What is a Cottage Food Producer?

What is a Cottage Food Producer?
Cottage food laws allow for licensed producers to make low risk foods using household appliances in a clean facility but not necessarily a licensed kitchen. The foods they make are considered homemade and therefore not subject to state inspection. This allows for talented cooks, bakers, candy makers etc to run a small scale business making small batches of safe foods without the large expense of a commercial kitchen. You will find most of our cottage food producers at local farmers markets, craft shows, and festivals when the weather allows. 

What rules do they have to follow for safe food preparation?

Cottage Food Producers follow all the same regulations as major food producers but they are limited to what they can make and they must personally deliver/sell their products themselves.