Fresh Take
Fresh Take is your roundup of all things related to organic and sustainable living. Join Florida Organic Growers staff and guest experts as we discuss everything you need to know about sustainable living, organic agriculture, and how to make the best lifestyle choices that benefit you and the environment. So if you’re an eco-warrior, a dedicated farmer, or just someone looking to make more conscious decisions, tune in to get your Fresh Take.
Fresh Take
From Kitchen to Cash: Mastering the Art of Cottage Food Business
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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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Mastering Cottage Food Business Regulations
Speaker 1Welcome to Fresh Take , where we at Florida Organic Growers speak to food systems experts about topics related to organic and sustainable agriculture , healthy lifestyles and the environment . To help us continue our programs at FOG , including our podcast , consider becoming a sponsor . For more information on sponsorship , check out our Get Involved page on our website , wwwfoginfoorg out our Get Involved page on our website , wwwfoginfoorg .
Speaker 2Hello and welcome back to Fresh Take , where we explore everything you need to know about sustainable living , organic agriculture and how to make the best lifestyle choices , including thriving in the world of food entrepreneurship . Today's episode is all about mastering the art of cottage food business , a topic that's crucial for anyone looking to start or grow a home-based food business . If you've ever wondered how you can legally sell baked goods , jams or other homemade food items without the need for a commercial kitchen , this episode is for you . With us today is a very special guest , an extension agent specializing in family and consumer sciences from the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences , jennifer Hagen , to help us break down the seemingly complex yet simple topic . Jen , I'm so pumped to have you on our show .
Speaker 3Thank you , my pleasure , very excited to be here as well .
Speaker 2I honestly think that this episode will be life-changing for some people listening , because there's really tons of folks I know , including my own family members , who really want to start selling food from their home , but they really have no clue where to start .
Speaker 3So true , and it is exciting to be able to know that , if you have a hobby or you're interested in producing certain types of foods that qualify for cottage food , there is a place for you to play in the state of Florida , so I look forward to diving into the details with you as well .
Speaker 2Yes , definitely . And before we get into the juicy bits , tell us about how you found your way into this career .
Speaker 3Oh , it's a . It's a well , I guess I could say it's semi short rabbit hole . But prior to coming to Extension , I worked as an urban and regional planner for the city of Bonita Springs and I was actually tagged to be the zoner who signed off on people's home tax account application to be able to do foods . So that was when cottage food just had started in its infancy . It was started around 2011 , got updated around 2014 .
Speaker 3And I'm just trying to sit at my desk and figure out what does this mean ? What is a cottage ? You know what is a cottage food ? I'm imagining some stereotypical like cottage with like pies in the window . You know silly things , trying to figure out what this was , and there was just something within me that kept telling me like you need to dive into this full throttle because this is going to literally produce something one day for you . And I did not know why , but you get that gut feeling . And so I learned and became , you know , the food guru planner for the city and it ended up offering a career when Extension was posting a job for a family consumer science agent . I wasn't really sure what that was , but I was familiar with Extension and food was part of the job description for food related entrepreneurship . So that's really a long story short of how I got into it . Understanding regulations was my foundation , and then moving into the different food processing , retail , wholesale manufacturing , as well as the exemption for cottage food , really became my bread and butter . Pun intended .
Speaker 2Wow . Well , what a unique story . I mean to go from , you know , urban planning to cottage food law and what a , you know interesting shift . And I know that you're currently an UF extension in Lee County and you oversee some other programs such as , you know , community health and sustainability , food safety , local food system . So what are some of the things that you do on a day-to-day basis in your role ?
Speaker 3Well , if you know anything about extension , every day is different but that typically is what draws me to extension , because you you try to have a calendar , you try to manage some of your tasks but things always end up popping in . But usually my day typically involves answering questions in regards to food-related entrepreneurship . I also work statewide with beekeepers . Cottage food is , I call it , my gateway drug honey processing , because beekeepers also can sell their honey under cottage food but then , depending on who they ultimately want to sell it to and where that retail or wholesale sales may end up , they may be permitted or not permitted . So it has ended up connecting me closely to the beekeeper hobbyist population , which is pretty fun . But a lot of my daily job is answering questions about regulations or connecting food-related entrepreneurs with the potential of commercial kitchens or other folks to help them navigate some of these regulations . So every day is different . Whether I'm on a farm , whether I'm out in the field or at my desk , it just is always a little different , but has to do something with either food or community .
