So you want to start your very own business selling homemade food in West Virginia? That’s great news because selling homemade food or “cottage food” in the Mountain State is much easier thanks to a new law. As of June 5, 2019, you can sell your goods directly from homes, take online orders, and even sell them at retail shops!
It hasn’t always been this easy. Prior to reform, you could only sell at seasonal farmers’ markets and sporadic community events. But because of the efforts of over 250 cottage food producers from around the state, the Institute for Justice, and the state’s Department of Agriculture, S.B. 285 passed with wide, bipartisan support.
This simple reform makes a big difference! A home-based food business is a great way for entrepreneurs like you, who have big dreams but little capital, to get started small, without having to spend thousands of dollars on a commercial kitchen space. Customers also love buying these local foods from members of their community.