September 23, 2024 • 40 mins
Unlock the secrets to starting a successful home-based food business with expert insights from Jennifer Hagen, Extension Agent specializing in Family and Consumer Sciences from the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Jennifer’s inspiring journey from urban planning to guiding aspiring food entrepreneurs offers practical advice for those eager to launch their own ventures.
In this podcast, Jennifer breaks down the essentials of Florida’s cottage food laws, explaining which products can and cannot be sold from home. She also clarifies the critical distinctions between shelf-stable products that are allowed and those like dairy and meats that require refrigeration. With Jennifer's guidance, you’ll feel confident about starting your own food business while adhering to regulations.
**For even more info and an interactive experience, join Jennifer on Monday, September 30, 2024, from 12pm – 1pm EST for the Cottage Food and Value-Added Practices Virtual Training. Registration is free!**
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Fresh Take , where we at Florida Organic
Growers speak to food systemsexperts about topics related to
organic and sustainableagriculture, healthy lifestyles
and the environment.
To help us continue ourprograms at FOG, including our
podcast, consider becoming asponsor.
For more information onsponsorship, check out our Get
Involved page on our website,wwwfoginfoorg out our Get
(00:28):
Involved page on our website,wwwfoginfoorg.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hello and welcome back to Fresh Take, where we
explore everything you need toknow about sustainable living,
organic agriculture and how tomake the best lifestyle choices,
including thriving in the worldof food entrepreneurship.
Today's episode is all aboutmastering the art of cottage
food business, a topic that'scrucial for anyone looking to
start or grow a home-based foodbusiness.
If you've ever wondered how youcan legally sell baked goods,
(00:54):
jams or other homemade fooditems without the need for a
commercial kitchen, this episodeis for you.
With us today is a very specialguest, an extension agent
specializing in family andconsumer sciences from the
University of Florida'sInstitute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences, jenniferHagen, to help us break down the
seemingly complex yet simpletopic.
(01:16):
Jen, I'm so pumped to have youon our show.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Thank you, my pleasure, very excited to be
here as well.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
I honestly think that this episode will be
life-changing for some peoplelistening, because there's
really tons of folks I know,including my own family members,
who really want to startselling food from their home,
but they really have no cluewhere to start.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
So true, and it is exciting to be able to know that
, if you have a hobby or you'reinterested in producing certain
types of foods that qualify forcottage food, there is a place
for you to play in the state ofFlorida, so I look forward to
diving into the details with youas well.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yes, definitely.
And before we get into thejuicy bits, tell us about how
you found your way into thiscareer.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Oh, it's a.
It's a well, I guess I couldsay it's semi short rabbit hole.
But prior to coming toExtension, I worked as an urban
and regional planner for thecity of Bonita Springs and I was
actually tagged to be the zonerwho signed off on people's home
tax account application to beable to do foods.
(02:30):
So that was when cottage foodjust had started in its infancy.
It was started around 2011, gotupdated around 2014.
And I'm just trying to sit at mydesk and figure out what does
this mean?
What is a cottage?
You know what is a cottage food?
I'm imagining somestereotypical like cottage with
(02:54):
like pies in the window.
You know silly things, tryingto figure out what this was, and
there was just something withinme that kept telling me like
you need to dive into this fullthrottle because this is going
to literally produce somethingone day for you.
And I did not know why, but youget that gut feeling.
(03:16):
And so I learned and became,you know, the food guru planner
for the city and it ended upoffering a career when Extension
was posting a job for a familyconsumer science agent.
I wasn't really sure what thatwas, but I was familiar with
Extension and food was part ofthe job description for food
(03:39):
related entrepreneurship.
So that's really a long storyshort of how I got into it.
Understanding regulations wasmy foundation, and then moving
into the different foodprocessing, retail, wholesale
manufacturing, as well as theexemption for cottage food,
really became my bread andbutter.
(04:00):
Pun intended.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Wow.
Well, what a unique story.
I mean to go from, you know,urban planning to cottage food
law and what a, you knowinteresting shift.
And I know that you'recurrently an UF extension in Lee
County and you oversee someother programs such as, you know
, community health andsustainability, food safety,
(04:24):
local food system.
So what are some of the thingsthat you do on a day-to-day
basis in your role?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Well, if you know anything about extension, every
day is different but thattypically is what draws me to
extension, because you you tryto have a calendar, you try to
manage some of your tasks butthings always end up popping in.
But usually my day typicallyinvolves answering questions in
regards to food-relatedentrepreneurship.
(04:54):
I also work statewide withbeekeepers.
Cottage food is, I call it, mygateway drug honey processing,
because beekeepers also can selltheir honey under cottage food
but then, depending on who theyultimately want to sell it to
and where that retail orwholesale sales may end up, they
(05:17):
may be permitted or notpermitted.
So it has ended up connectingme closely to the beekeeper
hobbyist population, which ispretty fun.
But a lot of my daily job isanswering questions about
regulations or connectingfood-related entrepreneurs with
the potential of commercialkitchens or other folks to help
(05:39):
them navigate some of theseregulations.
So every day is different.
Whether I'm on a farm, whetherI'm out in the field or at my
desk, it just is always a littledifferent, but has to do
something with either food orcommunity.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Well, I love how dynamic that sounds.
You know you have a lot ofdifferent roles that you play,
different hats that you wear andfor those listening, how would
you define the main topic oftoday, which is cottage food law
?
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Well, I guess I would define it as a small percentage
of foods that are available foryou to produce within your home
kitchen that are exempt fromFlorida's commercial food safety
regulations.
So that's one of the biggestthings.
I like to point out that, whilecottage food is commonly
(06:34):
referred to as a law, the lawactually is that these food
products are exempt from foodsafety regulations and you
having to produce those limitedproducts in a inspected and
regulated facility.
So it's actually an exemptionright and it took me a little
while to figure that out too butyou're exempt from all the
(06:57):
rules that most of the retailmanufacturer and wholesale
processors have to abide by inorder to sell their products and
wholesale processors have toabide by in order to sell their
products.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
That's such a good way to put it, because I, you
know, going into this topic wasjust like, oh, this one is a big
one and I feel like you know,watching you even present on
this prior at our organic foodand farming summit this past
April was something that I wasso fortunate to be in the room
(07:26):
for, because I felt like, wow,you were really able to break
this down in such simple termsand to say that this is an
exemption, I think really justmakes it so much clearer as far
as what this really means.
So what types of food can beproduced under this law?
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Okay, so I always like to, and thank you for the
compliment.
I appreciate it, but I try tobreak it down so it's easy to
digest and not try to overwhelmpeople when I when I walk them
through.
These prohibited and allowablecottage food products are shelf
stable products.
There's something that like ifyou went to a big box grocery
(08:12):
store, you may go into thebakery section and they may have
these products on end caps oron tables for you to take away
and enjoy.
But if you put them on yourshelf at home or you put them on
your counter at home.
You can consume them in acouple days and the quality and
the safety is there, becausethese particular items do not
(08:35):
require the fancy food safetyterm which is called temperature
control for safety, which meansthey require no refrigeration.
They don't have anything withinthem that has a high moisture
content that could cause them tospoil or to harbor pathogens
like the cooties that we mightget sick from.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Right.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
And so that's really how I try to explain it is that
they don't require refrigeration.
They don't require you to bakeor freeze them in order for them
to be consumable, and they're apretty safe product for you to
be able to sell and to alsostore at home for you to consume
when you're ready.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
So what are some examples of you know what people
could sell under the cottagefood law?