Speaker 2Well , I love how dynamic that sounds . You know you have a lot of different roles that you play , different hats that you wear and for those listening , how would you define the main topic of today , which is cottage food law ?
Speaker 3Well , I guess I would define it as a small percentage of foods that are available for you to produce within your home kitchen that are exempt from Florida's commercial food safety regulations . So that's one of the biggest things . I like to point out that , while cottage food is commonly referred to as a law , the law actually is that these food products are exempt from food safety regulations and you having to produce those limited products in a inspected and regulated facility . So it's actually an exemption right and it took me a little while to figure that out too but you're exempt from all the rules that most of the retail manufacturer and wholesale processors have to abide by in order to sell their products and wholesale processors have to abide by in order to sell their products .
Speaker 2That's such a good way to put it , because I , you know , going into this topic was just like , oh , this one is a big one and I feel like you know , watching you even present on this prior at our organic food and farming summit this past April was something that I was so fortunate to be in the room for , because I felt like , wow , you were really able to break this down in such simple terms and to say that this is an exemption , I think really just makes it so much clearer as far as what this really means . So what types of food can be produced under this law ?
Speaker 3Okay , so I always like to , and thank you for the compliment . I appreciate it , but I try to break it down so it's easy to digest and not try to overwhelm people when I when I walk them through
Understanding Florida Cottage Food Laws
Speaker 3. These prohibited and allowable cottage food products are shelf stable products . There's something that like if you went to a big box grocery store , you may go into the bakery section and they may have these products on end caps or on tables for you to take away and enjoy .
Speaker 3But if you put them on your shelf at home or you put them on your counter at home . You can consume them in a couple days and the quality and the safety is there , because these particular items do not require the fancy food safety term which is called temperature control for safety , which means they require no refrigeration . They don't have anything within them that has a high moisture content that could cause them to spoil or to harbor pathogens like the cooties that we might get sick from .
Speaker 2Right .
Speaker 3And so that's really how I try to explain it is that they don't require refrigeration . They don't require you to bake or freeze them in order for them to be consumable , and they're a pretty safe product for you to be able to sell and to also store at home for you to consume when you're ready .
Speaker 2So what are some examples of you know what people could sell under the cottage food law ?
Speaker 3For sure . So these are your items , kind of like your breads , your muffins , your cookies candies . We already spoke very quickly about honey , some of your fruit pies , some of your jams and jellies that are made also from high acid fruits . You can also sell dry herbs , different dry seasonings and mixtures , cereals , granola , nuts , things of that nature . That would be something that you could almost pack and take on a picnic or keep you know with you that you don't have to worry about keeping it cool or any kind of processing additional that you'd have to do to it .
Speaker 2So these are things that we typically see at like farmers markets that vendors are selling . I mean , we know that some , some things that the farmers markets maybe might not abide by cottage food law , but others , like you just mentioned the baked goods , the jams , the jellies are ones that we can find at the local farmer's markets . So my question that I'm really curious to ask is , for Florida specifically , how does cottage food law differ , maybe , from other states ?
Speaker 3Well , every state has its own availability to regulate what can be a cottage food product , what is not , or if they would even allow cottage food to be sold within that state or what requirements pertain to that .
Speaker 3So I think the big difference here is that Florida is clear in regards to their guidance document and their website about what products are allowed under cottage food and clearly state which products are not .
Speaker 3And I often when I do these presentations or when I do virtual trainings , I kill a lot of dreams , unfortunately , because there is that education of what is a cottage food , what's permissible and why something may not be , and that dives into a lot of the food safety and food science of production and processing and food handling . So cottage food in Florida is very clearly stated as to what you can do , what you can't do , and often I get the questions about why something would be allowed versus not allowed . So I think Florida does a good job with their guidance documents , their website , but the education part is where it gives me job security to kind of explain the different products and the different processing and why , as you as a food processor want to make sure you understand the basics , to protect yourself and to reduce that risk and liability as a food related entrepreneur , right . So there's a lot of opportunity for education about the different products , which I find is quite fun to have those conversations .
Speaker 2Yeah , and you know , speaking of what is allowed and what is not allowed , we we covered . You know what types of food could be covered by cottage food law , but what are the food items that are prohibited under this ?
