Frequently Asked Questions

Lard is an animal product and would require a food license to be rendered and sold. The rendering would need to take place in a commercial kitchen and you must have a license with MDARD at that kitchen to process and sell the product.

No, simple syrups are not eligible to be sold under Michigan Cottage Food Law.

Simple syrups are considered Time/Temperature Controlled for Safety (TCS) because there are so many variables in the product that they can’t all be classified under one consistently safe standard.  If you want to see if your products are not TCS, we recommend reaching out to the MSU Product Center for consulting.

Tinctures are substances made by dissolving a product, such as an herb, into alcohol and designed to be ingested. This is similar to a flavoring extract, such as vanilla, but tinctures typically advertise health claims and information about the dose to be consumed directly. Tinctures are not allowed to be sold under Michigan Cottage Food Law.

If you make any health claims or offer dosage information, the product may be considered a dietary supplement.

According to MDARD, “Dietary supplements are products such as vitamins, minerals, and herbs that claim to promote wellness. Dietary supplements are classified as food in the Michigan Food Law. That means firms must obtain a food establishment license in order to manufacture, hold, pack, label, distribute, or sell dietary supplement products.”

No license is needed to sell extracts for flavoring, and they are eligible to be sold under Michigan Cottage Food Law.

Please note that flavoring extracts are different than tinctures, which have different requirements.

No, no license is required to sell cut flowers from perennial or annual plants.

A Wild Mushroom Expert Certification is required, and the sale of wild foraged mushrooms is regulated by the MDARD Food and Dairy Division.

No. Cottage Food Law applies to human grade food only for human consumption. Dog treats and pet feed require a Commercial Feed License to be sold. Once licensed, they must also comply with labeling and other requirements.

Pulling items out of a display case and putting them into an individual package is an act of packaging. Cottage Food vendors are expected to do all packaging in their home kitchens.

Licensed vendors, depending upon their license, may be able to do some packaging on-site as an extension of their licensed facility.

It depends on the size of your operation.

Producers with less than 3,000 hens are license exempt under the Michigan Food Law. Producers must be selling eggs of their own production direct to consumer and comply with labeling and other requirements.

Producers with over 3,000 hens require a Retail Food Establishment License.

No. All beverages, including fruit and vegetable juices, kombucha, and tea require licensure and are not allowable to be sold under Michigan Cottage Food Law.

Roasted coffee beans and ground roasted coffee prepared in the vendor’s home kitchen are allowable to be sold under Michigan Cottage Food Law, but cannot be prepared into a drinkable form and sold by the vendor.

Yes, some CBD and hemp products are legal to sell at the farmers market.

Hulled hemp seed, hemp seed protein powder, and hemp seed oil are legal to sell at Michigan farmers markets and do not require licensure. These products are generally recognized as safe and do not require licensure to sell on their own. When added to a food product, the final product may require licensure.

Smokeable hemp flower is legal to sell at Michigan farmers markets and requires a Processor-Handler license. 

Topical CBD products, such as lotions or soaps, are legal to sell at Michigan farmers markets and require a Processor-Handler license. 

Products including smokeable marijuana flower, CBD and marijuana edibles, CBD pet treats, growable marijuana seeds, starts, and plants, and viable hemp hemp seeds, starts, and plants are not legal to buy or sell at farmers markets.