In 2011, the Florida Legislature enacted House bill 7209 allowing individuals to make and sell certain food items from their home. According to the Florida Division of Food Safety, these “cottage food operations” do not require a license from the state of Florida and include items such as breads, cakes, jams, jellies, and fruit pies. Individuals cannot make more than $15,000 in sales per year and must sell directly to the consumer.
What if you produce foods outside of the parameters of the Cottage Food Law? Then you probably need to check out a certified commercial kitchen. Blue Oven Kitchens is a local non-profit kitchen incubator that “provides access to inspected, commercial kitchen space while also providing business support services.” They are currently fundraising to build a rental space and host a handy Facilities & Referral Service. Their resources page lists information for food entrepreneurs including workshops, training, general information, and includes links to the IFAS Food Safety and Quality Program.
Need some foodie-turned-entrepreneur inspiration? Check out 7 Women Who Turned Their Passion for Food into a Career, or Food Trucks 101: How to Start a Mobile Food Business and these Food Business Ideas from Entrepreneur Magazine.
The Alachua County Library District provides access to the Business Plans Handbook through the Gale Virtual Reference database. Search within the Business Plans Handbook for “food” to see many sample plans for ideas.
Recommended business reads:
Sell Your Specialty Food: Market, Distribute, and Profit from Your Kitchen Creation by Stephen F.Hall
Start & Run a Home-Based Food Business by Mimi Shotland Fix
Fun reads:
Chew by John Layman: A graphic novel series in which a detective gets psychic impressions from everything he eats.
Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front by local foods pioneer Joe Salatin.
System status
A new library system and online catalog will debut on May 30. Here's the current status of:
- Checkouts: Continue as usual, but May 24-29 you must have your physical library card in hand to check out materials.
- Due dates: All checkouts will have a due date of June 22, except DVDs and GRU watt meters, which still have 7-day limit.
- Holds and requests: New holds and purchase requests cannot be placed until May 30, but those placed previously will continue to be processed and will carry over to the new system.
- Returns: Please "Babysit Our Books" — keep them until the new system is running smoothly (mid-June).
- Registration: Continues as usual today, but cannot be done May 24-29, as our entire system will be down.
- Interlibrary loan: No new ILL requests can be placed May 24-29.
- Digital checkouts: OverDrive checkouts and holds will work normally throughout the transition.
- My Discoveries: Will be retired with the AquaBrowser catalog on May 24. Please retrieve any saved book lists before then.
- Website: The Library District website (www.aclib.us) will be up as normal throughout the transition.
- My Account: Account info will be available through May 24. Your account will appear on the new system on May 30.
- Bill payment: All payments including PayPal are working today. No payments can be accepted May 24-29
- New catalog: Watch for its debut on May 30, with new features.
More about the transition.
More about the new online catalog.
Have any questions? Please Ask Us!
