- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
A little more than a year ago, a California law went into effect that gave small farmers and even home gardeners a new opportunity to sell value-added products. The California Homemade Food Act permits individuals to produce certain foods in home kitchens to sell in limited quantities to the public.
That sounds simple, but like most laws, there are plenty of caveats. The legislation has stipulations about the types of foods allowable, registration, permits and labeling requirements. UC Cooperative Extension has been helping farmers and home gardeners who produce fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, and honey take advantage of the new opportunity at workshops...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Falling milk prices and rising production costs have prompted some California family dairies to augment their income by marketing handmade, artisan cheese, reported Ben Wortham in the Wall Street Journal.
Wortham cited the UC Cooperative Extension publication Coming of Age: The Status of North Bay Artisan Cheesemaking, written by UCCE community development advisor Ellie Rilla and published earlier this year. Of the 22 artisan cheese producers in Marin and Sonoma counties in 2010, 10 were dairy farms that use their...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The development of an artisan cheesemaking industry in Sonoma and Marin counties is enhancing the ambience of agriculture in the picturesque rural community, according to Stephanie Larson, the director of UC Cooperative Extension in Sonoma County.
She made the comment in an article that ran over the weekend in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat about dairies adding value to their product by creating gourmet cheeses. Much of the data shared in the story came from a report developed by UCCE community development advisor
