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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookHi all, im having so much fun with the raw food prep and my friends are going for the breads and crackers like crazy, was thinking about expanding into farmers market sales of some of this stuff…any one have any idea if its possible? I have some feelers out to local markets in the area, they seem to be of the “dont ask dont tell” variety as per selling home prepared items. I think some of you have raw businesses whats the deal in your neck of the woods? thanks!
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Audry from http://myspace.com/fulfoods sold some raw foods at a farmer’s market for some time….
They weren’t happy about the food not being local but they allowed her to do it…IDK how the health regulations were for preparing food, or if there were any.
I connect with a local dinner that closes after lunch I would recomment getting a food handlers license I one day class prob about $100 set up a whole sale account for the products
To do it legal & right there is alway insurance needed but once you start getting into this stuff it’s not fun anymore
thanks alex and abraw, i will look into a food handlers license and keep poking my nose into other vendors businesses at the farmers market…...i have my own biz now that requires a ton of liability insurance , seems like a fact of life anymore.
Hi. What are the crackers your friends have liked so much? I need to work on making some that other people like.
That sounds like a lot of fun. You may want to look into who does gift baskets out there. If I got a gift basket I’d love something really homemade in it.
For instance, florists or baby boutiques. If someone sent me a get well basket that’s just what I’d want and NEED!.
That sounds really neat good luck with it and let us know how it goes!
That’s awesome omshanti. my guess is you’ll need some of the following -
I think a quick call to city hall would probably point you in the right direction as to what permits and licenses are needed in your area.
some home based food businesses are also exempt apparently. (after my 10 minute google research session.)
Personally I think all these restrictions and regulations are not only cumbersome and silly but a great impediment to capitalism, and the pursuit of raw food happiness. Just because someone has a state inspected kitchen doesn’t mean they use safe food handling techniques or aren’t overrun with rat feces.
You may also be able to set up a deal with a local restaurant or bakery to use their space for a few hours per week. that way they already have all the food safety permits and required kitchen.
Hi avo! here in socal there is a permit for everything, the state always has to have a piece( the bastards! ;) anyhooo, im trying to do this as unimpeded as possible. starting small and by word of mouth so that i know who im cooking for, and they know me, its kept me out of trouble so far in my horse training business, i simply dont take clients that seem”troublesome”( and of course carry 20 mil. liability just in case ;) ill look into those exemptions too, how cool. im afraid ive had no luck on google what did you type in? thanks for all the input!
W.E., i will check into those avenues too! what a great idea, maybe i could offer prepacked gift baskets at the farmers market as a hook! cool!! the cheezits are a hit, so is my breakfast bread, my friend wants me to market that to bird people as her conure begs for the stuff, and since we dont kill our nutrients its way better than other bird breads out there! I also made a corn chip that i cant seem to recreate, i think its my crumby dehydrator though so im waiting on the new one to get here before i try agian( my chickens have had a field day on the failures!) i made a apple cinnamon granola too that has been requested again. i use the boutenko cracker recipe as a base and change seasonings and sometimes a few ingredients, i have a rye cracker and pepper cracker that seems to go over well! oh yeah and the onion bread and sundried tomatoe bread big hits!!!
Let’s see to google i think I typed in “ways the government wants to steal your money and regulate your life”. Or wait, no it was “home based food business”.
Your comment reminds me of a Ron Paul clip where he was talking about how we don’t even own property anymore. It’s more like renting. You have to get a permit to do anything as well as pay ‘taxes’, i.e. rent. That really doesn’t sound like ownership.
and this recent almond pasteurization thing. unbelievable. Though it’s not clear to me if that was a law by the state or by Blue Diamond corp.
I don’t get though, how do you know who you’ll be selling to if you’re at the farmer’s market? Or are you saying you’ll just start with friends/acquaintances?
memo to self—call board of health and set up farmer’s market sting.
avo! hahahaha! you know there probobly is a sting op out there already! hahaha no, I meant id start small with friends and word of mouth and then maybe branch out into the farmers markets. there is a tamale lady there actually cooking, now tell me she has health permits!! big grin! I missed this weeks regular farmers market jaunt so next week ill grill the bakery lady and the jam lady. If i can get my vocab in order ill grill the tamale lady in spanish.;) I remember my liabilty insurance provider telling me that if i provided food at one of my horse clinics to make sure it was packaged and sealed or catered. hmmmm, why cant people just accept that s@#* happens in life and not try to get compinsated for every little preseved wrong inflicted upon their lives? living = risk, no risk ,no life, no fun! hopping off my soap box now! ;)
That would make a good bad sitcom episode. Where the vendors become convinced due to some language problems that you are actually from the health department.
I talked to two farmers market manages today! they are very encouraging…hmmm, guess theres no need to brush up on my spanish now! hey know any good hollywood types to sell that sitcom idea too? i see a lucrative deal in your future avo!;) wish me luck! all i have to do is pass the application process and get a space on the parking lot, barring that ill walk around witha big basket of goodies and a billboard on my back! big grin!
Application process? are they going to make you take the FMAT (Farmer’s Market Aptitude Test)?
Hopefully it will be more of the field sobriety test variety.
hahahah avo you kill me!! any how , gone are the days when a farmer just shows up to sell his/her wares…they dont want you selling items to much like your neighbor to give the public a choice…interesteing idea on capitalism. but any how thought you would appreciate an excerp from my health department phone enquiry me: “Yes , i would like to sell unbaked items and snacks at a farmers market” them: you are a bakery. you must have an acredited kitchen” me: “well, i serve unbaked items, they are not cooked per sea…” them” you sell uncooked bread?!!” “have you heard of living foods?” them:” is this a joke?” Me: “no maam, there is a resteraunt called cilantros who sells the kind of thing im talking about..” them” you want to open a resteraunt?” me” big sigh, if i dont have the work bakery in my name and i wish to sell home prepared foods at a farmers market do i need any special permit?” them” depends on the type of food you wish to prepare…” I gave up!!! ;)