Kentuckians have expressed a growing interest in starting their own food production business and are seeking resources and guidelines to do so.  Whether homebased or commercial, entrepreneurs quickly learn there is not a specific place to find this information. County Extension Agents receive numerous questions and requests for resources. In response, a program was developed for budding entrepreneurs to obtain information, gather resources, and have questions answered in a central location.

Programs were held in county offices in Northern, Central and Western Kentucky. Agents worked with local health departments, local insurance agencies and representatives from the Kentucky Food Safety Branch to present information on how to get started with a food production business. Topics included regulatory requirements for specific types of food, state and local licensing/permitting requirements, plumbing requirements, mandatory trainings, and insurance considerations. Representatives were able to provide guidelines for a successful start to a food production business and answer questions about food safety, packaging, labeling, product testing, and commercial kitchens.    

Participants left with an understanding of the necessary steps to start their own food business and a Kentucky Food Permits Flow Chart detailing the agencies involved based on products produced along with contact names, phone numbers and emails.