Cottage foods cannot be produced onsite at a community event or farmers’ market. If the business wishes to produce or dispense food or beverages onsite, they will likely need to obtain a food license. The type of foods being produced or dispensed will determine if licensure is needed from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture or a health department. Contact MDA's Food Licensing Liaison for guidance at MDA.Licensing@state.mn.us.
Sales Locations and Selling Your Cottage Foods
A registered cottage food producer can sell the food they make from: (1) their home, (2) a farmers' market, and (3) a community event.
- A "farmers' market" means an association of three or more persons who assemble at a defined location that is open to the public for the purpose of selling products of a farm or garden occupied and cultivated by the person selling the product.
- A community event is defined as an organized event with a defined start and end time in which multiple participating vendors are open to the public. A community event can be approved by the Municipality or applicable government agency to use public spaces, or can be held on private or public property with the consent of the owner or entity.
The cottage food producer who prepared the food product or their employee must be physically present to conduct sales at the booth or stand.
Food that is home-processed and home-canned, like pickles and salsa, cannot be transported across state lines (e.g., a registered Minnesota Cottage Food Producer making product in Wisconsin cannot sell their pickles across the border in Minnesota).
For sales of other homemade food outside of the state (like baked goods), please review those states' laws to ensure the sale of homemade food is allowed.
A registered cottage food producer can sell the food they make from: (1) their home, (2) a farmers' market, and (3) a community event.
- A "farmers' market" means an association of three or more persons who assemble at a defined location that is open to the public for the purpose of selling products of a farm or garden occupied and cultivated by the person selling the product.
- A community event is defined as an organized event with a defined start and end time in which multiple participating vendors are open to the public. A community event can be approved by the Municipality or applicable government agency to use public spaces, or can be held on private or public property with the consent of the owner or entity.
The cottage food producer who prepared the food product or their employee must be physically present to conduct sales at the booth or stand.
Food that is home-processed and home-canned, like pickles and salsa, cannot be transported across state lines (e.g., a registered Minnesota Cottage Food Producer making product in Wisconsin cannot sell their pickles across the border in Minnesota).
For sales of other homemade food outside of the state (like baked goods), please review those states' laws to ensure the sale of homemade food is allowed.
If cottage food intended for humans is ordered by a customer for delivery, the cottage food producer must personally deliver the food to the customer's home or meet the customer in person at another agreed-upon location within Minnesota to deliver the food directly to the customer. This means cottage food intended for humans cannot be shipped or delivered through the mail or a third-party shipping service.
Registered Minnesota cottage food producers may ship cottage pet treats only in the mail or by commercial delivery to the end consumer. Cottage foods intended for humans are not allowed to be shipped in the mail or by commercial delivery.
Please note that the Cottage Food Law does not specifically prohibit shipping pet treats outside of Minnesota; however, the producer is responsible for complying with any applicable laws in states where the products are distributed. You may be required to obtain a feed license, pay tonnage, and/or register the pet treat products if they are found in another state.
If cottage food intended for humans is ordered by a customer for delivery, the cottage food producer must personally deliver the food to the customer's home or meet the customer in person at another agreed-upon location within Minnesota to deliver the food directly to the customer. This means cottage food intended for humans cannot be shipped or delivered through the mail or a third-party shipping service.
Registered Minnesota cottage food producers may ship cottage pet treats only in the mail or by commercial delivery to the end consumer. Cottage foods intended for humans are not allowed to be shipped in the mail or by commercial delivery.
Please note that the Cottage Food Law does not specifically prohibit shipping pet treats outside of Minnesota; however, the producer is responsible for complying with any applicable laws in states where the products are distributed. You may be required to obtain a feed license, pay tonnage, and/or register the pet treat products if they are found in another state.
Cottage food producers can advertise and receive orders over the internet; however, the food must still be provided to the customer in person. The customer can collect the food they ordered by going to the producer's home, picking up the food at a booth or stand at a farmers’ market or community event, or by the producer delivering the food to the customer.
A website for advertising or ordering cottage foods must notify customers that they are purchasing a homemade food, just like the signage requirement at a physical sales location: "These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection." The statement should be in a location highly visible to the customer visiting your cottage food website or page.
Please note that registered Minnesota cottage food producers may ship cottage pet treats in the mail or by commercial delivery to the end consumer. Human cottage foods cannot be shipped. The Cottage Food Law does not specifically prohibit shipping pet treats outside of Minnesota; however the producer is responsible for complying with any applicable laws in states where the products are distributed. You may be required to obtain a feed license, pay tonnage, and/or register the pet treat products if they are found in another state.
Cottage food producers can advertise and receive orders over the internet; however, the food must still be provided to the customer in person. The customer can collect the food they ordered by going to the producer's home, picking up the food at a booth or stand at a farmers’ market or community event, or by the producer delivering the food to the customer.
A website for advertising or ordering cottage foods must notify customers that they are purchasing a homemade food, just like the signage requirement at a physical sales location: "These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection." The statement should be in a location highly visible to the customer visiting your cottage food website or page.
Please note that registered Minnesota cottage food producers may ship cottage pet treats in the mail or by commercial delivery to the end consumer. Human cottage foods cannot be shipped. The Cottage Food Law does not specifically prohibit shipping pet treats outside of Minnesota; however the producer is responsible for complying with any applicable laws in states where the products are distributed. You may be required to obtain a feed license, pay tonnage, and/or register the pet treat products if they are found in another state.
