Homemade Texas

05/29/2026

Can I advertise my cottage food business?

Yes. Texas cottage food producers have the same basic First Amendment rights as any other business owner. You can advertise your products online, on social media, with signs, flyers, business cards, websites, and more.

The main limitation is that health and nutrition claims must comply with federal regulations. So “best cookies in Texas”? Fine. “Cures diabetes”? Absolutely not. 😅

There are a LOT of myths floating around about what cottage food producers “can’t” say or post. Don’t let misinformation scare you away from marketing your business professionally and confidently.

05/27/2026

I’ve been working in the Texas cottage food world for more than 15 years, and honestly, one thing has become very clear since launching the Verified Seller program:

Correct labeling is a MUCH bigger problem than I realized.

Not because people are lazy or careless. Most producers are genuinely trying to do the right thing. But allergen disclosures, the statement of non-inspection, safe handling instructions, dates, batch numbers… it gets confusing fast.

So over the coming weeks and months, you can expect a LOT more label education content from Homemade Texas. We’re going to break this stuff down into simple, practical information that Texas producers can actually use.

In the meantime, don’t forget that Homemade Texas already offers several FREE labeling resources to help you get started:

✅ Free Label Creator Wizard https://homemadetexas.org/label-wizard/
✅ Free Canva label templates (links on the wizard page above)
✅ Labeling articles and FAQs https://texascottagefoodlaw.com/labels/
✅ Educational content across our pages and videos

Because good labels are not just about dotting your i's and crossing your t's. They build customer trust, professionalism, and confidence in your business.

And based on what I’m seeing… this is an area where our community really needs support. ❤️

And as always, if you'd like an extra level of support, we'd love you to become a part of our Verified Seller community: https://homemadetexas.org/become-a-verified-seller/

Find local food near you: https://homemadetexas.org/verified-sellers/

05/26/2026

NO BAKERS?! 😱

We took a little road trip to Aggieland this weekend and made a detour to the Aggieland Farmer’s Market.

And y’all… this was a first for me.

I only found ONE cottage baker and they were already SOLD OUT by the time we arrived. 😂

But the trip was still worth it. I visited with a cottage food producer making seasoned oils for cooking and dipping, and met Sweet Richard, a farmer with more peppers than willing recipients.

Richard proudly told me he only pickles peppers the way his grandmother taught him, with white distilled vinegar. He also told me his neighbors had started locking their car doors… apparently to prevent surprise pepper deliveries. 🌶️🤣

My favorite part though? Richard said he was proud the cottage food law passed because otherwise he’d have been throwing peppers away.

These are the kinds of stories I love finding on Texas road trips. ❤️

05/22/2026

I get asked about iced coffee ALL the time.

So let's talk about… the forbidden ice. ☕🧊

05/21/2026

It’s tonight! 🤠

Our monthly Homemade Texas Q&A is happening this evening, and we’ll be talking all things cottage food - whatever’s on your mind. Labels, laws, markets, pricing, packaging, wholesale, TCS foods, weird local health department issues… you never know where the conversation will go.

Come get advice, connect with other producers, and hang out with people who actually understand this world.

Verified Sellers: check your email for the Zoom link.

Hope to see y’all there!

05/21/2026

Well... this one took me back in a not-so-good way.

I've been involved in Texas cottage food advocacy since 2009, and some of the concerns raised here sound very familiar. Back then we heard that home kitchens were "eww," that people would die, and that allowing cottage foods would create a public health crisis. Anybody remember the guy who compared cottage foods to returning to the days of the common drinking cup?

Meanwhile, Texans kept baking, preserving, and building small businesses. And succeeding. The laws expanded. Public opinion shifted. And somehow, the sky remained firmly in place.

I'm pro-food safety and always will be. But after 17 years, I also think it's fair to ask for evidence proportional to the alarm. When discussing cottage foods, it's important to distinguish between documented problems and hypothetical fears. It’s also important not to cloak fears of competition in the robes of "food safety." And this article fails on both counts.

Anyway... interesting read and a reminder that some debates never fully leave us.

Across America, small-town moms are making extra dough by selling their bread—and the laws that restrict them are being loosened. Bakeries hate it—and so do public health officials.

05/20/2026

Okay Camp Wood, Texas… we see you. 😂

Out in West Texas, somewhere between San Antonio and... nowhere... lies Camp Wood.

Population: 941
Verified Sellers: 2

Which means Camp Wood may officially have the HIGHEST Verified Seller-to-human ratio in Texas. 🤠🏆

At this point, if you throw a tortilla in Camp Wood, there’s a statistically significant chance it lands near a Homemade Texas Verified Seller.

Shoutout to 2M Farm and Ranch and The Wild Crumb for representing hard. Tiny town. Huge cottage food energy.

2M Farm and Ranch: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093286481549

The Wild Crumb: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575355065495

Find local food: https://homemadetexas.org/verified-sellers/
Become a Homemade Texas Verified Seller: https://homemadetexas.org/become-a-verified-seller/

05/18/2026

Come with me to the Park Street Market in Cedar Park, Texas 🤠✨

Today I met one of our Homemade Texas Verified Sellers 512 Cookies AND a 13-year-old entrepreneur already out there building a business at the farmers market. Jax & Co. Confectionary https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587287285301

This is exactly why I love the cottage food world. 💛

05/15/2026

FAQ Friday: “Can I say my food lowers cholesterol, boosts immunity, or helps fight colds and flu?”

Answer: It’s complicated.

If you make a health claim about your food (I’m looking at you, “lactation cookie” bakers and elderberry syrup purveyors 👀), those claims are supposed to comply with very specific federal rules found in Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Part 101, Subparts D and E.

And NGL… we did a unit on the CFR in paralegal school and it was Not Fun™. I am not volunteering to go back in there for recreational reading. 😅

The issue is that once you start claiming your food can prevent, treat, cure, or mitigate a disease or medical condition, you may be stepping into regulated territory. Some claims are allowed. Some require very precise wording. Some may require scientific substantiation. And some can create serious problems.

So, unless you are prepared to do a deep dive into federal labeling law or get advice from someone experienced in food labeling compliance, my recommendation is simple:

Avoid health claims about your cottage foods.

Instead, focus on describing:
• Ingredients
• Flavor
• Tradition
• Texture
• Intended use
• Small-batch craftsmanship

“Delicious elderberry syrup with cinnamon and honey” is a lot safer territory than “fights flu symptoms.”

As always, this is educational information and not legal advice.

05/14/2026

Reminder: Our monthly live Q&A for Verified Sellers will be Thursday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m. Verified Sellers, check your email for the link. This is a live, candid discussion not only led by Homemade Texas, but collaborative between our members. It's networking and learning and real-world problem solving. It's not recorded; what happens in the Q&A stays in the Q&A, so we hope to see you there!