The Homegrown Vendor Blog

A popcorn seasoning kit built from dry, shelf-stable flavor blends is cottage-food eligible in most states, since dried seasonings and popcorn are both approved. The one rule: keep it all dry. Here's

A layered cookie or brownie mix in a jar is dry, shelf-stable, and one of the most explicitly approved cottage food categories, making it one of the safest home food products to sell. Here's why it's

Plain naan, roti, and dry-spiced flatbreads are baked breads, so they're cottage-food eligible in nearly every state. The line is toppings: cheese-stuffed and fresh-garlic-oil naan cross into perishab

A rum cake is a shelf-stable baked good, so it's cottage-food eligible in many states, but the alcohol is a special case: baking doesn't cook it all off, and some states restrict it. Here's how to sel

Fresh-fried pakoras are ready-to-eat, perishable food, so cottage food law almost never covers them. Here's the licensed and MEHKO path for selling fresh pakoras, plus the shelf-stable dry-mix and spi

Shelf-stable ladoo, dry barfi, and chikki are cottage-food eligible confections. Milk-based mithai is perishable and needs a licensed kitchen. Here's how to sell Indian sweets from home and build on t

GrownBy's 2% transaction fee and farm-only focus don't fit every vendor. Compare Homegrown, Barn2Door, Square Online, and more for your local food business.

How to run a "bring a friend" day at the farmers market to grow your list: why it works, how to plan and promote it, capturing new contacts, and converting visitors.

How to get more Google reviews with a QR code table tent: why reviews matter, how to make and place the tent, how to ask well, and the rules for honest reviews.