A registered cottage food producer can sell the food they make from: (1) their home, (2) a farmers' market, and (3) a community event.
- A "farmers' market" means an association of three or more persons who assemble at a defined location that is open to the public for the purpose of selling products of a farm or garden occupied and cultivated by the person selling the product.
- A community event is defined as an organized event with a defined start and end time in which multiple participating vendors are open to the public. A community event can be approved by the Municipality or applicable government agency to use public spaces, or can be held on private or public property with the consent of the owner or entity.
The cottage food producer who prepared the food product or their employee must be physically present to conduct sales at the booth or stand.
Food that is home-processed and home-canned, like pickles and salsa, cannot be transported across state lines (e.g., a registered Minnesota Cottage Food Producer making product in Wisconsin cannot sell their pickles across the border in Minnesota).
For sales of other homemade food outside of the state (like baked goods), please review those states' laws to ensure the sale of homemade food is allowed.
If cottage food intended for humans is ordered by a customer for delivery, the cottage food producer must personally deliver the food to the customer's home or meet the customer in person at another agreed-upon location within Minnesota to deliver the food directly to the customer. This means cottage food intended for humans cannot be shipped or delivered through the mail or a third-party shipping service.
Registered Minnesota cottage food producers may ship cottage pet treats only in the mail or by commercial delivery to the end consumer. Cottage foods intended for humans are not allowed to be shipped in the mail or by commercial delivery.
Please note that the Cottage Food Law does not specifically prohibit shipping pet treats outside of Minnesota; however, the producer is responsible for complying with any applicable laws in states where the products are distributed. You may be required to obtain a feed license, pay tonnage, and/or register the pet treat products if they are found in another state.
Cottage food producers can advertise and receive orders over the internet; however, the food must still be provided to the customer in person. The customer can collect the food they ordered by going to the producer's home, picking up the food at a booth or stand at a farmers’ market or community event, or by the producer delivering the food to the customer.
A website for advertising or ordering cottage foods must notify customers that they are purchasing a homemade food, just like the signage requirement at a physical sales location: "These products are homemade and not subject to state inspection." The statement should be in a location highly visible to the customer visiting your cottage food website or page.
Please note that registered Minnesota cottage food producers may ship cottage pet treats in the mail or by commercial delivery to the end consumer. Human cottage foods cannot be shipped. The Cottage Food Law does not specifically prohibit shipping pet treats outside of Minnesota; however the producer is responsible for complying with any applicable laws in states where the products are distributed. You may be required to obtain a feed license, pay tonnage, and/or register the pet treat products if they are found in another state.
Yes. Food made by a registered cottage food producer can be provided through donation to a community event with the purpose of fundraising for an individual or for an educational, charitable, or religious organization. The cottage food producer does not need to be present for the fundraising event.
Only cottage pet treats can be shipped in the mail or by commercial delivery to the end consumer. Cottage foods intended for humans are not allowed to be shipped in the mail or by commercial delivery.
Please note that the Cottage Food Law does not specifically prohibit shipping pet treats outside of Minnesota; however, the producer is responsible for complying with any applicable laws in states where the products are distributed. You may be required to obtain a feed license, pay tonnage, and/or register the pet treat products if they are found in another state.
Yes. Customers must come to your place of residence to pick up products or you, as the producer, must deliver them directly to customers. You may not leave products for customer pick up at a location other than their residence or your residence.
Yes. The cottage food producer or their employee must be physically present during product sale or delivery.
Yes. It is acceptable to sell cottage foods out of any type of structure, as long as the Cottage Food Law is still met (selling approved cottage foods from home, a farmers' market, or community event), and as long as no food preparation is taking place within the structure.
Yes. The cottage food law does not prohibit a producer from bringing bulk containers of qualified products like baked goods to a market or event and packaging per customer order using tongs, deli tissue, or disposable gloves. In addition, dispensing food from bulk containers into packages is different from sampling, so producers who dispense food are not required to meet the food product sampling requirements and restrictions specified in Minnesota Statute 28A.151.
However, cottage food producers do need to protect their food from sources of contamination to prevent adulteration according to Minnesota Statute 31.02, Prohibited Acts. Therefore, access to a handwashing station is necessary to prevent contamination from hands while working with unpackaged, ready-to-eat food. Bare hand contact is not allowed, and hand sanitizer is not a substitution for handwashing. A producer can either supply their own handwashing station (like in the image below) or work with market managers to provide convenient, timely access to a handwashing station as needed. The food also needs to be protected while available for sale, such as in an enclosed display case or other type of covered container.
Labels that meet cottage food law requirements still need to be provided with food items given to customers. Labels can be applied to packages or containers prior to going to market, or provided at the time of dispensing the food by attaching them to packages or containers or handing them to the customer.
No, cottage foods cannot be sold from a retail location or store, even if you are present or have set up a separate table (e.g., a "pop up"). The only exception is if a farmers' market or community event is taking place at the retail location. The event must meet the definition of farmers' market or community event.
Yes. Food made by a registered cottage food producer can be provided through donation to a community event with the purpose of fundraising for an individual or for an educational, charitable, or religious organization. The cottage food producer does not need to be present for the fundraising event.
