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  • From: "William Barry" <unclebil AT bright.net>
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Value added
  • Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 10:18:00 -0500


Beth and all

Be careful. Robert is telling you about his state. Your state regulations
may be different. In Ohio, where we have our cannery and do jams, jellies,
pickles, relishes, sauces, salsas, et. al., we are required to follow all
FDA regulations. (Even for jams & jellies alone.)

1. The kitchen must be outside the house. In a separate building or have
access only from the outside. (Federal regulations require a search warrant
to enter a home; not to enter a business ..that's the reason)

2. Your kitchen must meet minimum standards...including running water,
adequate sewage, adequate lighting. etc.

3. In Ohio and Michigan (we took classes with Michiganders doing jams &
jellies only), you must take BPCS course. (That's Better Processing
Control School.) It is given at all land-grant colleges in the U.S. at
least once a year (You can check their schedule and take it at any
university...Ours cost my husband and I $900 total plus a weeks stay in a
motel and meals)...And you must pass the basic sections.

4.Relishes, as well as pickles and some sauces, fall into the "Acidified Low
Acid" category. That's FDA regulations and filing with them. So you
definitely must have minimum building and schooling requirements.

Robert is right about checking with your Food Safety Department; or you can
go on line and check out federal regulations and state regulations as we
did when our state "forgot" to get the information to us.

One thing you may find as we did, most will tell you that you can not do
this on the farm. If you are determined enough and read the laws, you can.
But you will meet obstacles along the way; just know what is the law and you
can get through it.


Bill & Linda Barry
Barry Farm
http://www.barryfarm.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Farr" <rbfarr AT erols.com>
To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 9:33 AM
Subject: Re: Value added


> Beth and All:
>
> A "commercial kitchen" is easy. Just work with your state dept. of Food
> Safety. Fortunately, I bought a place with two kitchens, so it was easy
> to get started. But I have a friend in VA (where I am, too) who only
> has one kitchen (though his 40-gal. cooker is in a converted garage, his
> only source of water and clean-up is in the family kitchen).
>
> I just had to do a couple things - separate utensils, a separate fridge,
> design a process flow, tell them how I sterilized things.
>
> Jams and jellies are not regulated under the Federal Code of Food
> Regulations (CFR). You do need to have a certified kitchen, but don't
> need to take a class. We had to take an acidfied foods course, costing
> nearly $1,000. Relishes are another thing; talk to your state land
> grant univ., as they should have a Food Safety dept. and can guide you
> through certification.
>
> I haven't make any money speaking, so can't help you there! I continue
> to offer it as an option, but no one has taken me up on it. I spoke
> most recently (for free) at the Va. Garlic Festival, and so upset the
> fellow running the stage by talking about the evils of agri-business and
> the positives of organics, that I was uninvited for the next day's
> talk! Proof, I believe, that the message is strong. I talked to lots
> of folks afterwards who heartily agreed with the message. What an honor
> to be asked not to appear! And I made more sales at my booth, too -
> wasn't gone for 30 mins. Ah.
>
> Let me know if you have more questions on the kitchen -
>
> --
> Robert Farr
> (540) 668-7160
> Check out http://www.chileman.com
> for ALL Natural Cooking & Grilling Sauces!
>
>
>
> ---
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