Speaker 3Okay , there's many right , but the big ones that I hear people often that are interested in producing that are prohibited are your things like your salsas , your barbecue sauces . Pickles is a big one , pet food is a no-no . Also , any kind of bread or focaccia that may have cheese or dairy products in it . Cheesecake is another thing , or key lime pie .
Speaker 3I love key lime pie but unfortunately it's prohibited because that's something that would require refrigeration and would have a cream or a dairy product in it . Your typical things that are not allowed also would be like your eggs , dairy products , vegetables , jerky Beef jerky is another thing that a lot of people wish they could produce , but that is prohibited . Another two big ones that I hear a lot are any kind of juicing of any kind of fruit or vegetables prohibited , because that requires additional regulations and food safety education . And , unfortunately , cakes or cupcakes that might have a cream-based icing would be prohibited . And then always CBD or anything that would have hemp in it would be prohibited , because that is permissible under a different regulation .
Speaker 3So those are the big ones . Another one I get a lot to is marinara tomato sauce , right , but again , these types of things , whether it be pickles or whether it be canned products Now , 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 meat products those require additional education and regulations . So those are the big ones , lana .
Speaker 2So it sounds like the I think you mentioned this a little earlier that the higher citrus content , the more regulated it is , that the higher citrus content , the more regulated it is . So , for instance , you know , a jam or a jelly that has fruit is usually allowed , but something like a salsa that has tomato and lemon juice , or even like a ceviche or something like that is prohibited . Is that right ?
Speaker 3Totally , yeah , absolutely so , like your strawberries or any kind of fruit or jams or jellies that are actually made from high acid fruits would be okay , because it comes down to the pH , and the pH level of a food product is really the determining factor . Ph and moisture contact that might be in that product that could make it susceptible to pathogens or food handling no-nos . So that's really kind of . The determining factor is the moisture content of a product as well as the pH of that product . So you are correct .
Speaker 2Wow , so it really comes down to a science .
Speaker 3It does , and that's what's fascinating , but then also very daunting for folks , right , and that's what's fascinating , but then also very daunting for folks right , absolutely .
Speaker 2And that's where I think it can be a bit confusing , because even for me I'm thinking well , oh , jerky like that sounds like it's something that's very shelf stable , that wouldn't have any additional you know factors that would make it a food safety concern , but it really comes down to . You know the technicalities make it a food safety concern , but it really comes down to you know the technicalities in the foods that you are providing or creating for consumption . So it's , you know , very , very important that people are aware of . You know what is really allowed versus not . And the exciting part is , because of this law , there is an allowance of making money as an entrepreneur in the state of Florida , and I know that there is a cap of some sort right , but that's been increased recently .
Speaker 3It was . It was increased as of July 1st of 2021 . And that now allows you to sell up to $250,000 of cottage food products , which is nothing to shake a stick at , right . I mean , that's a lot of money , so that's yeah .
Speaker 2And that's something that you know . It used to be $50,000 , now $250,000 . That's a huge jump in gross sales , so that's a really exciting factor for anyone that's looking to sell in the state of Florida . And something that I think people should also be very aware of is the specific requirements around packaging and labeling . So let's get into that a little bit . What are the things that people need to know as far as the basics for this ?
Speaker 3Okay .
Speaker 3So for cottage food , because it is again an exemption from commercial regulations , you need to clearly state on your product that type of food , whether it be chocolate chip cookies or brownies , are made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida's food safety regulations .
Speaker 3So that caveat that basically buyer beware that this product is not regulated , is the consumer education part that cottage food operators need to make sure that they're clearly stating in order to play under the cottage food exemption . One of the biggest things that is happening in the food safety world is undeclared allergens , and so that's another reason that our labels , as cottage food operators , need to clearly state what ingredients we are using , down to the very exact ingredient . And that's again to make your consumers aware that if your chocolate chip cookie also has walnuts in it and somebody may have a tree nut allergy , they steer clear from those . You know particular cookies . So , and again , you need to understand , as a cottage food operator , that this isn't about us revealing your secret you know recipe . We don't really we're not diving into the secret recipe that you may be using . What we're trying to educate cottage food operators about is the importance to declare the top nine allergens that could potentially make or break somebody's day if they were to consume that product .