Speaker 3 (09:23):
For sure.
So these are your items, kindof like your breads, your
muffins, your cookies candies.
We already spoke very quicklyabout honey, some of your fruit
pies, some of your jams andjellies that are made also from
high acid fruits.
You can also sell dry herbs,different dry seasonings and
(09:47):
mixtures, cereals, granola, nuts, things of that nature.
That would be something thatyou could almost pack and take
on a picnic or keep you knowwith you that you don't have to
worry about keeping it cool orany kind of processing
additional that you'd have to doto it.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
So these are things that we typically see at like
farmers markets that vendors areselling.
I mean, we know that some, somethings that the farmers markets
maybe might not abide bycottage food law, but others,
like you just mentioned thebaked goods, the jams, the
jellies are ones that we canfind at the local farmer's
(10:28):
markets.
So my question that I'm reallycurious to ask is, for Florida
specifically, how does cottagefood law differ, maybe, from
other states?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Well, every state has its own availability to
regulate what can be a cottagefood product, what is not, or if
they would even allow cottagefood to be sold within that
state or what requirementspertain to that.
So I think the big differencehere is that Florida is clear in
(10:59):
regards to their guidancedocument and their website about
what products are allowed undercottage food and clearly state
which products are not.
And I often when I do thesepresentations or when I do
virtual trainings, I kill a lotof dreams, unfortunately,
(11:21):
because there is that educationof what is a cottage food,
what's permissible and whysomething may not be, and that
dives into a lot of the foodsafety and food science of
production and processing andfood handling.
So cottage food in Florida isvery clearly stated as to what
(11:43):
you can do, what you can't do,and often I get the questions
about why something would beallowed versus not allowed.
So I think Florida does a goodjob with their guidance
documents, their website, butthe education part is where it
gives me job security to kind ofexplain the different products
and the different processing andwhy, as you as a food processor
(12:08):
want to make sure youunderstand the basics, to
protect yourself and to reducethat risk and liability as a
food related entrepreneur, right.
So there's a lot of opportunityfor education about the
different products, which I findis quite fun to have those
conversations.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Yeah, and you know, speaking of what is allowed and
what is not allowed, we wecovered.
You know what types of foodcould be covered by cottage food
law, but what are the fooditems that are prohibited under
this?
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Okay, there's many right, but the big ones that I
hear people often that areinterested in producing that are
prohibited are your things likeyour salsas, your barbecue
sauces.
Pickles is a big one, pet foodis a no-no.
Also, any kind of bread orfocaccia that may have cheese or
(13:07):
dairy products in it.
Cheesecake is another thing, orkey lime pie.
I love key lime pie butunfortunately it's prohibited
because that's something thatwould require refrigeration and
would have a cream or a dairyproduct in it.
Your typical things that arenot allowed also would be like
(13:28):
your eggs, dairy products,vegetables, jerky Beef jerky is
another thing that a lot ofpeople wish they could produce,
but that is prohibited.
Another two big ones that Ihear a lot are any kind of
juicing of any kind of fruit orvegetables prohibited, because
that requires additionalregulations and food safety
(13:51):
education.
And, unfortunately, cakes orcupcakes that might have a
cream-based icing would beprohibited.
And then always CBD or anythingthat would have hemp in it
would be prohibited, becausethat is permissible under a
different regulation.
(14:12):
So those are the big ones.
Another one I get a lot to ismarinara tomato sauce, right,
but again, these types of things, whether it be pickles or
whether it be canned productsNow, I'm not talking about jams
and jellies that are fruit-based, I'm talking about other items
that people may want to can,whether they be vegetables or
(14:32):
meat products those requireadditional education and
regulations.
So those are the big ones, lana.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
So it sounds like the I think you mentioned this a
little earlier that the highercitrus content, the more
regulated it is, that the highercitrus content, the more
regulated it is.
So, for instance, you know, ajam or a jelly that has fruit is
usually allowed, but somethinglike a salsa that has tomato and
lemon juice, or even like aceviche or something like that
(15:01):
is prohibited.
Is that right?
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Totally, yeah, absolutely so, like your
strawberries or any kind offruit or jams or jellies that
are actually made from high acidfruits would be okay, because
it comes down to the pH, and thepH level of a food product is
really the determining factor.
Ph and moisture contact thatmight be in that product that
(15:24):
could make it susceptible topathogens or food handling
no-nos.
So that's really kind of.
The determining factor is themoisture content of a product as
well as the pH of that product.
So you are correct.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Wow, so it really comes down to a science.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
It does, and that's what's fascinating, but then
also very daunting for folks,right, and that's what's
fascinating, but then also verydaunting for folks right,
absolutely.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
And that's where I think it can be a bit confusing,
because even for me I'mthinking well, oh, jerky like
that sounds like it's somethingthat's very shelf stable, that
wouldn't have any additional youknow factors that would make it
a food safety concern, but itreally comes down to.
You know the technicalitiesmake it a food safety concern,
but it really comes down to youknow the technicalities in the
(16:12):
foods that you are providing orcreating for consumption.
So it's, you know, very, veryimportant that people are aware
of.
You know what is really allowedversus not.
And the exciting part is,because of this law, there is an
allowance of making money as anentrepreneur in the state of
(16:35):
Florida, and I know that thereis a cap of some sort right, but
that's been increased recently.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
It was.
It was increased as of July 1stof 2021.
And that now allows you to sellup to $250,000 of cottage food
products, which is nothing toshake a stick at, right.
I mean, that's a lot of money,so that's yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
And that's something that you know.
It used to be $50,000, now$250,000.
That's a huge jump in grosssales, so that's a really
exciting factor for anyonethat's looking to sell in the
state of Florida.
And something that I thinkpeople should also be very aware
of is the specific requirementsaround packaging and labeling.
(17:25):
So let's get into that a littlebit.
What are the things that peopleneed to know as far as the
basics for this?
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Okay.
So for cottage food, because itis again an exemption from
commercial regulations, you needto clearly state on your
product that type of food,whether it be chocolate chip
cookies or brownies, are made ina cottage food operation that
is not subject to Florida's foodsafety regulations.
(17:56):
So that caveat that basicallybuyer beware that this product
is not regulated, is theconsumer education part that
cottage food operators need tomake sure that they're clearly
stating in order to play underthe cottage food exemption.
One of the biggest things thatis happening in the food safety
(18:21):
world is undeclared allergens,and so that's another reason
that our labels, as cottage foodoperators, need to clearly
state what ingredients we areusing, down to the very exact
ingredient.
And that's again to make yourconsumers aware that if your
(18:41):
chocolate chip cookie also haswalnuts in it and somebody may
have a tree nut allergy, theysteer clear from those.
You know particular cookies.
So, and again, you need tounderstand, as a cottage food
operator, that this isn't aboutus revealing your secret you
know recipe.
(19:02):
We don't really we're notdiving into the secret recipe
that you may be using.
What we're trying to educatecottage food operators about is
the importance to declare thetop nine allergens that could
potentially make or breaksomebody's day if they were to
consume that product.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
That's really good to know because I think that you
know in terms of what peopleneed to have in their home to
put on a package.
It's really as simple as astatement you know made in a
cottage food operation that isnot subject to Florida's food
safety regulations, end quote.
You know that is a very simpleand direct statement that really
(19:44):
kind of helps you steer clearof a lot of food safety issues.
