Beech Tree News Network

Do you grow a large garden or have fruit trees or vines? Would you like to increase your income? Then this may be for you: value added to your products. An example: a bushel of tomatoes may sell for $20 at the farmers market, if you made salsa (more labor and some addition ingredients and supply cost) the salsa may sell for $100.
Signed into law in 2003, Kentucky House Bill 391 creates some exceptions to food manufacturing requirements. Kentucky farmers may sell home-based products at certified Farmers Markets and from their farm if a primary or predominant ingredient was grown, harvested and processed by the farmer.
 
• Home based processor, only requires an application form be filed with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services. This allows selling of low risk foods such as mixed greens; dried fruits and vegetables; jam, jelly preserves and sorghum; and bread, cake, pies and cookies that contain a food grown by the processor.
• Home-based microprocessor certification has more requirements and allows additional products to be sold. These products include salsa, barbecue sauce, herbal vinegars, pickled fruits and vegetables and pressure canned vegetables. The main food ingredient must also be grown, harvested and processed by the farmer. Recipes must be approved at a $5 cost per recipe, must have an approved water source and product labels must contain certain information. The application cost $50.

The University of Kentucky Home-based microprocessor workshop, cost $50, will be in Hart County on Saturday March 3 at the Hart County Extension Office, Munfordville. This is the first time the class has been held in Hart County. Call Pat Margolis, Hart County Family & Consumer Science Agent, at 270-524-2451 for more information or contact the Butler County Extension Office at 113 East G L Smith Street, Morgantown or call 526-3767. Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.