January 3, 2023

Media Contact:

Chase Cook, Acting Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-8649

Maryland Department of Health announces free Virtual Cottage Food Business workshop

Online training will provide industry guideline updates and tips to start and grow a business

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today announced a free virtual Cottage Food workshop, to be held in partnership with the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC), on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 

This free, online event will provide an overview of Maryland’s cottage food law and regulations. Participants will become familiar with the definition of a cottage food business and the types of products that can be sold, cottage food labeling requirements, how to request a Unique Identification Number (used instead of a business address), and how to sell products at a retail food store. The workshop will also explore the steps for growing a cottage food business.

Established cottage food businesses, farmers market managers, farm vendors (on-farm stores and stands), retail food stores and anyone who is thinking about starting a home-based food business are encouraged to participate to hear the latest cottage food business guidelines.

Participants will learn from pre-and-post tests of frequently asked questions illustrated with situational examples, and receive information needed to operate a home-based cottage food business in Maryland.

The Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) defines a cottage food business as a home-based business that produces or packages food products in a residential kitchen and has annual revenues from the sale of cottage food products in an amount not exceeding $50,000. 

For more information and to register for the workshop visit www.SMADC.com. Workshop presentation materials and links to the latest MDH cottage food guidelines will be available to view and download. Or register at EventBrite. 

This workshop is made possible by MDH’s Office of Food Protection, in partnership with SMADC, a division of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland.

For information about SMADC and the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, visit www.SMADC.com.

For more information about Maryland’s cottage food industry, visit MDH’s Office of Food Protection.

Virtual Cottage Food Workshop, presented by Maryland Department of Health in partnership with SMADC. February 7, 2023, 9:00-10:30 a.m. Register at EventBrite. 

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The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management, and community engagement.