Cottage Industry Act

Okay, so what little I could glean (guess I'm going to have go deeper by *gasp* going to the library) it's a new Florida law that lets people who want to sell "safe" foods like jam, cakes, or cookies, have to go through less licensing rigamarole in order to go into business - they cannot make more than 15k/yr with this enterprise, however.  


At first I thought this would open up Florida markets to have above-ground dairy and meat producers on a micro-scale, like the Glades Ridge Goat Dairy (I so love their chèvre), who are forced to sell their items for pet food.  But, I don't think goat chèvre counts as a low-risk food (children, can you say "listeria?").  


On the other hand, this new legislation might end up becoming a trap for these Florida producers of dairy and meats since this law is so specific; this is just an initial thought and I don't have much to base it on, but authorities might use the Cottage Industry Act to distinguish between "legitimate" cottage food businesses, and those businesses they perceive as skirting the law through the pet food loophole.  It could be a blow to the Florida small farming community, and especially during these dire economic straits our state finds itself in these days.


Got the photo from Homestead Revival blog post, "Does canning jam really save money?"