Cottage Foods Bill Challenges Food Freedom in Wisconsin
- WFU Blog
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
On Tuesday, January 20, 2026 WFU Government Relations Director, Michelle Ramirez-White, testified before the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government in opposition to Senate Bill 739. If passed, the bill would create an unfair regulatory system for home-bakers, often referred to as cottage bakers. The bill attempts to set arbitrary limitations on cottage bakers that would ultimately hurt the growth of these businesses. Under the bill, cottage food producers would be subject to a two-tiered system:
1. Small producers ($10,000 sales cap): display a sign stating their products are
homemade and not inspected.Â
2. Cottage food producers ($40,000 sales cap): carry liability insurance, pay for a food safety course, pay a registration fee, and open their homes to invasive inspections.
The Committee also heard from members of the Wisconsin Cottage Food Association (WCFA), who WFU has been supporting since WCFA's inception.
See WFU's full testimony below:
RE: In Opposition to Senate Bill 739: Relating to exemptions from food product licensing requirements for sale of pickled fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and other shelf-stable food products prepared in a person’s home and granting rule-making authority.Â
Before the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government.
Chair Tomczyk and members of the committees,Â
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on Senate Bill 739.
The Wisconsin Farmers Union has been involved with advancing cottage food opportunities and is excited that Wisconsin farmers could have the opportunity to readily diversify and increase income through adding baked goods to their farm business mix. Cottage foods provide an essential way for local farm products to be utilized and highlighted. In rural areas, where Main Streets are struggling, it’s expensive and risky to open a brick-and-mortar storefront. Baking from a home kitchen is a solution for rural communities that’s a win-win for cottage food business owners and the farmers they source from.Â
We support food safety legislation that is scale appropriate. This includes support for Cottage Food laws and other rules and laws that maintain necessary food-safety provisions yet allow for increased opportunities for small-scale and local processed food enterprises and consumer choice.Â
We are opposed to the arbitrary restrictions set in SB 739 and oppose legislation that serves to unduly confine the flourishing home-baker and cottage foods industry in Wisconsin. We are concerned by placing requirements, like a food safety course, registration fee, and home inspections and subjecting them to a low sales cap of $40,000, we will lose growth in the cottage baking industry in our state and thus lose local markets for farmers in their communities. Wisconsin Farmers Union is also concerned with the lack of resources attributed to DATCP to maintain a registration database SB 739 would require.Â
Thank you for this opportunity to share Wisconsin Farmers Union’s thoughts on this issue.
Find more details on WFU’s cottage foods policy in the policy book or policy brief.
Say 'NO' to a sales cap and other restrictions on Wisconsin home bakers by sending a letter to your legislators!