Venturing into value-added food products can help increase farm business profitability. However, it can also increase the number of rules and regulations you have to comply with. Check out our free resource, Value-added Product Legal Basics, for quick guidance on some of the most commonly asked questions about value-added considerations, from a legal lens. Because value-added good production is not farming (although it is related!), farmers and ranchers will want to research their zoning code to see what the code has to say about building a food processing facility or converting a barn into a kitchen on the farm. For guidance on (a) how to research your zoning code and (b) how to move forward concerning a zoning code challenge, read Strategies for Navigating Zoning Codes and Challenges.
If your starting point is, “What can I do without getting any additional permits or licenses?” read Value-Added and Agritourism Without a License Basics, our short guide on no-permit-needed activities. Although this guide has information specific to Minnesota and Wisconsin, the framework is similar to what farmers in any state may find.
If you are or plan to be a botanical producer, be sure to read the Farmers’ Legal Guide to Botanical Products which covers how to market, label, and safely prepare specialty crop botanical value-added products like teas, tinctures, syrups, oxymels, hydrosols, and salves.
If you are looking for more comprehensive information about the potential legal implications of adding value-added to your farm product repertoire, read our 26pg. print guide, Farmers’ Legal Guide to Value-Added Products. If listening or watching while you work is more your jam, check out our recorded webinar (1hr. 41min.), Add Value, Not Legal Liability.
