Cottage Food Law

Last year Washington Legislature adopted the Cottage Food Act. Oregon has a similar Cottage Food law in effect and currently has around 800 licensed cottage food operations. Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Jason Kelly says that several home based businesses in the state have expressed interest in applying for a Cottage Foods license since the law was passed.

KELLY: For the first time they’ll be able to produce cookies, and jams out of the home for sale, but they’re going to have to have a plan to minimize the risk of food borne illness, and that could be things as simple as getting your water tested to ensure you don’t have bacterial contamination in your well water, to having a sanitation plan to ensure you’re appropriately cleaning and sanitizing your kitchen before you start food processing.

CFO’s will be inspected annually by the WSDA and while there are limitations, there’s room for growth as well.

KELLY: The law requires that they sell directly to their consumers - farmers markets are a great venue, but it could be a flea market, or a craft fair, any other place where a small business owner is working directly with their consumer. The threshold for cottage food permit is $15,000, but as they become more successful there are other operations where they can rent time in a commercial kitchen, they can establish a relationship with an existing business where they might be able to co-pack at that facility, or establish their own commercial kitchen.

The WSDA now has a CFO draft rule available for public review. A public hearing will be May 22 at 1 pm at the Natural Resources Building in Olympia.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.