Speaker 2That's really good to know because I think that you know in terms of what people need to have in their home to put on a package . It's really as simple as a statement you know made in a cottage food operation that is not subject to Florida's food safety regulations , end quote . You know that is a very simple and direct statement that really kind of helps you steer clear of a lot of food safety issues . But in addition to what you just mentioned the ingredient list , the allergen warnings and as far as the packaging , the actual you know container that the food comes in are there any kind of restrictions on what you can and cannot use for that ?
Speaker 3It'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 kind of glass jar , right , a cake , if you will , would be in a box that would be able to fit that cake or some type of packaging for cupcakes or those kinds of things . Where it gets a little bit tricky is , you know , how do you foresee , as a cottage food operator , selling or packaging your granola or different things of that nature , where those items or that type of packaging may be a little bit more challenging to put the required labeling on it ? But remember that this cottage food exemption is such that you have to be mindful of the requirements to sell cottage food because , as the operator of your cottage food , you know , at home kitchen , if you will , you need to be able to let people know that again , this food is not regulated . It either has or does not have the , you know , allergens that are most the top nine that are most susceptible that people are , you know , have a reaction to .
Speaker 3But then also the traceability . We get a lot of folks who are very interested in cottage food but do not want to declare their home address , or they may have a partner who is either a doctor or someone who may be in law enforcement , but the traceability of these products to the cottage food operator is non-negotiable . So that's another thing that you're processing , how you process , where you process , needs to be on that label , regardless of the type of packaging you decide to put your product within . If that makes sense and I don't know if I answered your question because I kind of threw in the home address requirement as well , but yeah , it can get sticky pun intended right Packaging that you want to use .
Speaker 2Yeah Well , because I guess my second , you know , kind of follow up to that question about packaging is does this kind of allow you to even deliver any kind of food via mail , like , can any of this be sent out in that way , or is it something that can only be picked up from the home or kind of sold at a farmer's market , if you will ?
Speaker 3Great question and that was another thing that changed in 2021 is that folks are now allowed and it's permissible to mail their cottage food products outside of the state . Prior to 2021 , you had to sell and your customer base had to be within the state of Florida . Now you would be allowed to sell your products across state lines through the mail . But one of the things that I think is important that often people may overlook in the guidance document from FDACS , and that's the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services , is that they do recommend that if you are mailing something or if your product is difficult to label on the packaging your product , to make sure , when you invoice or when you mail that product , that you have everything that you should have on there your home address , the caveat statement that it's made in a cottage food operation , as well as the ingredient requirements , so that , while it may not particularly be on that packaging , it needs to be clearly stated through an invoice , through your order email . Those type of methods . All of that required information .
Speaker 2Well , that's a huge step forward , I think too , in terms of being able to deliver outside of state lines . So that's another exciting , you know , progressive move for that in the entrepreneur world of
Nurturing a Successful Cottage Food Business
Speaker 2things . So for you know , kind of taking a step back , and if we see someone that's listening and they're like , wow , you know , I'm really inspired by everything we've talked about so far and I'm ready to start selling what are the step-by-step pieces that people listening need to start focusing on to launch their own cottage food business in Florida .
Speaker 3So I would say the best place is to start with the guidance document , the FDACS guidance document , to really understand what products are allowed and what are prohibited , to make sure that your tasty treat is allowable . I would also encourage them to contact their tax collector , their local county tax collector , their local county tax collector to make sure that they have 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 those requirements to be able to sell in the state of Florida , Even if that item is not taxed . They may have to declare zero sales tax , but that they're still selling a product . I would also make sure that they understand basic food safety handling to make sure you're starting with clean surfaces that have been cleaned and sanitized and you're not cross-contaminating an ingredient that could be a potential allergen with another one that could make somebody sick . So really , the basics and to do a little bit of the homework .
Speaker 3And if you have any questions , you know call me . I'd be happy to . You know , talk about it , but that there are documents out there . We have some through the University of Florida , EDIS documents on cottage food as well as FDACs . They can always call FDACs as well . Remember they are educators above and beyond regulators , so they'd be happy to walk you through a particular circumstance or product if you have further questions .
Speaker 2And just so you know , people in listening know is there a notice of sorts that people get , once they register or apply to this , that they are approved to start selling , or are they as soon as they submit the documentation they're kind of ready to go ?