But in addition to what youjust mentioned the ingredient
list, the allergen warnings andas far as the packaging, the
actual you know container thatthe food comes in are there any
kind of restrictions on what youcan and cannot use for that?
Speaker 3 (20:05):
It's really vague and it applies more to the type of
product you're selling.
So honey is pretty easy.
It's going to be in some kindof glass jar, right, a cake, if
you will, would be in a box thatwould be able to fit that cake
or some type of packaging forcupcakes or those kinds of
things.
Where it gets a little bittricky is, you know, how do you
(20:28):
foresee, as a cottage foodoperator, selling or packaging
your granola or different thingsof that nature, where those
items or that type of packagingmay be a little bit more
challenging to put the requiredlabeling on it?
But remember that this cottagefood exemption is such that you
have to be mindful of therequirements to sell cottage
(20:52):
food because, as the operator ofyour cottage food, you know, at
home kitchen, if you will, youneed to be able to let people
know that again, this food isnot regulated.
It either has or does not havethe, you know, allergens that
are most the top nine that aremost susceptible that people are
(21:14):
, you know, have a reaction to.
But then also the traceability.
We get a lot of folks who arevery interested in cottage food
but do not want to declare theirhome address, or they may have
a partner who is either a doctoror someone who may be in law
enforcement, but thetraceability of these products
to the cottage food operator isnon-negotiable.
(21:36):
So that's another thing thatyou're processing, how you
process, where you process,needs to be on that label,
regardless of the type ofpackaging you decide to put your
product within.
If that makes sense and I don'tknow if I answered your
question because I kind of threwin the home address requirement
as well, but yeah, it can getsticky pun intended right
(22:02):
Packaging that you want to use.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Yeah Well, because I guess my second, you know, kind
of follow up to that questionabout packaging is does this
kind of allow you to evendeliver any kind of food via
mail, like, can any of this besent out in that way, or is it
something that can only bepicked up from the home or kind
(22:26):
of sold at a farmer's market, ifyou will?
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Great question and that was another thing that
changed in 2021 is that folksare now allowed and it's
permissible to mail theircottage food products outside of
the state.
Prior to 2021, you had to selland your customer base had to be
within the state of Florida.
(22:48):
Now you would be allowed tosell your products across state
lines through the mail.
But one of the things that Ithink is important that often
people may overlook in theguidance document from FDACS,
and that's the FloridaDepartment of Agriculture and
Consumer Services, is that theydo recommend that if you are
mailing something or if yourproduct is difficult to label on
(23:14):
the packaging your product, tomake sure, when you invoice or
when you mail that product, thatyou have everything that you
should have on there your homeaddress, the caveat statement
that it's made in a cottage foodoperation, as well as the
ingredient requirements, so that, while it may not particularly
(23:36):
be on that packaging, it needsto be clearly stated through an
invoice, through your orderemail.
Those type of methods.
All of that requiredinformation.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Well, that's a huge step forward, I think too, in
terms of being able to deliveroutside of state lines.
So that's another exciting, youknow, progressive move for that
in the entrepreneur world ofthings.
So for you know, kind of takinga step back, and if we see
someone that's listening andthey're like, wow, you know, I'm
really inspired by everythingwe've talked about so far and
(24:11):
I'm ready to start selling whatare the step-by-step pieces that
people listening need to startfocusing on to launch their own
cottage food business in Florida.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
So I would say the best place is to start with the
guidance document, the FDACSguidance document, to really
understand what products areallowed and what are prohibited,
to make sure that your tastytreat is allowable.
I would also encourage them tocontact their tax collector,
(24:47):
their local county tax collector, their local county tax
collector to make sure that theyhave the appropriate
information for those products,Because while food is generally
not taxed, certain things are,so they need to make sure that
they are meeting thoserequirements to be able to sell
in the state of Florida, Even ifthat item is not taxed.
(25:09):
They may have to declare zerosales tax, but that they're
still selling a product.
I would also make sure thatthey understand basic food
safety handling to make sureyou're starting with clean
surfaces that have been cleanedand sanitized and you're not
(25:31):
cross-contaminating aningredient that could be a
potential allergen with anotherone that could make somebody
sick.
So really, the basics and to doa little bit of the homework.
And if you have any questions,you know call me.
I'd be happy to.
You know, talk about it, butthat there are documents out
(25:52):
there.
We have some through theUniversity of Florida, EDIS
documents on cottage food aswell as FDACs.
They can always call FDACs aswell.
Remember they are educatorsabove and beyond regulators, so
they'd be happy to walk youthrough a particular
circumstance or product if youhave further questions.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
And just so you know, people in listening know is
there a notice of sorts thatpeople get, once they register
or apply to this, that they areapproved to start selling, or
are they as soon as they submitthe documentation they're kind
of ready to go?
Speaker 3 (26:29):
When you say notice, do you mean as a cottage food
operator?
Yes, so that's the thing.
In Florida you are not requiredto register with the state as a
cottage food operator.
You are not permitted, nor areyou inspected by the state.
The only time that potentiallywould be an issue is if somebody
(26:53):
were to unfortunately get sickor have some kind of problem
with one of your products andit's traced back to you.
Fdacs could do an inspection atyour home.
But again, cottage food is notregulated, so you are not
inspected or permitted, or nordo you have to register to
become a cottage food operator.
So the only part you have to isto make sure you're good on
(27:17):
your taxes and that you haveyour business tax account
application.
So make sure you reach out toyour local tax collector to find
out what you need to do for thecounty or the municipality
which you reside in.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Awesome, and so for those that do take those steps
and they get started as far askeeping a successful cottage
food business, making itsustainable, what are some of
the things that you've seenother cottage food businesses do
that enable that business tothrive?
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Well, I would definitely say to be organized
for sure, and when I sayorganized, to make sure that you
are processing your food inyour home kitchen when maybe
your family is gone, maybe youhave locked up your pets so
they're not running across yourcounter as you're trying to
(28:09):
process your food.
To make sure that you'veeducated yourself with basic
food safety handling processes,which would be wash your hands,
wipe down your countertop,sanitize your countertops.
Make sure you have adequatestorage for your ingredients and
storage for your final product,because everything that you are
(28:35):
potentially selling does needto be produced and stored within
your home.
It cannot be in a shed or yourgarage or those types of things.
Everything made needs to bestored in your home.
So one of the things that Ithink makes for a successful
cottage food operator is to makesure you have adequate space
(28:57):
storage for your products andthat you're organized.
I mean, lana, when you thinkabout it, making up to $250,000
of cupcakes, you almost have tomake 11 dozen cupcakes each day
to fulfill that or to reach thatthreshold, and you'd have to
sell each of those cupcakes forfive bucks.
(29:17):
So when you start thinkingabout living in your home, you
know balancing your household.
You know schedule, as well as,potentially, your food
entrepreneur.
You know schedule.
It can really get messy.
So just to be organized and totake all those things into
consideration, I thinkAbsolutely.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Yeah, those are really good things to note,
because you know your home is isyour safe space, but you, if
you want to turn it into abusiness as well, it needs to be
very well maintained and, asfar as you know folks that are
maybe not as fluent in marketingtactics, what do you recommend
(29:59):
for people to do, especiallyaround social media and their
local markets, to kind of getthemselves out there?
Speaker 3 (30:07):
That's a great question.
