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  • From: "Brigette Leach" <avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>, "Alliums" <garlicgrower AT earthlink.net>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] Re: commercial kitchen
  • Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 12:18:38 -0500


Dorene wrote:

Your church either doesn't want to bother with renters or the laws in your
> state are much different than in Pennsylvania -- our church will rent out
> kitchen out to anyone who asks -- we have a set policy on renting out all
> the different rooms in the church (except the sanctuary). As far as I
> know, this is normal in PA -- being a 501c3 doesn't mean you can't charge
> rent and MANY organizations around here do so.
>
> Unfortunately, PA also makes you use a commercial kitchen for any food
> being sold to the public -- supposedly, this was to drive the small folks
> who were using their own kitchens to bake wedding cakes, cookies for
> speciality shops, etc out of business so that large baking corporations
> wouldn't have any competition.
>


Mary and Dorene,

It is very simple to make a "donation" to the church for using their
kitchen, then the issue of charging is mute. It sounds to me like your
church has had a bad experience with rentals in the past and hopes not to
repeat the problems. Just because it's a church kitchen doesn't mean that
all users will treat the facility well or clean up properly afterward.
Maybe liability is also a consideration for them since not all insurance
coverage is the same. Considering what it takes to get a kitchen approved
and keep it licensed in our county, it is asking a lot for volunteers to
monitor and assure that standards are met.

As far as the state wanting to shut down home kitchens in favor of large
baking corporations, I think it is more likely a concern with the
cleanliness and food handling practices in many home kitchens. Let's face
it, not all home kitchens are clean! Trust me, I've been in several in our
area that I wouldn't eat food from. Still, I am well aware that the laws
continue to be skirted and home kitchens used. Even samples for our farm
market have to be prepared in a licensed kitchen, and then an inspector
from the county makes regular visits to the market. Yes, our county is
tough on all food related enterprises and it can be a pain, but the upside
is that we very seldom hear reports of food poisoning.

I do have questions for the list pertaining to setting up kitchens. For
those of you who have experience with them, what would you consider to be
basic equipment needed, and could you share good resources for finding used
and reasonably priced equipment? What problems have been encountered in
becoming licensed and keeping the license? Has including prepared foods in
your product mix substantially impacted on the cost of liability insurance?

Brigette


> [Original Message]
> From: Alliums <garlicgrower AT earthlink.net>
> To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: 12/17/2003 11:23:53 AM
> Subject: [Market-farming] Re: commercial kitchen
>
> Mary wrote:
>
>
>
> >Churches may not be able to rent you their kitchen (they may or may not
be
> >able to just let you use it?) as they are non-profit organizations and
> >cannot take in money for renting out the kitchen. so either it would
have
> >to be free use, or it wouldn't happen. Is what our church said when we
> >kind of looking into using the kitchen..and boy is it a nice one!!
>
>
> Your church either doesn't want to bother with renters or the laws in
your
> state are much different than in Pennsylvania -- our church will rent out
> kitchen out to anyone who asks -- we have a set policy on renting out all
> the different rooms in the church (except the sanctuary). As far as I
> know, this is normal in PA -- being a 501c3 doesn't mean you can't charge
> rent and MANY organizations around here do so.
>
> Unfortunately, PA also makes you use a commercial kitchen for any food
> being sold to the public -- supposedly, this was to drive the small folks
> who were using their own kitchens to bake wedding cakes, cookies for
> speciality shops, etc out of business so that large baking corporations
> wouldn't have any competition.
>
>
>
> Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
> St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden
>
> A mission of
> St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA
19460
>
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>
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--- Brigette Leach
--- avalonfarmshomegrown AT earthlink.net
--- EarthLink: The #1 provider of the Real Internet.







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