Speaker 3When you say notice , do you mean as a cottage food operator ? Yes , so that's the thing . In Florida you are not required to register with the state as a cottage food operator . You are not permitted , nor are you inspected by the state . The only time that potentially would be an issue is if somebody were to unfortunately get sick or have some kind of problem with one of your products and it's traced back to you . Fdacs could do an inspection at your home . But again , cottage food is not regulated , so you are not inspected or permitted , or nor do you have to register to become a cottage food operator . So the only part you have to is to make sure you're good on your taxes and that you have your business tax account application . So make sure you reach out to your local tax collector to find out what you need to do for the county or the municipality which you reside in .
Speaker 2Awesome , and so for those that do take those steps and they get started as far as keeping a successful cottage food business , making it sustainable , what are some of the things that you've seen other cottage food businesses do that enable that business to thrive ?
Speaker 3Well , I would definitely say to be organized for sure , and when I say organized , to make sure that you are processing your food in your home kitchen when maybe your family is gone , maybe you have locked up your pets so they're not running across your counter as you're trying to process your food . To make sure that you've educated yourself with basic food safety handling processes , which would be wash your hands , wipe down your countertop , sanitize your countertops . Make sure you have adequate storage for your ingredients and storage for your final product , because everything that you are potentially selling does need to be produced and stored within your home . It cannot be in a shed or your garage or those types of things . Everything made needs to be stored in your home .
Speaker 3So one of the things that I think makes for a successful cottage food operator is to make sure you have adequate space storage for your products and that you're organized . I mean , lana , when you think about it , making up to $250,000 of cupcakes , you almost have to make 11 dozen cupcakes each day to fulfill that or to reach that threshold , and you'd have to sell each of those cupcakes for five bucks . So when you start thinking about 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 to take all those things into consideration , I think Absolutely .
Speaker 2Yeah , those are really good things to note , because you know your home is is your safe space , but you , if you want to turn it into a business as well , it needs to be very well maintained and , as far as you know folks that are maybe not as fluent in marketing tactics , what do you recommend for people to do , especially around social media and their local markets , to kind of get themselves out there ?
Speaker 3That's a great question . I think the best thing that I recommend 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 on the socials and see how other people are marketing themselves . If they have a friend or a family member or someone that they know that does marketing , ask questions , see what other folks are doing , and it does not hurt to ask other people what was successful for them . You meet a lot of folks when you go to these markets and , for the most part , as long as you're not competing , selling the exact same product that they are , it's a pretty welcoming community in regards to helping educate each other or lessons learned right .
Speaker 3So I would just say get out there , see what your local competition is . Do you have a product that would be different than that market ? And then get to know some of the players or call your local extension office . We're happy to walk you through it , and a lot of us offer business startup classes above and beyond cottage food , and we offer always food safety training , whether it be just basic food safety or whether it be certifications if you are going to be managing a commercial kitchen . So there's lots of resources out there . Just be creative , don't limit yourself .
Speaker 2Definitely , and I love that you mentioned , you know , kind of just talking to the local vendors , because I , you know , in attending so many local markets , find that they're really so friendly and willing to give advice and there's just a really nice community out there of key local food actors who are just really trying to help each other and I feel like that's in itself a very inspiring 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 to someone who's already doing it and seeing you know what they , what they have found to be , you know , successful and and things that may have not worked out so well . And speaking of that , you know , I'd love to know from your perspective , what have been , you know , some of the biggest challenges that cottage food producers face .
Speaker 3So I think what I hear from some of the cottage food operators that started under cottage food and quickly went commercial , and when I say commercial , basically they needed more space right .
Speaker 3They were doing so well that they needed or they realized doing this volume of processing at their home was not working with their family or household schedule and they could do more quicker at a commercial kitchen . Basically , I mean , you have more storage , you've got more space , you can do more volume quicker . So a lot of them just outgrew their kitchen and the demand was so strong that they wanted to sell above and beyond direct to consumer , like they may have had restaurants or bakeries or different people asking for their products which showed that they had a demand . So they needed to do more quicker and for more folks , more clientele , which launched them into commercial . And several of the ones that I know that have been very successful said they wish they would have gone there sooner .