I think the best thing that Irecommend people to do is to go
to some of these pop-up markets,to go to some of these farmers
markets, to do a deeper dive onthe socials and see how other
people are marketing themselves.
If they have a friend or afamily member or someone that
(30:28):
they know that does marketing,ask questions, see what other
folks are doing, and it does nothurt to ask other people what
was successful for them.
You meet a lot of folks whenyou go to these markets and, for
the most part, as long asyou're not competing, selling
the exact same product that theyare, it's a pretty welcoming
(30:48):
community in regards to helpingeducate each other or lessons
learned right.
So I would just say get outthere, see what your local
competition is.
Do you have a product thatwould be different than that
market?
And then get to know some ofthe players or call your local
extension office.
(31:08):
We're happy to walk you throughit, and a lot of us offer
business startup classes aboveand beyond cottage food, and we
offer always food safetytraining, whether it be just
basic food safety or whether itbe certifications if you are
going to be managing acommercial kitchen.
So there's lots of resourcesout there.
(31:29):
Just be creative, don't limityourself.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Definitely, and I love that you mentioned, you
know, kind of just talking tothe local vendors, because I,
you know, in attending so manylocal markets, find that they're
really so friendly and willingto give advice and there's just
a really nice community outthere of key local food actors
who are just really trying tohelp each other and I feel like
(31:54):
that's in itself a veryinspiring thing to be around and
to be influenced by.
So definitely don't be afraid,I would say, you know, to make
that move in terms of talking tosomeone who's already doing it
and seeing you know what they,what they have found to be, you
know, successful and and thingsthat may have not worked out so
(32:17):
well.
And speaking of that, you know,I'd love to know from your
perspective, what have been, youknow, some of the biggest
challenges that cottage foodproducers face.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
So I think what I hear from some of the cottage
food operators that startedunder cottage food and quickly
went commercial, and when I saycommercial, basically they
needed more space right.
They were doing so well thatthey needed or they realized
doing this volume of processingat their home was not working
(32:52):
with their family or householdschedule and they could do more
quicker at a commercial kitchen.
Basically, I mean, you havemore storage, you've got more
space, you can do more volumequicker.
So a lot of them just outgrewtheir kitchen and the demand was
so strong that they wanted tosell above and beyond direct to
(33:16):
consumer, like they may have hadrestaurants or bakeries or
different people asking fortheir products which showed that
they had a demand.
So they needed to do morequicker and for more folks, more
clientele, which launched theminto commercial.
And several of the ones that Iknow that have been very
(33:37):
successful said they wish theywould have gone there sooner.
But again, it's, the great thingabout Coditude is it gives you
a chance to try out your marketand to develop your recipes or
your products, to partner withother people who may be doing
things.
When I say partner, like yousaid, lana, like talking to
(33:58):
other folks, because you can'tbe working with several people
in your home as a cottage foodoperator, it's supposed to be
you in your kitchen, right?
So I don't want to complicateor confuse anybody on that.
But going back to your initialquestion, just the need for more
storage, more capacity, morevolume and a greater group of
(34:20):
customers, or more demandlaunched.
One of the biggest challengesis, you know, stems from being
so successful, right?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
So that's a really interesting, you know, paradox
there and I think, in terms ofknowing when it's time to move
into a commercial kitchen andobtain those additional licenses
, might be a bit tricky tonavigate.
So how do you advise people tokind of understand at what point
(35:05):
they need to kind of shift intothat mentality?
Speaker 3 (35:09):
Well, and that's hard because it usually is a
case-by-case basis right, whatmay be working for some may not
work for all.
So I would recommend againhaving that conversation with
someone like myself or anotherextension agent who could help
guide you to consider what stepsare needed to scale up what
(35:30):
that, financially, is going tocost you.
Do you have the capital to beable to do that, whether it be
financial, social, whatever thecase may be and again, really
learn from some of the folks whohave taken that step At
Extension.
We often will have classes ordifferent, you know, homemade
entrepreneur series or differentthings like that, which will
(35:52):
give you some of those basicsand information for you to make
that decision based on your ownpersonal circumstance.
So reach out to us, reach outto others to figure out what is
the best path for you and whatwould trigger you to make those
decisions right.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Yeah, and I love that .
You know, uf, ifas provides alot of support in that regard,
because there's, you know, somany questions to be asked,
right?
Yes?
Speaker 3 (36:19):
absolutely.
And you know one of the thingswhile it is very important for
me as an extension agent to helpyou succeed in your food
related entrepreneurship, it'salso very important for me to be
able to educate you on whetheryou're ready or not by offering
examples.
Right, so you may be willing to, you know, take the next step,
(36:43):
but I want you to be very awareof the different things that
that may.
You may not financially beready there yet.
You know what I mean.
So maybe somebody understanding, based on decisions that are
clearly laid out to them, thenmaybe not going commercial might
(37:04):
be a huge win because it didnot put them into financial
toxicity.
You know what I mean.
Like starting a business, youhave to take on a lot.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
So to be educated about where you are, what step
you're at in your career andwhat the thresholds are whether
they be financial, time,commitment, space, whatever they
may be for you as anentrepreneur that you're aware
of those, you know those tipsand tricks that we can help with
Absolutely you know those tipsand tricks that we can help with
(37:33):
, absolutely, and I want to say,you know, we're so excited to
have you again on, you know, afuture upcoming virtual training
event at the end of September,september 30th, at 12 o'clock
Eastern time, to help the foodentrepreneurs really learn more
about the ins and outs of thisand just have another platform
(37:54):
to gain these kinds of resources.
You know we are really excitedabout you know, sharing this
information as much as we can inthe most digestible ways
possible.
So are there otheropportunities or things that
you're you know putting together, jen, or you know things that
people could look forward to?
Speaker 3 (38:12):
Yes, we have.
In Southwest Florida we have asmall farmers meetup that we do
regionally.
We have one coming up onSeptember 26.
But I also offer and partnerwith other extension agents as
well as folks like FDACs tooffer virtual trainings.
So I can definitely put some ofthose dates and showcase them
(38:37):
at our September 30th Lunch andLearn, as well as some of the
other visuals.
Like you were saying, lana, asfar as what's allowed, what's
not allowed, some commonexamples, things to look out,
for, that might be easier todigest if you can visually
follow along on a presentationlike a virtual.
You know lunch and learn, socome in.
(38:59):
We hope we've tweaked yourinterest so you'll come back and
join us again, right?
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Absolutely yes.
We hope everyone listening hasreally gained this.
You know incredible, valuableinsight into what it takes to
navigate cottage food law herein Florida and whether you're
whipping up jams, baking breador crafting other homemade
goodies, it's really importantto know the rules and best
practices so you can confidentlygrow your food business.
(39:28):
And, jen, you know your work isso critical for building the
local food economy, so we reallythank you for taking the time
to share your expertise on thistopic so more entrepreneurs can
become successful.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
Thank you.
I enjoy so much partnering withyou all to scale up our friends
out there from field to fork.
And likewise, Lana, thank youfor having me.
I really appreciate this timeto chat with you.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Thank you so much, jen.
And for those that arelistening, remember starting
small doesn't mean staying small.
You can scale, innovate andsucceed right from your home
kitchen.
It's really all about knowingthe law, finding your market and
, most importantly, creatingfood with passion.
Thank you for tuning in.
Be sure to subscribe to FreshTake for more episodes packed
(40:13):
with expert advice for foodentrepreneurs just like yourself
, and until next time, keepcooking up success.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
We hope you enjoyed today's episode.
