In 2009, Dakota Rural Action organized a group of producers, consumers, farmers market managers, home-bakers, and others to craft the state’s first home-processed foods law. Working with the State Dept. of Health, Dept. of Agriculture, and SDSU Extension, we passed that law in early in 2010.
The “cottage foods” law made it legal–within certain parameters–to sell homemade pickles, jellies, breads, rolls, and some other homemade foods at farmers markets, farm stands, and similar venues across the state.
Since then, the law has had small changes, and on more than one occasion (including during this year’s legislative session), attempts have been made to do away with home-processed foods regulations altogether. Clearly, there is interest in an update.
This year, Dakota Rural Action is once again reaching out to producers, home bakers and canners, and others interested in the ability to buy and sell home-processed foods to come together to craft an update of the Home-Processed Foods Law that works for everyone.
If you are a maker of home-processed foods, or a regular purchaser of those foods, we want to hear from you! How is the current law working for you, and how could it work better? Are you interested in working together to update the current law?