Humanaty Farm to Table along with entrepreneurs, farmers, and community partners support legislation to legalize microenterprise home kitchen operations (MEHKO) in the state of Georgia.
MEHKO are non-commercial kitchens located in private homes where ready-to-eat food is handled, stored, prepared, or offered for sale by the resident, onsite or delivered.
“Georgia House Bill 287 will allow people to prepare and sell out of their homes 30 [ready-to-eat] meals a day with 25% of ingredients sourced locally from farms,” said Beth M. Graham, Founder and CEO of Humanaty, a benefit corporation that seeks to deliver sustainable solutions to food systems through policy.
Authored by Georgia State Rep. Mandisha A. Thomas (D-65), the bill grants administrative authority to the Georgia Department of Public Health to create the regulatory framework for MEHKO to operate safely and legally, issue permits, conduct annual inspections and charge fees for permits and inspections. It was presented in a hearing-only format in the House State Agriculture & Consumer Affair Committee on February 15. To stay viable this session the bill must pass out of the committee and House by “Crossover Day,” March 6.
“H.B. 287 embodies two of the strongest points in Georgia,” Representative Thomas said. “Georgia is the #1 state to do business and our #1 industry is agriculture. Entrepreneurship, sustainability, and supporting our famers – that’s why I’m involved.”
The Latino Community Fund, Partnership for Southern Equity, Bread and Butter Farms and more also support H.B. 287, per Graham.
Precedent exists in Utah’s new law, (H.B. 94 Microenterprise Home Kitchen Act), which received unanimous bipartisan support to allow home chefs to sell home cooked meals to the public. Utah’s law requires a permit, following food safety practices and an annual local health department inspection.
“Legalized and permitted, microenterprise home kitchen operations can serve as a path forward for entrepreneurs, who could then grow to rent commercial kitchen space, retail space and hire more people,” Graham said.
This proposed regulatory framework could help home chefs earn a livable income while providing Georgians in food deserts access to food grown by local farmers.
“People have been selling home cooked meals for centuries,” said Yohana Solomon, chef and co-owner of Kushina Catering and Humanaty Advisory Board member. “My questions is why can’t we create ways for them to do it in a safe and sustainable way?”
The Georgia Department of Agriculture Cottage Food License Program allows for home-kitchen production of limited items like jellies, jams and cakes offered for sale at events or online.
“H.B. 287 will allow for dairy and meat products to also be prepared and sold from your home, after going through the SafeServ Certification-Food Safety Training, permitting, home inspections and getting a business license,” Graham said.
The bill will also generate revenue for the state through permit fees and taxes.
“We need to remove the barriers to safely and legally operate micoenterprise home kitchens,” Graham said.