Florida Organic Growers is a501c3 nonprofit organization, so
to keep our content availableand free to the public, we need
your help.
Please subscribe, rate andreview wherever you listen, and
consider making a tax-deductibledonation or become a sponsor.
Learn more about our work andhow you can become a sponsor
from our website, wwwboginfoorg.
Welcome to Fresh Take , where we at Florida Organic
Growers speak to food systemsexperts about topics related to
organic and sustainableagriculture, healthy lifestyles
and the environment.
To help us continue ourprograms at FOG, including our
podcast, consider becoming asponsor.
For more information onsponsorship, check out our Get
Involved page on our website,wwwfoginfoorg out our Get
(00:28):
Involved page on our website,wwwfoginfoorg.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hello and welcome back to Fresh Take, where we
explore everything you need toknow about sustainable living,
organic agriculture and how tomake the best lifestyle choices,
including thriving in the worldof food entrepreneurship.
Today's episode is all aboutmastering the art of cottage
food business, a topic that'scrucial for anyone looking to
start or grow a home-based foodbusiness.
If you've ever wondered how youcan legally sell baked goods,
(00:54):
jams or other homemade fooditems without the need for a
commercial kitchen, this episodeis for you.
With us today is a very specialguest, an extension agent
specializing in family andconsumer sciences from the
University of Florida'sInstitute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences, jenniferHagen, to help us break down the
seemingly complex yet simpletopic.
(01:16):
Jen, I'm so pumped to have youon our show.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Thank you, my pleasure, very excited to be
here as well.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
I honestly think that this episode will be
life-changing for some peoplelistening, because there's
really tons of folks I know,including my own family members,
who really want to startselling food from their home,
but they really have no cluewhere to start.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
So true, and it is exciting to be able to know that
, if you have a hobby or you'reinterested in producing certain
types of foods that qualify forcottage food, there is a place
for you to play in the state ofFlorida, so I look forward to
diving into the details with youas well.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yes, definitely.
And before we get into thejuicy bits, tell us about how
you found your way into thiscareer.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Oh, it's a.
It's a well, I guess I couldsay it's semi short rabbit hole.
But prior to coming toExtension, I worked as an urban
and regional planner for thecity of Bonita Springs and I was
actually tagged to be the zonerwho signed off on people's home
tax account application to beable to do foods.
(02:30):
So that was when cottage foodjust had started in its infancy.
It was started around 2011, gotupdated around 2014.
And I'm just trying to sit at mydesk and figure out what does
this mean?
What is a cottage?
You know what is a cottage food?
I'm imagining somestereotypical like cottage with
(02:54):
like pies in the window.
You know silly things, tryingto figure out what this was, and
there was just something withinme that kept telling me like
you need to dive into this fullthrottle because this is going
to literally produce somethingone day for you.
And I did not know why, but youget that gut feeling.
(03:16):
And so I learned and became,you know, the food guru planner
for the city and it ended upoffering a career when Extension
was posting a job for a familyconsumer science agent.
I wasn't really sure what thatwas, but I was familiar with
Extension and food was part ofthe job description for food
(03:39):
related entrepreneurship.
So that's really a long storyshort of how I got into it.
Understanding regulations wasmy foundation, and then moving
into the different foodprocessing, retail, wholesale
manufacturing, as well as theexemption for cottage food,
really became my bread andbutter.
(04:00):
Pun intended.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Wow.
Well, what a unique story.
I mean to go from, you know,urban planning to cottage food
law and what a, you knowinteresting shift.
And I know that you'recurrently an UF extension in Lee
County and you oversee someother programs such as, you know
, community health andsustainability, food safety,
(04:24):
local food system.
So what are some of the thingsthat you do on a day-to-day
basis in your role?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Well, if you know anything about extension, every
day is different but thattypically is what draws me to
extension, because you you tryto have a calendar, you try to
manage some of your tasks butthings always end up popping in.
But usually my day typicallyinvolves answering questions in
regards to food-relatedentrepreneurship.
(04:54):
I also work statewide withbeekeepers.
Cottage food is, I call it, mygateway drug honey processing,
because beekeepers also can selltheir honey under cottage food
but then, depending on who theyultimately want to sell it to
and where that retail orwholesale sales may end up, they
(05:17):
may be permitted or notpermitted.
So it has ended up connectingme closely to the beekeeper
hobbyist population, which ispretty fun.
But a lot of my daily job isanswering questions about
regulations or connectingfood-related entrepreneurs with
the potential of commercialkitchens or other folks to help
(05:39):
them navigate some of theseregulations.
So every day is different.
Whether I'm on a farm, whetherI'm out in the field or at my
desk, it just is always a littledifferent, but has to do
something with either food orcommunity.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Well, I love how dynamic that sounds.
You know you have a lot ofdifferent roles that you play,
different hats that you wear andfor those listening, how would
you define the main topic oftoday, which is cottage food law
?
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Well, I guess I would define it as a small percentage
of foods that are available foryou to produce within your home
kitchen that are exempt fromFlorida's commercial food safety
regulations.
So that's one of the biggestthings.
I like to point out that, whilecottage food is commonly
(06:34):
referred to as a law, the lawactually is that these food
products are exempt from foodsafety regulations and you
having to produce those limitedproducts in a inspected and
regulated facility.
So it's actually an exemptionright and it took me a little
while to figure that out too butyou're exempt from all the
(06:57):
rules that most of the retailmanufacturer and wholesale
processors have to abide by inorder to sell their products and
wholesale processors have toabide by in order to sell their
products.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
That's such a good way to put it, because I, you
know, going into this topic wasjust like, oh, this one is a big
one and I feel like you know,watching you even present on
this prior at our organic foodand farming summit this past
April was something that I wasso fortunate to be in the room
(07:26):
for, because I felt like, wow,you were really able to break
this down in such simple termsand to say that this is an
exemption, I think really justmakes it so much clearer as far
as what this really means.
So what types of food can beproduced under this law?
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Okay, so I always like to, and thank you for the
compliment.
I appreciate it, but I try tobreak it down so it's easy to
digest and not try to overwhelmpeople when I when I walk them
through.
These prohibited and allowablecottage food products are shelf
stable products.
There's something that like ifyou went to a big box grocery
(08:12):
store, you may go into thebakery section and they may have
these products on end caps oron tables for you to take away
and enjoy.
But if you put them on yourshelf at home or you put them on
your counter at home.
You can consume them in acouple days and the quality and
the safety is there, becausethese particular items do not
(08:35):
require the fancy food safetyterm which is called temperature
control for safety, which meansthey require no refrigeration.
They don't have anything withinthem that has a high moisture
content that could cause them tospoil or to harbor pathogens
like the cooties that we mightget sick from.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Right.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
And so that's really how I try to explain it is that
they don't require refrigeration.
They don't require you to bakeor freeze them in order for them
to be consumable, and they're apretty safe product for you to
be able to sell and to alsostore at home for you to consume
when you're ready.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
So what are some examples of you know what people
could sell under the cottagefood law?
Speaker 3 (09:23):
For sure.
So these are your items, kindof like your breads, your
muffins, your cookies candies.
We already spoke very quicklyabout honey, some of your fruit
pies, some of your jams andjellies that are made also from
high acid fruits.
You can also sell dry herbs,different dry seasonings and
(09:47):
mixtures, cereals, granola, nuts, things of that nature.
