Farmer's Marketing Questions

[Jillis]

I would like to know what type of certifications or licensing one needs to market foods to restaurants, health food stores, and or to sell in a farmer's market.
Do you need to have a certificate for food handling? What do you need?
TIA!

[jnap31]

NONE in AR. To sell at the fayetteville market you need to be a member and the president of the market has to inspect your place once to make sure your really growing food as it has to be locally grown to be sold there thank goodness, also at that market you have to give 6% of sales to the market to use for advertising and bags fo rthe vendors. I sold a few times at the winslow market just a few sellers and no red tape.

[anniew]

It mostly depends on your state and local municipal laws as well as the particular market rules. You MAY need licenses/certifications for things such processing of any food (bakery or anything prepared in a kitchen like pickles, jams, etc.) sales tax number if selling things taxable (in PA I have one for my cut flowers and plants), nursery license for plants, USDA or state meat inspection, insurance to cover liability and product liability, etc. It just all depends, so you should contact coop. ext. in your area or other growers, or the farmers market where you intend to vend...Ann

[jnap31]

I am not allowed to sell any jams and prepared foods in AR I see they do it at some small town events and at my small county seat farmersmarket but it is against state and federal rules

[Ross]

This is so different from one area to another your eally have to check with your own state, or municipality. Here in Ontario the rules for farmers markets are still in limbo, we do sell jams and pies etc. but there are new regulations coming down. Check with your health unit for what they want.

[LagoVistaFarm]

What are you planning to sell? If its just vegies its pretty simple.

[Jena]

The regs are different for different things. I know what I had to do to sell meat, but that is different than selling "prepared foods" and that is different than selling eggs and that is different than selling vegetables.

Jena

[Jillis]

I would like to market fresh Goat's Milk Cheeses, as well as Goat's Milk Soap.
I am also considering making Goat's Milk Cheese Ravioli, and naturally fermented foods (REAL sauerkraut, kimchi, etc.).

I am thinking I will probably need a food handler's license mong other items, but I was mainly wondering at this point about the farmer's market regulations. I see I will have to inquire locally.

Thanks for the input!

[LagoVistaFarm]

Not too sure about the soap, but the cheeses will require much more. I'm pretty sure you'll need a creamery license.

check out: http://www.vermontagriculture.com/FMregs.pdf

http://www.cheesesociety.org/display...barticlenbr=22

[jnap31]

Originally Posted by LagoVistaFarm

Not too sure about the soap, but the cheeses will require much more. I'm pretty sure you'll need a creamery license.

check out: http://www.vermontagriculture.com/FMregs.pdf

http://www.cheesesociety.org/display...barticlenbr=22

You could move to just about any free country and do all you desire and more with out the red tape and added expense if you desired. Just curious what will you do in a few years when the Gov starts locking people up/or shooting them or fining them because they are not willing to "chip" their animals?

[LagoVistaFarm]

Just because I posted some links to regulations does not mean I'm in favor of them. This country has got way out of hand on stiffling the small free enterprise system.

[Jillis]

I have already begun investigating the creamery regs and so forth. I was just curious about the farmer's market thing, as a lot of the cheesemakers in this area do them. Thanks all!

[jnap31]

Lagovistafarm I was not trying to insinuate you were in favor of them just letting good folks know there is another option.

[SquashNut]

Originally Posted by jnap31

You could move to just about any free country and do all you desire and more with out the red tape and added expense if you desired. Just curious what will you do in a few years when the Gov starts locking people up/or shooting them or fining them because they are not willing to "chip" their animals?

Can you please tell me what the connection is between what you say and local farmer's market regulations ?

Bassketcher

[jnap31]

Someone was wanting to sell homegrown milk and produce but said that they had to go thru regualtions and red tape, I was just pointing out that "local" regulations were quite different and even non existent in some "local" area's depending on the degree of freedom there. Do you see the connection now?

[Qwispea]

Originally Posted by SquashNut

Can you please tell me what the connection is between what you say and local farmer's market regulations ?

Bassketcher

I almost wondered the same thing..but then I realized who said it. Its more an 'agenda' thing .. IMHO.

The best advice is to ask 'locally'..since moving out of the country is obviously not an option most of us want to consider.


I think Jillis would do very well by talking with everyone she can who already participates at the particular place where she aspires to 'market' her ware. Just go make a day of it..and approach every single 'booth' and ask questions. Jillis will likely find answers to every question she might have..and more. She'll make friends too.

[LagoVistaFarm]

If you meet your State/County requirements and you produce the agricultural ingredents that go into your product you are exempt from Federal rules when you sell direct. So you are allowed by the feds to sell at Farmers' Markets and off your farm as long as you have the necessary food handlers license. The theory is that the ultimate customer and the farmer can discuss it face to face so packaging requirement are not as stringent. Hopefully it allow the farmer to sell at a higher price and the consumer a lower price without the middleman.

[MorrisonCorner]

Hey Jillis..

There are like a bazillion programs in VT to get you started, including courses in cheesemaking (do cost money) the Vermont Specialty Foods Assoc. and the Vermont Sheep and Goats..people (I've forgotten their official title but the URL is www.vermontsheep.org). Cheese is a tricky wicket because we don't have a "cheese making facility" like we do the two state sponsored canning facilities... yet. But there are resources out there if you want to take advantage of them. You want to contact your local Economic Development Corp. I don't know who yours is, but mine (http://www.lamoilleeconomy.org) will tell you who yours is if you contact them.

You also want to be aware of the new labeling requirements which regulate how you can use the word "Vermont" in your label... no kidding and don't get me started. It probably doesn't effect you but were I about to launch a food product in VT I'd make pretty sure I knew what this new law/regulation/whatever that the.. I'm not sure which branch of governement.. is talking about. Call your local representative. I think VT Butter and Cheese is located up your way and they're quite active in this new labeling thing because it has the potential to slam them in a big way.

There must be a way to do the pasta at farm markets, and the other products you're asking about, because I've seen them at both the Waterbury and Stowe markets... and they're probably in Morrisville as well (since the same people tend to do the whole route 100 coridor) but I've never been to that market. I don't know if people are doing this in a restaurant kitchen or at home, but I do know a friend of mine did "farmer's market baked stuff" for a summer (the woman did awesome tarts) and she "borrowed" a restaurant kitchen to do her baking... coming in after they closed down and being out by morning. You can get your kitchen "certified" but this, for her, was really worked out well.

Well.. I guess not really well, since she didn't keep doing it.. but it was a stop gap thing for her until she landed the "real job" she wanted.