Homemade for Sale

From the authors of Farmstead Chef, the authoritative guide for launching a successful home-based food enterprise, from idea and recipe to final product.

From farm-to-fork and “Buy Local” to slow food and hand-made artisan breads, more people than ever are demanding real food made with real ingredients by real people. Widely known as “cottage food legislation,” over forty-two states and many Canadian provinces have enacted recent legislation that encourages home cooks to create and sell a variety of “non-hazardous” food items, often defined as those that are high-acid, like pickles, or low moisture, like breads or cookies. Finally, “homemade” and “fresh from the oven” on the package can mean exactly what it says.

Homemade for Sale is the first authoritative guide to conceiving and launching your own home-based food start-up. Packed with profiles of successful cottage food entrepreneurs, this comprehensive and accessible resource covers everything you need to get cooking for your customers, creating items that by their very nature are specialized and unique. Topics covered include:Product development and testingMarketing and developing your nicheStructuring your business and planning for the futureManaging liability, risk, and government regulations

You can join a growing movement of entrepreneurs starting small food businesses from their home. No capital needed, just good recipes, enthusiasm, and commitment, plus enough know-how to turn fresh ingredients into sought-after treats for your local community. Everything required is probably already in your home kitchen. Best of all, you can start tomorrow!

Praise for Homemade for Sale

“Revive local economies and create jobs. Add value instead of selling commodities. Rebuild regional food systems. Diversify production on the landscape. Capitalize the infrastructure for a sane and healthy diet. And yet, there is no switch to flip: we have to start-small, learn the lessons, and grow this sector ourselves. Homemade for Sale is the perfect start.” —Severine von Tscharner Fleming, director, Greenhorns; and co-founder, Farm Hack and National Young Farmers Coalition

"We are in a golden age for local, artisanal culinary products. But the food industry can be particularly challenging for startup businesses. Homemade for Sale is a valuable resource to help culinary entrepreneurs understand what lies ahead so they can more easily navigate their journey of turning their passion into a livelihood.” —Gregory Heller, author, U.S. Kitchen Incubators: An Industry Snapshot