Speaker 3But again , it's , the great thing about Coditude is it gives you a chance to try out your market and to develop your recipes or your products , to partner with other people who may be doing things . When I say partner , like you said , lana , like talking to other folks , because you can't be working with several people in your home as a cottage food operator , it's supposed to be you in your kitchen , right ? So I don't want to complicate or confuse anybody on that . But going back to your initial question , just the need for more storage , more capacity , more volume and a greater group of customers , or more demand launched . One of the biggest challenges is , you know , stems from being so successful , right ?
Speaker 2So that's a really interesting , you know , paradox there and I think , in terms of knowing when it's time to move into a commercial kitchen and obtain those additional licenses , might be a bit tricky to navigate . So how do you advise people to kind of understand at what point they need to kind of shift into that mentality ?
Speaker 3Well , and that's hard because it usually is a case-by-case basis right , what may be working for some may not work for all . So I would recommend again having that conversation with someone like myself or another extension agent who could help guide you to consider what steps are needed to scale up what that , financially , is going to cost you . Do you have the capital to be able to do that , whether it be financial , social , whatever the case may be and again , really learn from some of the folks who have taken that step At Extension . We often will have classes or different , you know , homemade entrepreneur series or different things like that , which will give you some of those basics and information for you to make that decision based on your own personal circumstance . So reach out to us , reach out to others to figure out what is the best path for you and what would trigger you to make those decisions right .
Speaker 2Yeah , and I love that . You know , uf , ifas provides a lot of support in that regard , because there's , you know , so many questions to be asked , right ? Yes ?
Speaker 3absolutely . And you know one of the things while it is very important for me as an extension agent to help you succeed in your food related entrepreneurship , it's also very important for me to be able to educate you on whether you're ready or not by offering examples . Right , so you may be willing to , you know , take the next step , but I want you to be very aware of the different things that that may . You may not financially be ready there yet . You know what I mean . So maybe somebody understanding , based on decisions that are clearly laid out to them , then maybe not going commercial might be a huge win because it did not put them into financial toxicity . You know what I mean . Like starting a business , you have to take on a lot .
Speaker 2So to be educated about where you are , what step you're at in your career and what the thresholds are whether they be financial , time , commitment , space , whatever they may be for you as an entrepreneur that you're aware of those , you know those tips and tricks that we can help with Absolutely you know those tips and tricks that we can help with , absolutely , and I want to say , you know , we're so excited to have you again on , you know , a future upcoming virtual training event at the end of September , september 30th , at 12 o'clock Eastern time , to help the food entrepreneurs really learn more about the ins and outs of this and just have another platform to gain these kinds of resources . You know we are really excited about you know , sharing this information as much as we can in the most digestible ways possible . So are there other opportunities or things that you're you know putting together , jen , or you know things that people could look forward to ?
Speaker 3Yes , we have . In Southwest Florida we have a small farmers meetup that we do regionally . We have one coming up on September 26 . But I also offer and partner with other extension agents as well as folks like FDACs to offer virtual trainings . So I can definitely put some of those dates and showcase them at our September 30th Lunch and Learn , as well as some of the other visuals . Like you were saying , lana , as far as what's allowed , what's not allowed , some common examples , things to look out , for , that might be easier to digest if you can visually follow along on a presentation like a virtual . You know lunch and learn , so come in . We hope we've tweaked your interest so you'll come back and join us again , right ?
Speaker 2Absolutely yes . We hope everyone listening has really gained this . You know incredible , valuable insight into what it takes to navigate cottage food law here in Florida and whether you're whipping up jams , baking bread or crafting other homemade goodies , it's really important to know the rules and best practices so you can confidently grow your food business . And , jen , you know your work is so critical for building the local food economy , so we really thank you for taking the time to share your expertise on this topic so more entrepreneurs can become successful .
Speaker 3Thank you . I enjoy so much partnering with you all to scale up our friends out there from field to fork . And likewise , Lana , thank you for having me . I really appreciate this time to chat with you .
Speaker 2Thank
Growing a Home-Based Food Business
Speaker 2you so much , jen . And for those that are listening , remember starting small doesn't mean staying small . You can scale , innovate and succeed right from your home kitchen . It's really all about knowing the law , finding your market and , most importantly , creating food with passion . Thank you for tuning in . Be sure to subscribe to Fresh Take for more episodes packed with expert advice for food entrepreneurs just like yourself , and until next time , keep cooking up success .
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