That would be something thatyou could almost pack and take
on a picnic or keep you knowwith you that you don't have to
worry about keeping it cool orany kind of processing
additional that you'd have to doto it.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
So these are things that we typically see at like
farmers markets that vendors areselling.
I mean, we know that some, somethings that the farmers markets
maybe might not abide bycottage food law, but others,
like you just mentioned thebaked goods, the jams, the
jellies are ones that we canfind at the local farmer's
(10:28):
markets.
So my question that I'm reallycurious to ask is, for Florida
specifically, how does cottagefood law differ, maybe, from
other states?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Well, every state has its own availability to
regulate what can be a cottagefood product, what is not, or if
they would even allow cottagefood to be sold within that
state or what requirementspertain to that.
So I think the big differencehere is that Florida is clear in
(10:59):
regards to their guidancedocument and their website about
what products are allowed undercottage food and clearly state
which products are not.
And I often when I do thesepresentations or when I do
virtual trainings, I kill a lotof dreams, unfortunately,
(11:21):
because there is that educationof what is a cottage food,
what's permissible and whysomething may not be, and that
dives into a lot of the foodsafety and food science of
production and processing andfood handling.
So cottage food in Florida isvery clearly stated as to what
(11:43):
you can do, what you can't do,and often I get the questions
about why something would beallowed versus not allowed.
So I think Florida does a goodjob with their guidance
documents, their website, butthe education part is where it
gives me job security to kind ofexplain the different products
and the different processing andwhy, as you as a food processor
(12:08):
want to make sure youunderstand the basics, to
protect yourself and to reducethat risk and liability as a
food related entrepreneur, right.
So there's a lot of opportunityfor education about the
different products, which I findis quite fun to have those
conversations.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Yeah, and you know, speaking of what is allowed and
what is not allowed, we wecovered.
You know what types of foodcould be covered by cottage food
law, but what are the fooditems that are prohibited under
this?
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Okay, there's many right, but the big ones that I
hear people often that areinterested in producing that are
prohibited are your things likeyour salsas, your barbecue
sauces.
Pickles is a big one, pet foodis a no-no.
Also, any kind of bread orfocaccia that may have cheese or
(13:07):
dairy products in it.
Cheesecake is another thing, orkey lime pie.
I love key lime pie butunfortunately it's prohibited
because that's something thatwould require refrigeration and
would have a cream or a dairyproduct in it.
Your typical things that arenot allowed also would be like
(13:28):
your eggs, dairy products,vegetables, jerky Beef jerky is
another thing that a lot ofpeople wish they could produce,
but that is prohibited.
Another two big ones that Ihear a lot are any kind of
juicing of any kind of fruit orvegetables prohibited, because
that requires additionalregulations and food safety
(13:51):
education.
And, unfortunately, cakes orcupcakes that might have a
cream-based icing would beprohibited.
And then always CBD or anythingthat would have hemp in it
would be prohibited, becausethat is permissible under a
different regulation.
(14:12):
So those are the big ones.
Another one I get a lot to ismarinara tomato sauce, right,
but again, these types of things, whether it be pickles or
whether it be canned productsNow, I'm not talking about jams
and jellies that are fruit-based, I'm talking about other items
that people may want to can,whether they be vegetables or
(14:32):
meat products those requireadditional education and
regulations.
So those are the big ones, lana.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
So it sounds like the I think you mentioned this a
little earlier that the highercitrus content, the more
regulated it is, that the highercitrus content, the more
regulated it is.
So, for instance, you know, ajam or a jelly that has fruit is
usually allowed, but somethinglike a salsa that has tomato and
lemon juice, or even like aceviche or something like that
(15:01):
is prohibited.
Is that right?
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Totally, yeah, absolutely so, like your
strawberries or any kind offruit or jams or jellies that
are actually made from high acidfruits would be okay, because
it comes down to the pH, and thepH level of a food product is
really the determining factor.
Ph and moisture contact thatmight be in that product that
(15:24):
could make it susceptible topathogens or food handling
no-nos.
So that's really kind of.
The determining factor is themoisture content of a product as
well as the pH of that product.
So you are correct.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Wow, so it really comes down to a science.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
It does, and that's what's fascinating, but then
also very daunting for folks,right, and that's what's
fascinating, but then also verydaunting for folks right,
absolutely.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
And that's where I think it can be a bit confusing,
because even for me I'mthinking well, oh, jerky like
that sounds like it's somethingthat's very shelf stable, that
wouldn't have any additional youknow factors that would make it
a food safety concern, but itreally comes down to.
You know the technicalitiesmake it a food safety concern,
but it really comes down to youknow the technicalities in the
(16:12):
foods that you are providing orcreating for consumption.
So it's, you know, very, veryimportant that people are aware
of.
You know what is really allowedversus not.
And the exciting part is,because of this law, there is an
allowance of making money as anentrepreneur in the state of
(16:35):
Florida, and I know that thereis a cap of some sort right, but
that's been increased recently.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
It was.
It was increased as of July 1stof 2021.
And that now allows you to sellup to $250,000 of cottage food
products, which is nothing toshake a stick at, right.
I mean, that's a lot of money,so that's yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
And that's something that you know.
It used to be $50,000, now$250,000.
That's a huge jump in grosssales, so that's a really
exciting factor for anyonethat's looking to sell in the
state of Florida.
And something that I thinkpeople should also be very aware
of is the specific requirementsaround packaging and labeling.
(17:25):
So let's get into that a littlebit.
What are the things that peopleneed to know as far as the
basics for this?
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Okay.
So for cottage food, because itis again an exemption from
commercial regulations, you needto clearly state on your
product that type of food,whether it be chocolate chip
cookies or brownies, are made ina cottage food operation that
is not subject to Florida's foodsafety regulations.
(17:56):
So that caveat that basicallybuyer beware that this product
is not regulated, is theconsumer education part that
cottage food operators need tomake sure that they're clearly
stating in order to play underthe cottage food exemption.
One of the biggest things thatis happening in the food safety
(18:21):
world is undeclared allergens,and so that's another reason
that our labels, as cottage foodoperators, need to clearly
state what ingredients we areusing, down to the very exact
ingredient.
And that's again to make yourconsumers aware that if your
(18:41):
chocolate chip cookie also haswalnuts in it and somebody may
have a tree nut allergy, theysteer clear from those.
You know particular cookies.
So, and again, you need tounderstand, as a cottage food
operator, that this isn't aboutus revealing your secret you
know recipe.
(19:02):
We don't really we're notdiving into the secret recipe
that you may be using.
What we're trying to educatecottage food operators about is
the importance to declare thetop nine allergens that could
potentially make or breaksomebody's day if they were to
consume that product.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
That's really good to know because I think that you
know in terms of what peopleneed to have in their home to
put on a package.
It's really as simple as astatement you know made in a
cottage food operation that isnot subject to Florida's food
safety regulations, end quote.
You know that is a very simpleand direct statement that really
(19:44):
kind of helps you steer clearof a lot of food safety issues.
But in addition to what youjust mentioned the ingredient
list, the allergen warnings andas far as the packaging, the
actual you know container thatthe food comes in are there any
kind of restrictions on what youcan and cannot use for that?
Speaker 3 (20:05):
It's really vague and it applies more to the type of
product you're selling.
So honey is pretty easy.
