Summer 2023
Happy Anniversary Everyone! It’s been eight years since we got our cottage food bill passed. We’ve had many more successes along the way. Some things we have won, some we have not yet won. 🙂 Together we will continue to improve our cottage food law and prove what a vital resource the cottage food industry is to our state and to our country.
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These summer days have been beautiful in spite of the heat and haze. I know a lot of you have been dealing with this at the markets. Please be sure to stay hydrated and wear a hat if you are in the sun. I was reading about the hazards from the smoke in the air. I found an article from the California Air Resources Board that said just wearing a regular mask doesn’t help with smoke particles.
“While cloth face coverings offer protection against COVID-19 virus spread, they do not provide protection against smoke particles. People who must be outdoors for long periods, in areas with heavy smoke, or where ash is disturbed, may want to wear a NIOSH-certified N95 respirator mask. Those with existing respiratory, lung or heart conditions should limit their exposure by staying indoors. Since wearing a respirator can make it harder to breathe, those with lung or heart conditions should check with their doctor before using one. – For More Information click the link.“
Please be careful out there you all and be sure to take what precautions you can.
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Tomorrow, July 1st, the pet bill change takes place and shipping your homemade pet treats will now be allowed. Nothing else regarding pet treats has changed. Use caution when creating your treats and reference the Non-potentially Hazardous Foods List for pet treats on our website mncfpa.org. Below is the official statement by the MDA and some links if you have any questions.
Starting July 1, 2023, registered Minnesota cottage food producers may ship cottage pet treats in the mail or by commercial delivery to the end consumer. Previously, all cottage pet treat products needed to be exchanged in person. Please note that this change in law only applies to cottage pet treats, not to cottage food intended for humans. Cottage foods intended for humans are not allowed to be shipped in the mail or by commercial delivery.
License and registration fees and penalties paid by licensed pet treat producers that switch from Commercial Feed licensing to a Cottage Food Producer Registration will not be refunded. The MDA does not have statutory authority to refund these fees.
For more information about cottage foods in Minnesota:
Please contact the MDA Licensing Liaison with questions at mda.foodlicensingliaison@state.
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If you are interested in how other Cottage Food bills have faired this year in legislation subscribe to Forrager.com. He keeps tabs on each states information as much as possible. It has been a crazy year for legislation. In three states, Texas, Arizona and Minnesota, we had total bipartisan support from the legislatures. Unfortunately in all these cases, politics intervened, either through department finagling or Governor vetoes. It should be remembered that our legislatures are the ones we vote for to represent us. Not the hired departments. We need to remember when we go to vote to be sure to vote for the ones who will stand for up for us. We the people do have that right, but we have to take a stand and not sit quietly by the side watching what happens next.
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The cottage food industry is fabulous. It is made up of individuals who put heart and soul in all we do. We don’t just go to work in some retail kitchen and then go home not caring what happens to the finished product. We create. We design works of art that delight all of the senses. Cottage food producers care about each other and want each other to succeed. We work hard to follow the rules and make our products safe for our consumers.
So, it comes as no surprise that when we see others who are not giving this same care and consideration to their consumers and the law that it is beyond frustrating.
However, we need to remember that not everyone knows what the food laws are. First and foremost, remember, it is not our job to police others. That job belongs to the MN. Department of Agriculture. If you see someone blatantly disregarding the law you should contact them.
But there are a few things we can do to help others who may be unaware of the law.
Never embarrass someone publicly. Either on social media or elsewhere. Think how you would feel if it were you. Privately reach out to the person in question. Send a private message which simply says, “Hey, I’m a cottage food producer and just in case you didn’t know, what you are selling requires registration, labeling, etc.” You may find out that they didn’t know it was illegal and it opens the door to help educate someone to the cottage food industry.
If you see someone at a market or vendor event not following the law, we have created a handout to makes it easier to share information about cottage foods. With the collaboration of the MN Farmers’ Market Association, the Dept. of Agriculture, the University of MN Extension, and the MN Cottage Food Producers Association we created this form. It is made to easily print out and cut in half for you to share with others.
It is always possible that the person in question may tell you to mind your own business. In that case, once again, it is not our job to police others.
Also, remember that the “Lemonade Law” does exist. People can legally sell whatever they want to up to $1000.00 from their homes. Sec. 103. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 157.22
I am so proud of who we are and how far our industry has come in the past 13 years. Always be a positive example of cottage foods and yes, I am going to say it, make me proud! 😊
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Recent & Upcoming Events
This week we had a wonderful webinar with Michelle Sharp from Meet the Minnesota Makers. She spoke about how to improve your presence on social media and enhance your marketing. Association members should have access to the recording by next week.
On July 12th, Dr. Morrine Omolo will be holding a Water Meter Demonstration Webinar via Zoom. To register for this please go to the events section of our website mncfpa.org.
Don’t forget to save the date for our annual get-together which will be held September 9th at the Sibley Farm in Mankato. More information coming soon!***************************************************************************************************************
If you are not yet a member of our association, become a member today. The Minnesota Cottage Food Producers Association unites cottage food producers all over Minnesota and gives CFPs a unified voice when addressing topics that impact our industry, lobbying our lawmakers to strengthen the cottage food industry. We have instructional webinars, many resources and other opportunities. For more information go to our website: mncfpa.org.
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Have a safe and wonderful Fourth of July!
- Posted in: Important Information ♦ Monthly Updates
Minnesota Cottage Food Producer's Association 
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