Cottage food rules
Michigan Cottage Food Law Online Training
The training is optional, so here is what it covers and how to sign up.
On this page
What to remember
- MSU Extension runs the online Michigan Cottage Food Law training.
- The course covers safe food production, packaging, and labeling.
- It is a MDARD funded program.
- Michigan does not require a food handler card, a food safety certificate, a registration, or a license to operate.
- Operators who qualify under the exemptions are exempt from a food establishment license under the Food Code.
If you bake at home in Michigan and sell at a farmers market or farm market, the exemptions in the state Food Law are what make it possible. The training exists to help you do it safely. This guide covers what is inside the course, who it is for, and how to sign up. When you are ready to sort out your packages, our guide to Michigan cottage food law label requirements goes line by line.
What the online course covers
MSU Extension describes the course as training for people who want to prepare and sell foods under the Michigan Cottage Food exemptions. Because it is a MDARD funded program, the material leans hard on food safety: safe food production, packaging, and labeling. The course also reviews important food safety practices for preparing and selling those foods, which is the part that matters most on a busy market morning with a line at your table.
MSU Extension also offers optional free food safety training for Michigan cottage food operators, so if you want more practice beyond the online course, there is somewhere to go.
Do you have to take it
No. Michigan’s Cottage Food Law does not require a food handler card, a food safety certificate, a registration, or a license to operate. Operators who qualify under the Food Law cottage food exemptions are exempt from obtaining a food establishment license under the Food Code. So the online training is something you choose, not a permit you have to show anyone. Plenty of bakers take it anyway, because a customer asking how you handle your kitchen is easier to answer when you have actually learned the answers.
How to sign up
Find the course page
Start at the MSU Extension online Michigan Cottage Food Law page so you register for the right course and not a lookalike.
Create an account
You need an account on the site before you can enroll, so set one up first.
Sign in with your email and password
Use the email and password you just chose to sign in to the course site.
Complete the registration process
Finish the registration to hold your place on the course.
Read up on the exemptions while you wait
Look over the state cottage food pages so you know which foods the exemptions cover and where you can sell them: directly to customers at farmers markets and farm markets.
After the training: labels and selling
The labeling section of the course is the one you will use every single week. Every package you hand over carries your name, so get the wording right once and reuse it. Our Michigan cottage food label example shows a filled in label you can copy, and the label requirements guide explains each line so you are not guessing.
Selling is the other half of it. Michigan’s exemptions cover selling directly to customers at farmers markets and farm markets, so build your week around those days, keep your order list tight, and know your numbers before you set a price.
Try the free bake pricing calculator
Free, no signup.
If you would rather have orders, recipes, and costing in one spot, it is worth comparing a few options before you commit. Our home bakery app roundup looks at what each one actually does for a baker working from her own kitchen.
Common questions
Is the Michigan cottage food training required?
No. Michigan's Cottage Food Law does not require a food handler card, a food safety certificate, a registration, or a license to operate, so the MSU Extension course is optional.
Who runs the online training?
MSU Extension runs the online Michigan Cottage Food Law training, and it is a MDARD funded program.
What does the course teach?
Safe food production, packaging, and labeling under the cottage food exemptions, plus important food safety practices for preparing and selling those foods.
Do I need a license to sell cottage food in Michigan?
Operators who qualify under the Food Law cottage food exemptions are exempt from obtaining a food establishment license under the Food Code.
How do I register for the online course?
Create an account, sign in with your email and password, and complete the registration process.
Where can I sell what I make?
Michigan's cottage food exemptions allow small scale operations to produce some low risk foods in their home kitchens and sell directly to customers at farmers markets and farm markets.
Sources
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change, so confirm the current requirements with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development before you sell.