HB279

I support this bill as I would like to encourage flexibility for those who grow and prepare local produce and products.

I am both a market gardener and President of Gilmanton's Own, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization with a mission of supporting local agriculture and farmers. The restrictions on recipes to make and sell value-added foods from NH agricultural products are burdensome, and a roadblock to farmers being able to use their products to sustain their living as farmers and they keep the public from being able to access high quality, healthy local foods. This is a matter of food resilience.

I produce homestead foods in NH and the hurdles to introducing new recipes to my customers is insane in this state! As part of a former military family, I have participated in cottage foods all over this country and NH is one of the most restrictive I have ever worked in. The reason that jams and jellies and acid canned foods are typically allowed in cottage foods in most states is because they are inherently safe. There are a *few* instances where folks can get into trouble (pepper jelly and other products with vegetables in them), but the doomsday food safetyism I have been subjected to in trying to get recipes approved has been crazy. A few simple regulations to protect against the truly egregious canning safety errors would be easy to implement and would not hamper creativity and financial feasibility of the small-scale businesses typically operating in the home. I would LOVE to see a panel investigate this issue (but talk to more than the folks at DHHS!!) and realize that we are "protecting" against a problem that doesn't exist. Look up how many cases of botulism can be traced to improperly canned acid foods - the answer is ZERO and you'd be hard put to find documented evidence of any kind of food poisoning from food of this type produced in a cottage/homestead business.

I started a small sourdough cottage bakery in August of 2024. This bill would help allow me to occasionally offer special items, which would engage and draw in a new customer base. It would allow more flexibility in providing seasonal goods such as chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day, or pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. It would definitely help me in growing my small business, and potentially help me grow my business financially. Thank you for your consideration of this bill and the positive impact it would have for small, home based NH businesses!