Moving beyond cottage food
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Imagine you have a great idea that involves a food product you have created. So you have become an entrepreneur and for the last few years, you have been selling your product at a farmers market. You feel that your product would sell well in a few stores in your area, and you also reached your $25,000 limit when selling foods under the Cottage Food Law in Michigan. Now, it is time to consider licensing, because becoming licensed would open many more avenues for your Michigan Cottage Food Law business to expand.
Maybe you have also thought about hiring employees to help prepare and distribute your product. Additionally, you have become concerned about having your address on the cottage food label because of privacy concerns. There may also be many requests for your product in local convenience stores. This is where you need to begin thinking about moving beyond the Cottage Food Law and exploring your next options.
Moving Beyond Cottage Food is a program that can prepare current or prospective cottage food vendors to take the next steps. This program prepares vendors to talk with their Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) inspector. It will also provide information that will connect you with the Michigan State University (MSU) Product Center.
This program will help guide you to move beyond your cottage food business by:
- Reviewing which products fall under which license.
- Learning which regulatory authority will assist with licensing.
- Learning the process of making labels for your product.
- Knowing the basic requirements for a licensed kitchen.
- Preparing for the questions that an MDARD inspector will ask.
- Learning what resources are available to you through the Product Center.
- Following food safety guidelines when using a licensed kitchen​.
- Learning how and where can you store your product when using a licensed kitchen
- Knowing your next steps to becoming licensed
Moving Beyond Cottage Food will help prepare you to speak with a MDARD inspector — in particular, knowing the questions they will ask and being prepared to answer them will assist you in furthering your business and acquiring the correct license.
Michigan State University provides many safe food-handling programs. If you have not previously been a cottage food vendor, you can join the basic Cottage Food Law that is offered at least once each month. In addition to MSU Extension professionals, a MDARD inspector and an innovation counselor from the MSU Product Center are in attendance.
Join us and participate in this exciting new program, December 10, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. Register for the program at: events.anr.msu.edu/MBCFwinter2024.
