Wyoming House Bill 56, or what is now know as the Food Freedom Act, was passed this spring and is set to drastically affect small scale food production around the state. For those not familiar with the bill, and most people probably won’t be until farmers market season rolls around, HB 56 revolves around the lessening of regulations for people producing or supplying food products. There are many parts to the bill, but the primary impact will be that anyone living in Wyoming is allowed to produce food products in their homes to sell directly to a knowing consumer.
I have been involved on multiple sides of the issue, as a food producer, manager of a farmers market, and as a local food enthusiast. I believe it is important for people to draw their own conclusions; I have close friends on both ends of the opinion scale.
HB 56 greatly favors start up food producers. Before the bill was passed, all food sold to the public had to be prepared out of a licensed commercial kitchen. There are not that many options in Jackson that have space open during the summer months and rental is usually expensive. This can be a huge barrier to entry to any small business just getting started. Now that it is allowed to produce these items in your home and temporary food licensing is not required to sell either, the initial costs are much lower.
On the consumer end, there will undoubtably be a few more options when it comes to locally prepared food available for direct purchase now. That being said, it is important to be aware that food produced in someone’s home is not produced in an inspected kitchen with regulated food safety guidelines. Producers preparing their food in a non-licensed facility are required to let the customer know. I am a big proponent of being an educated consumer so I think being proactive about asking where the food was made and making the decision if you feel comfortable with that is important.
From a farmers market end, I hope to provide a place where customers can get a chance to meet the people that make and grow their food as well as provide an outlet for small businesses to sell what they produce. I am always excited to see new vendors and am sure that this bill will give some people the ability to make a go of it. That being said, it is important to be educated on where your food comes from whether that be a local farm, a factory half way across the globe, or someone’s home kitchen and knowing the implications of all of those.
Have more questions about what this law means for you? Contact Teton County Environmental Health at 307-733-6401