It's going to be in some kindof glass jar, right, a cake, if
you will, would be in a box thatwould be able to fit that cake
or some type of packaging forcupcakes or those kinds of
things.
Where it gets a little bittricky is, you know, how do you
(20:28):
foresee, as a cottage foodoperator, selling or packaging
your granola or different thingsof that nature, where those
items or that type of packagingmay be a little bit more
challenging to put the requiredlabeling on it?
But remember that this cottagefood exemption is such that you
have to be mindful of therequirements to sell cottage
(20:52):
food because, as the operator ofyour cottage food, you know, at
home kitchen, if you will, youneed to be able to let people
know that again, this food isnot regulated.
It either has or does not havethe, you know, allergens that
are most the top nine that aremost susceptible that people are
(21:14):
, you know, have a reaction to.
But then also the traceability.
We get a lot of folks who arevery interested in cottage food
but do not want to declare theirhome address, or they may have
a partner who is either a doctoror someone who may be in law
enforcement, but thetraceability of these products
to the cottage food operator isnon-negotiable.
(21:36):
So that's another thing thatyou're processing, how you
process, where you process,needs to be on that label,
regardless of the type ofpackaging you decide to put your
product within.
If that makes sense and I don'tknow if I answered your
question because I kind of threwin the home address requirement
as well, but yeah, it can getsticky pun intended right
(22:02):
Packaging that you want to use.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Yeah Well, because I guess my second, you know, kind
of follow up to that questionabout packaging is does this
kind of allow you to evendeliver any kind of food via
mail, like, can any of this besent out in that way, or is it
something that can only bepicked up from the home or kind
(22:26):
of sold at a farmer's market, ifyou will?
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Great question and that was another thing that
changed in 2021 is that folksare now allowed and it's
permissible to mail theircottage food products outside of
the state.
Prior to 2021, you had to selland your customer base had to be
within the state of Florida.
(22:48):
Now you would be allowed tosell your products across state
lines through the mail.
But one of the things that Ithink is important that often
people may overlook in theguidance document from FDACS,
and that's the FloridaDepartment of Agriculture and
Consumer Services, is that theydo recommend that if you are
mailing something or if yourproduct is difficult to label on
(23:14):
the packaging your product, tomake sure, when you invoice or
when you mail that product, thatyou have everything that you
should have on there your homeaddress, the caveat statement
that it's made in a cottage foodoperation, as well as the
ingredient requirements, so that, while it may not particularly
(23:36):
be on that packaging, it needsto be clearly stated through an
invoice, through your orderemail.
Those type of methods.
All of that requiredinformation.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Well, that's a huge step forward, I think too, in
terms of being able to deliveroutside of state lines.
So that's another exciting, youknow, progressive move for that
in the entrepreneur world ofthings.
So for you know, kind of takinga step back, and if we see
someone that's listening andthey're like, wow, you know, I'm
really inspired by everythingwe've talked about so far and
(24:11):
I'm ready to start selling whatare the step-by-step pieces that
people listening need to startfocusing on to launch their own
cottage food business in Florida.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
So I would say the best place is to start with the
guidance document, the FDACSguidance document, to really
understand what products areallowed and what are prohibited,
to make sure that your tastytreat is allowable.
I would also encourage them tocontact their tax collector,
(24:47):
their local county tax collector, their local county tax
collector to make sure that theyhave the appropriate
information for those products,Because while food is generally
not taxed, certain things are,so they need to make sure that
they are meeting thoserequirements to be able to sell
in the state of Florida, Even ifthat item is not taxed.
(25:09):
They may have to declare zerosales tax, but that they're
still selling a product.
I would also make sure thatthey understand basic food
safety handling to make sureyou're starting with clean
surfaces that have been cleanedand sanitized and you're not
(25:31):
cross-contaminating aningredient that could be a
potential allergen with anotherone that could make somebody
sick.
So really, the basics and to doa little bit of the homework.
And if you have any questions,you know call me.
I'd be happy to.
You know, talk about it, butthat there are documents out
(25:52):
there.
We have some through theUniversity of Florida, EDIS
documents on cottage food aswell as FDACs.
They can always call FDACs aswell.
Remember they are educatorsabove and beyond regulators, so
they'd be happy to walk youthrough a particular
circumstance or product if youhave further questions.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
And just so you know, people in listening know is
there a notice of sorts thatpeople get, once they register
or apply to this, that they areapproved to start selling, or
are they as soon as they submitthe documentation they're kind
of ready to go?
Speaker 3 (26:29):
When you say notice, do you mean as a cottage food
operator?
Yes, so that's the thing.
In Florida you are not requiredto register with the state as a
cottage food operator.
You are not permitted, nor areyou inspected by the state.
The only time that potentiallywould be an issue is if somebody
(26:53):
were to unfortunately get sickor have some kind of problem
with one of your products andit's traced back to you.
Fdacs could do an inspection atyour home.
But again, cottage food is notregulated, so you are not
inspected or permitted, or nordo you have to register to
become a cottage food operator.
So the only part you have to isto make sure you're good on
(27:17):
your taxes and that you haveyour business tax account
application.
So make sure you reach out toyour local tax collector to find
out what you need to do for thecounty or the municipality
which you reside in.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Awesome, and so for those that do take those steps
and they get started as far askeeping a successful cottage
food business, making itsustainable, what are some of
the things that you've seenother cottage food businesses do
that enable that business tothrive?
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Well, I would definitely say to be organized
for sure, and when I sayorganized, to make sure that you
are processing your food inyour home kitchen when maybe
your family is gone, maybe youhave locked up your pets so
they're not running across yourcounter as you're trying to
(28:09):
process your food.
To make sure that you'veeducated yourself with basic
food safety handling processes,which would be wash your hands,
wipe down your countertop,sanitize your countertops.
Make sure you have adequatestorage for your ingredients and
storage for your final product,because everything that you are
(28:35):
potentially selling does needto be produced and stored within
your home.
It cannot be in a shed or yourgarage or those types of things.
Everything made needs to bestored in your home.
So one of the things that Ithink makes for a successful
cottage food operator is to makesure you have adequate space
(28:57):
storage for your products andthat you're organized.
I mean, lana, when you thinkabout it, making up to $250,000
of cupcakes, you almost have tomake 11 dozen cupcakes each day
to fulfill that or to reach thatthreshold, and you'd have to
sell each of those cupcakes forfive bucks.
(29:17):
So when you start thinkingabout living in your home, you
know balancing your household.
You know schedule, as well as,potentially, your food
entrepreneur.
You know schedule.
It can really get messy.
So just to be organized and totake all those things into
consideration, I thinkAbsolutely.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Yeah, those are really good things to note,
because you know your home is isyour safe space, but you, if
you want to turn it into abusiness as well, it needs to be
very well maintained and, asfar as you know folks that are
maybe not as fluent in marketingtactics, what do you recommend
(29:59):
for people to do, especiallyaround social media and their
local markets, to kind of getthemselves out there?
Speaker 3 (30:07):
That's a great question.
I think the best thing that Irecommend people to do is to go
to some of these pop-up markets,to go to some of these farmers
markets, to do a deeper dive onthe socials and see how other
people are marketing themselves.
If they have a friend or afamily member or someone that
(30:28):
they know that does marketing,ask questions, see what other
folks are doing, and it does nothurt to ask other people what
was successful for them.
You meet a lot of folks whenyou go to these markets and, for
the most part, as long asyou're not competing, selling
the exact same product that theyare, it's a pretty welcoming
(30:48):
community in regards to helpingeducate each other or lessons
learned right.
