.

I do hope there's a stipulation about pets in the bill, like other states. I don't think pets should be allowed indoors if you want to sell cakes from home. Animals do not belong in a kitchen where food is sold.

ETA: I LOVE Bronwen and will continue to root for her in all cake challenges!! Her opinion on this bill does not turn me against her at all. One of the great things about America is that we CAN have different opinions than each other and voice them freely! So Bronwen can speak her mind, and all those in support of the bill can speak ours. Let's just do it louder!!!

All those specific restrictions mentioned (animals, separate equipment) are things that will be addressed in the RULES.

This bill is not RULES. It is a LAW enabling the Department of Health to regulate us and set RULES to protect the public health.

The bill is not "lax" with the public health concerns. The bill says - hey, we are going to allow Cottage Food Operations, and we're going to let the Department of Health set whatever rules are necessary to protect the public health.

No one I have talked to who is "for" the bill thinks that there shouldn't be RULES. We are literally begging for regulation and rules to prove to the state, the public, and whoever else, that we can produce a safe, clean, quality product in our homes.

To tell u I didnt even know you had to be legal until i come here.
I was shock. But if people like mine cakes i will sell them and if one day we can get legal then great!

I thought I would put my 2 cents in...........
Some people truly need to go to school to learn how to clean......so sad but so true.
Mrs. Bronwen is not working on someones teeth or flying a plane. I think the lady rocks and I would love take in class that I could from her!!! She has been in the business a lot longer than some of us have, so she knows more than a lot of us. Heck, I bet she knows more than most of the people with that degree that went to school to decorate cakes!

I would love to order a cake and let my family consume that cake that I purchased with cash, from a lady that does this out of her home.
Oh, as long as I do not know about her hubby killing him a big ol buck (male deer) and that kitchen being used to slaughter that buck.

This happened with a goat in China Grove, N.C. at Chaptains Galley. A wonderful lady lost her life......and countless others were deathly sick.

http://www.salisburypost.com/Area/101808-captain-galley-reopening-china-grove

My 2 cents are up.

I'm not sure I understand the difference between a "cottage food law" and a "home baking allowance"?

I have a legal home kitchen here in PA but I don't think its a "cottage" law.... maybe it is, I dunno.

Is the one in Texas they are debating...would you still have to get licensed, or would it just mean its legal to sell from home?

I can see where Bronwen is coming from (and hey I didn't know she was only one year older than me!). I don't necessarily agree....but I can definitely see where she's coming from.

To me, I don't feel threatened by other bakers. There are alot of home bakers here in PA but there are also alot of people. Also there are different levels of talent. People are going to know if you make good cakes....and they are also going to know if your home seems clean or if you are putting out quality. I don't think anyone truly professional is going to price their cakes low...and I think the low priced cakes are going to be obviously lower quality. Customers are still going to pay more for quality and reputation. There are several cheap cakes Craigslisters around here and they don't bother me a bit...I read their ads every so often and chuckle.

I do understand the cleanliness thing but I think its up to the customer to make sure they are buying from a reputable source. I mean, how much regulation is necessary? When I was a kid, mom's sent cupcakes to school for birthdays and nobody got sick (even though nobody wanted to eat the cupcakes that the little redheaded girl with bottlecap glasses brought). If the cottage food thingy in Texas is going to have a no pet rule and some sort of paper showing that you got permission to have your business, there is absolutely no reason to be against it.

Of course I'm a home baker so I"m biased.

Yes, we'd be licensed. We'd be required to take a food safety course. We'd have an initial inspection. And the bill allows the HD the ability to make any rules they deem necessary to protect the public health.

My whole point is that people are doing this anyway, without food safety knowledge, without licensing, without regulation. This bill allows these people to be legal and to have to answer to the HD if their kitchens are unsanitary. That's why I think the health threat argument is so ignorant.

I completely agree kitagrl. And we'd only be allowed to sell nonperishables as well. Oh and staph kolaches. Those are my specialty.

I love Bronwen. I've taken a class from her before. I think she's a genius.

I can understand the whole argument about keeping the rules the same for everyone. I just wanted to add that just because the rules are there, doesn't mean that everyone--home bakers or storefront bakers alike--follow them. The dept. of agriculture (or whoever regulates it in your state) does their best to see that everyone follows the rules. but with a random visit twice a year, they don't see everything that goes on. Rules will be broken. I'm not advocating that, but they will. I think the public doesn't understand that when they buy something from a home baker or a storefront baker they are subject to the mood of the baker at the time. Drop a spatula on the floor? Wipe it off on your apron or wash it in the triple sink? We all know what we should do, but will everyone? I'm sure that the overworked baker will cut corners even though they are licensed and have passed their health inspection.

That said, I think the rules still need to be there. I'm a storefront baker and have heard a thousand times (even from my own husband) "You should go out on your own!" No thanks! I don't want the headache of setting up my own business. I'd rather leave my food coloring stains on someone else's bench. I think everyone should follow the same rules. Set it up however you want--in home, in a bakery...wherever. The rules need to exist--same for everyone. I think everyone deserves a chance to do what they love to do, but they all need to follow the same guidelines.

Perhaps some of the rules need to change, too. Our health inspector--crazy woman--comes up with the most bizzare things that we should be doing. They're all for public safety, but some of them are the craziest "what if" situations. Like, what if that lightbulb above the bench blows and glass flies everywhere. You need a different light fixture." Yea, well what if that one blows? Or what if the safety cover on it falls off into my dough? Or what if there's an electric surge and the whole fixture blows and falls into my dough? How about this? Then I throw the dough out and start again.

As far as the 25%....and you could probably break that down much further to the percentage of food prepared in homes that is actually SOLD?

And the percentage of food that is actually tainted at the factory despite careful prep at home?

I"m sure its a very low percentage of danger in home foods....this percentage probably includes moms eating cookie dough (which isn't sold anyway) or stuff like salmonella in ice cream (no fault of the cook), etc.

I live in California and believe you me, people eat in rated B and C restaurants all the time, actually the dominos in a neighborhood close to home is rated B who cares?
I have worked in several bakeries and they dont FULLY follow the rules either, the only one was COSTCO, so don't even get me started. Most bakeries are required that one person with training be at the bakery at all times, so what they do is, the owner takes the class and the cashier that clases the bakery most of the time, THATS IT. the bakers have common sense and they use that, but sanitary practices? come on! some of them cant even read spanish, let alone english and even if they took the class do you think they'd remember all the information about bacteria and germs and stuff like that? get real.