AT HOME IN THE BAKING BUSINESS

(Page 2 of 5)

January/February 1983
 
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TO MARKET, TO MARKET. . .

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Since I was officially "in trade", it was time to try to round up the customers. To begin, I gave a bread list to each of my friends and asked them to spread the word (and to buy a loaf or two). Next, I posted the sheets on every bulletin board I could find, and took copies into all the restaurants (a grand total of five) in our little town. Soon the orders began to come in.

When summer arrived, I rented a space at the Saturday farmers' market in a larger town nearby. The modest $2.00 weekly investment paid off handsomely . . . I was able to pocket between $50 and $60 nearly every weekend.

Furthermore, the farmers' market introduced me to the delights of barter. One Saturday I parted with a dozen cinnamon rolls and two loaves of bread in return for a ferocious banty hen and her nine chicks! Other friendly swaps kept me well supplied with such luscious local fare as blackberry honey, eggs, and sweet corn. I was sorry when the farmers' market closed in the fall . . . but my home-based enterprise continued — and continues — to grow.

MAKING IT WORK

I was an enthusiastic home baker before I went into business, and I still am, but producing goods for sale does involve a little extra effort. Here are some tips that can help you do what needs to be done to "earn some bread" with your own homemade specialties.

[1] If your state or county issues licenses, get one. It's not hard to do so, probably not expensive (mine costs $25 a year), and may well be mandatory. A license will testify that your kitchen is sanitary and that you're serious about your work. Best of all, it gives you the privilege of buying your raw materials at wholesale prices.

Home kitchens might be licensed through a state agricultural department (as they are here in Oregon) or through a county or state health department. Try the health departments first: If they don't issue licenses, they can likely tell you who does. [EDITOR'S NOTE: MOTHER'S state, North Carolina, doesn't require a license for a home kitchen . . . but it does have regulations — which are enforced by inspectors from the Food and Drug Protection Division of the Department of Agriculture — regarding the facilities and procedures that may be used in home food-processing operations.]

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