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Old December 26, 2016   #25
greenthumbomaha
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Omaha Zone 5
Posts: 2,514
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First step is to call your local health department and see what the local regulations are for a food preparation area known as a commercial kitchen. If you were here you would need a separate entrance, fire hood, commercial heating, cooling, and cleaning equipment. You'd need covers on your lights. No animals would be permitted in the area.
An option would be to rent space in a church kitchen or restaurant.
Some areas are not as strict.

Next step is to call your extension office to see what food processing and handling requirements are. They offer several classes on the cheap and tons of literature.

Then call the SBA and get a mentor to see how to structure your business and obtain insurance.

Sounds like a lot of red tape but local food gets bigger every year.

As an example, a local salsa is made in a bakery one weekend afternoon per week. The salsa is delivered in picnic style coolers to our local chain supermarkets and always sells out. People will pay for fresh.

Local barbeque sauces come in to the grocery too. That is tricky getting people to buy it over cheap bottled stuff on the same shelf.

Then its off to Shark Tank and HSN.

Please take those first informational steps. We are all cheering for you!

-Lisa
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