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Minnesota Farmers' Market Association 


The MN Cottage Foods Law (Minnesota Statute 28A.152) was first passed in 2015, allowing for "non-potentially hazardous foods" (baked foods; certain pickled or canned foods; jams, jellies, etc.) to be made in your home kitchen without a license, as long as the cottage food producer (CFP) successfully completes the mandated food safety training and registers with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Prior to the 2015 CFL, was the 'Bread Bill,' and then the 'Pickle Bill.' The CFL has been amended a few times since 2015, the latest in 2025; those changes do not go into effect until August 1, 2027. 

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Feel free to read and download our cottage foods manual. It covers the following topics:

  • The cottage food laws for human foods and pet treats
  • What cottage foods are and are not
  • How to test for pH and Aw
  • Labeling requirements for human foods and pet treats
  • Hemp and cannabis in cottage foods
  • Food testing labs
  • Beyond cottage foods - buying a license
  • Cottage foods vs. product of the farm
  • Sales tax
  • Product liability insurance
  • SNAP eligibility and cottage foods
  • Food safety
  • Registering with MDA
  • Resources
    • Food sampling
    • CFP Facebook Group
    • MDA
    • UMN Extension
    • AURI










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Cottage food producers - check out the master foods list for the 1000s of foods that are eligible as cottage foods in MN. Don't see the food you want to make? Email us and ask us to research it: info@mfma.org.  


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Click here to copy and download your own copy of the Food Sampling Worksheet.

Testing cottage foods for pH

Testing cottage foods for Aw




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Free Cottage Food Classes 

Register here for MFMA's free Cottage Foods Training classes, all via zoom. You will learn the legal requirements & more, take the text, and complete the application.

October 5, Sunday, 2-4pm

October 18, Saturday, 10am-12pm

October 22, Wednesday, 530-730pm

November 10, Monday, 530-730pm

November 15, Saturday, 2-4pm

November 17, Monday, 1-3pm

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Join other Minnesota cottage foods producers and farmers' market managers to ask Extension educators about food safety, safe food handling practices, and questions about allowable and not allowable foods.

The first 15 - 20 minutes will be on a topic of the month, the remaining time will be devoted to your questions. Want to submit a question in advance? email exfdsafe@umn.edu.

The Monday sessions are from 5-6pm, the Tuesday sessions are 11:30am-12:30pm.


Click here to sign up for the Cottage Food Safety News from UMN Extension.















MFMA provides services, programs, and leadership that support and promote farmers' markets across Minnesota and our Tribal Nations.

We envision a community of vibrant, profitable, and professionally managed Minnesota farmers’ markets that:

                    • Cultivates, nourishes, and inspires a vibrant local foods community;
                    • Provides accessibility to all to local farm fresh foods;
                    • Allows local food producers to thrive and grow;
                    • Ensures these opportunities are available to everyone regardless of ethnicity, age, gender identity, or economic standing.

Director of Government Affairs: Friendly Vang-Johnson /// friendly@mfma.org /// (206) 276-2284

Director of Engagement & Inclusion: Sina War /// sina@mfma.org /// 

Executive Director: Kathy Zeman /// kzeman@mfma.org /// (507) 664-9446 


Minnesota Farmers' Market Association | 9800 155th St E | Nerstrand MN 55053-2403


         

Copyright MFMA 2025


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