# Who needs a commercial kitchen?



## timg (Oct 21, 2001)

You dont need a commercial kitchen as long as you place "HOME PRODUCED" somewhere on the lable. More importantly visit www.fda.gov Let me know if you have any questions.



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Tim Gifford
www.happbeehoney.net


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

A lady from Kansas came and spoke at a Value Added workshop here in Nebraska. I got the impression that the laws in Kansas are more strict and more strictly enforced than Nebraska. For instance, she was saying you have to have a scale that is certified by the Dept. of Agriculture at your Farmers market booth and other requirements. I didn't take that good of notes on it, since I don't live in Kansas.







I don't remember what the requirments were for having a commercial kitchen.


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

You really need to find out what your individual state requires. Here,(Pa.) its considered farm produce and can be sold at the farm "roadside" with little requirements. But it takes on another set of requirements the moment you place it in a market offsite of the farm.

From time to time, these type of discussions are raised on this site, and everyone says something different. The best advice is contact your state agriculture dept. and find out for sure.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2004)

> You dont need a commercial kitchen as long 
> as you place "HOME PRODUCED" somewhere on 
> the label. More importantly visit 
> www.fda.gov Let me know if you have any 
> questions.

That's interesting... is this true for ALL
states? Can you provide a source for this
"rule", if it is a rule?

I'm tried of dealing with the 
Virginia food inspection folks, as they
seem to feel that they are not doing their
jobs if they don't point out SOMETHING that
needs to be done, and I have a honey house
that is 100% ceramic tile, stainless steel,
and enameled sinks/countertops. In other
words, one could do brain surgery in there.
(It started as a dariy farm creamery in the 
1940s, so it was designed to be sanitary as
heck from the get-go.)

Last time, they expressed concern about 
the dust cover for the extractor, which
is a large brand-new clear plastic painter's 
drop cloth that is wrapped around the
extractor and duct-taped to seal it tight.
I have no plan to "improve" this, as it is
rare to see ANY dust-cover on an extractor.


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## Hillbillynursery (Nov 13, 2003)

MB and all, the registered scale is a must any more even at a farm roadside stand in TN. That is why most farmers use a scale to get a basket size(to get an idea of weight per basket as no scale unless tested beforehand by the state can be kept at the place of sale) and sell produce by the basket. The beekeepers I know that sell at farmers markets sell honey by the the jar. No weight is mentioned. If you call your jars by weight like one pound jars you have to break this habit as it can really cost you. Just call them small medium and large, or like bear(for the bear one) just a desciption of size or shape of jar. One local beekeeper was fined for calling them by size in pounds and his weights being off. For selling in stores you need each jar marked with weight so for this you need the scale that is tested atleast yearly by the state. Keep in mind this is TN laws as I have been looking into them because we raise produce and I hope to be selling honey next year.


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## Beemaninsa (Jun 9, 2004)

Terri, I suggest you contact the Kansas Department of Health or at least your State Beekeeping Association. Different states have different laws and apparently different enforcement guidelines. Good Luck.


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