This ain’t no bake sale: the daring and delicious realities of West Virginia's cottage food leaders

Fri, 21 May 2021 01:34:16 GMT

Watercolor cookies, moonshine ganache, fresh-baked zucchini bread- what’s not to love? Until recently, West Virginian home chefs and bakers were restricted to sell their goods only at farmers markets. The Cottage Food Law changed the game in 2019. National media was talking about West Virginia's new law as one of the most progressive in the nation. Not many people knew that purchasing an apple pie, or any baked good, from a neighbor was illegal before this piece of legislation passed. Despite its enactment, the average person is still unaware of this home industry and how it's transforming and democratizing culinary entrepreneurship.

Cottage food has been a savior of West Virginian households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers could stay home with their kids while generating an income, and workers who were laid off could support their families. In this podcast, we’ll sit down with the industrious home chefs who are considered "cottage producers." We’ll let them describe a day in the life and what they make, from hot cocoa bombs to marble cakes. We'll hear how it went down in 2019 from someone who lobbied for the Cottage Food Law. The stigma and uncertainty around homemade food will be broken down, as cottage producers face steep challenges like skepticism surrounding food from a home kitchen.

Lastly, we'll find out how you could transform a cooking hobby into a profitable, flexible career. Or if you’d prefer to support cottage producers by eating, we’ll learn where to find them and how to respectfully interact. Remember, this ain’t no bake sale!

Resources:

WV Farmers Market Vendor Guide

Homemade in West Virginia (cottage food guide by the Institute for Justice)