Are you hoping to sell your ready meals at a farmer`s market this summer? If so, follow these steps to identify the appropriate markets and prepare your business to sell in the marketplace. It is important to know that every market has a market manager that you can contact, and most likely a website that you need to check to understand the market rules. When it comes to your street kiosk, your city or municipality has regulations on the size and location of that booth in its zoning rules. We recommend that you contact them. Website: www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1568_2387_46671-169336–,00.html Should an egg farmer who sells shell eggs at the farmers` market store those eggs in the refrigerator? Can the manufacturer reuse egg cartons labelled with the name and address of another distributor on the carton? For more information, visit the MDARD website or contact them at 1-800-292-3939 or MDA-Info@michigan.gov. Food must be prepared according to good food safety practices. Since the cottage food law only covers food prepared in a home kitchen, it is very important that your kitchen is clean and hygienic. For example, do you have pets in the house? If so, they should not be in the kitchen when preparing cottage food. Other considerations include ensuring your refrigerators are cleaned regularly and maintaining a temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to ensure food safety of ingredients, as well as establishing practices that prevent cross-contamination.
To ensure your practices meet the required standards, Michigan State University Extension Cottage offers food law courses, both in-person and online. Possible places to sell artisanal food in Michigan include farmers` markets, street stalls, and craft fairs. The key is that the food must be sold directly to the consumer; It cannot be sold to a retail business and then sold to the consumer. It`s also a good idea to check with the market master (the person in charge of the farmer`s market) before you start preparing your homemade food, as some markets have restrictions on the number of non-produce vendors allowed in the market. Third, product sample contracts must comply with all MDARD guidelines, even if it is a domestic food and may require prior approval by the market manager, and a signed sampling contract must be filed with the market office. The best course of action is to make samples in a licensed kitchen before the market. In general, pack your samples in plastic cups with a lid and be sure to refrigerate the samples as needed, depending on the food you are preparing. While a farmer`s market vendor is considered a temporary food business, a farmer`s market licensee should be considered an annual licensee to facilitate licensing. Learn more about how to prepare your business to sell a meal prepared at a farmer`s market this summer.
www.canr.msu.edu/cottage_food_law/online-michigan-cottage-food-law www.canr.msu.edu/events/michigan-cottage-food-law-workshop-may-5-2020 Michigan`s Right to Agriculture Act covered street stalls on farms. This document will help you understand this law and the management practices published by MDARD. A key problem is that you have to sell 50% or more of the products you produce on your farm. In other words, you can`t buy and sell more than 50% of your products from other sources. There are several exceptions to statutory and policy-based licensing. A food establishment may be exempt from licensing, but is not exempt from food safety or consumer protection aspects. Specific examples of exempt farms that may be present at farmers` markets include: All food must be prepared and packaged at the licensed establishment (unless it is an artisanal food business) and meet labelling and federal meat standards, as required. Sampling may be possible depending on the market and supplier establishments.
www.michigan.gov/documents/mdard/2019_FARM_MARKETS_GAAMP_651973_7.pdf First, find out if your food is allowed to be produced and sold under the Cottage Food Act and if the market allows food prepared under that Act to be sold in their market. Some markets require a company to have a license from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) to sell in its market. If your food falls under the cottage food law and the market does not require an MDARD license, you can prepare the food in your home kitchen. However, all foods sold under an MDARD license require you to manufacture your product in a licensed kitchen and purchase an MDARD license for the preparation process. If an MDARD license is required, the marketplace will need a copy of that license or certification before you are approved for sale on the market.