So I would just say get outthere, see what your local
competition is.
Do you have a product thatwould be different than that
market?
And then get to know some ofthe players or call your local
extension office.
(31:08):
We're happy to walk you throughit, and a lot of us offer
business startup classes aboveand beyond cottage food, and we
offer always food safetytraining, whether it be just
basic food safety or whether itbe certifications if you are
going to be managing acommercial kitchen.
So there's lots of resourcesout there.
(31:29):
Just be creative, don't limityourself.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Definitely, and I love that you mentioned, you
know, kind of just talking tothe local vendors, because I,
you know, in attending so manylocal markets, find that they're
really so friendly and willingto give advice and there's just
a really nice community outthere of key local food actors
who are just really trying tohelp each other and I feel like
(31:54):
that's in itself a veryinspiring thing to be around and
to be influenced by.
So definitely don't be afraid,I would say, you know, to make
that move in terms of talking tosomeone who's already doing it
and seeing you know what they,what they have found to be, you
know, successful and and thingsthat may have not worked out so
(32:17):
well.
And speaking of that, you know,I'd love to know from your
perspective, what have been, youknow, some of the biggest
challenges that cottage foodproducers face.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
So I think what I hear from some of the cottage
food operators that startedunder cottage food and quickly
went commercial, and when I saycommercial, basically they
needed more space right.
They were doing so well thatthey needed or they realized
doing this volume of processingat their home was not working
(32:52):
with their family or householdschedule and they could do more
quicker at a commercial kitchen.
Basically, I mean, you havemore storage, you've got more
space, you can do more volumequicker.
So a lot of them just outgrewtheir kitchen and the demand was
so strong that they wanted tosell above and beyond direct to
(33:16):
consumer, like they may have hadrestaurants or bakeries or
different people asking fortheir products which showed that
they had a demand.
So they needed to do morequicker and for more folks, more
clientele, which launched theminto commercial.
And several of the ones that Iknow that have been very
(33:37):
successful said they wish theywould have gone there sooner.
But again, it's, the great thingabout Coditude is it gives you
a chance to try out your marketand to develop your recipes or
your products, to partner withother people who may be doing
things.
When I say partner, like yousaid, lana, like talking to
(33:58):
other folks, because you can'tbe working with several people
in your home as a cottage foodoperator, it's supposed to be
you in your kitchen, right?
So I don't want to complicateor confuse anybody on that.
But going back to your initialquestion, just the need for more
storage, more capacity, morevolume and a greater group of
(34:20):
customers, or more demandlaunched.
One of the biggest challengesis, you know, stems from being
so successful, right?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
So that's a really interesting, you know, paradox
there and I think, in terms ofknowing when it's time to move
into a commercial kitchen andobtain those additional licenses
, might be a bit tricky tonavigate.
So how do you advise people tokind of understand at what point
(35:05):
they need to kind of shift intothat mentality?
Speaker 3 (35:09):
Well, and that's hard because it usually is a
case-by-case basis right, whatmay be working for some may not
work for all.
So I would recommend againhaving that conversation with
someone like myself or anotherextension agent who could help
guide you to consider what stepsare needed to scale up what
(35:30):
that, financially, is going tocost you.
Do you have the capital to beable to do that, whether it be
financial, social, whatever thecase may be and again, really
learn from some of the folks whohave taken that step At
Extension.
We often will have classes ordifferent, you know, homemade
entrepreneur series or differentthings like that, which will
(35:52):
give you some of those basicsand information for you to make
that decision based on your ownpersonal circumstance.
So reach out to us, reach outto others to figure out what is
the best path for you and whatwould trigger you to make those
decisions right.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Yeah, and I love that .
You know, uf, ifas provides alot of support in that regard,
because there's, you know, somany questions to be asked,
right?
Yes?
Speaker 3 (36:19):
absolutely.
And you know one of the thingswhile it is very important for
me as an extension agent to helpyou succeed in your food
related entrepreneurship, it'salso very important for me to be
able to educate you on whetheryou're ready or not by offering
examples.
Right, so you may be willing to, you know, take the next step,
(36:43):
but I want you to be very awareof the different things that
that may.
You may not financially beready there yet.
You know what I mean.
So maybe somebody understanding, based on decisions that are
clearly laid out to them, thenmaybe not going commercial might
(37:04):
be a huge win because it didnot put them into financial
toxicity.
You know what I mean.
Like starting a business, youhave to take on a lot.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
So to be educated about where you are, what step
you're at in your career andwhat the thresholds are whether
they be financial, time,commitment, space, whatever they
may be for you as anentrepreneur that you're aware
of those, you know those tipsand tricks that we can help with
Absolutely you know those tipsand tricks that we can help with
(37:33):
, absolutely, and I want to say,you know, we're so excited to
have you again on, you know, afuture upcoming virtual training
event at the end of September,september 30th, at 12 o'clock
Eastern time, to help the foodentrepreneurs really learn more
about the ins and outs of thisand just have another platform
(37:54):
to gain these kinds of resources.
You know we are really excitedabout you know, sharing this
information as much as we can inthe most digestible ways
possible.
So are there otheropportunities or things that
you're you know putting together, jen, or you know things that
people could look forward to?
Speaker 3 (38:12):
Yes, we have.
In Southwest Florida we have asmall farmers meetup that we do
regionally.
We have one coming up onSeptember 26.
But I also offer and partnerwith other extension agents as
well as folks like FDACs tooffer virtual trainings.
So I can definitely put some ofthose dates and showcase them
(38:37):
at our September 30th Lunch andLearn, as well as some of the
other visuals.
Like you were saying, lana, asfar as what's allowed, what's
not allowed, some commonexamples, things to look out,
for, that might be easier todigest if you can visually
follow along on a presentationlike a virtual.
You know lunch and learn, socome in.
(38:59):
We hope we've tweaked yourinterest so you'll come back and
join us again, right?
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Absolutely yes.
We hope everyone listening hasreally gained this.
You know incredible, valuableinsight into what it takes to
navigate cottage food law herein Florida and whether you're
whipping up jams, baking breador crafting other homemade
goodies, it's really importantto know the rules and best
practices so you can confidentlygrow your food business.
(39:28):
And, jen, you know your work isso critical for building the
local food economy, so we reallythank you for taking the time
to share your expertise on thistopic so more entrepreneurs can
become successful.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
Thank you.
I enjoy so much partnering withyou all to scale up our friends
out there from field to fork.
And likewise, Lana, thank youfor having me.
I really appreciate this timeto chat with you.
Speaker 2 (39:52):
Thank you so much, jen.
And for those that arelistening, remember starting
small doesn't mean staying small.
You can scale, innovate andsucceed right from your home
kitchen.
It's really all about knowingthe law, finding your market and
, most importantly, creatingfood with passion.
Thank you for tuning in.
Be sure to subscribe to FreshTake for more episodes packed
(40:13):
with expert advice for foodentrepreneurs just like yourself
, and until next time, keepcooking up success.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
We hope you enjoyed today's episode.
Florida Organic Growers is a501c3 nonprofit organization, so
to keep our content availableand free to the public, we need
your help.
Please subscribe, rate andreview wherever you listen, and
consider making a tax-deductibledonation or become a sponsor.
Learn more about our work andhow you can become a sponsor
from our website, wwwboginfoorg.
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