Washington home based food producer association (WHBFP)
2026: SALUTING OUR COTTAGE FOOD PERMITTEE MEMBERS!
washington'S food freedom grade: D-
FORKS & VOICES CAN GROW OUR STATE'S HOMEBASED FOOD INDUSTRY
TO LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM SUPPORTERS ACROSS THE STATE:
The WASHINGON HOME BASED FOOD PRODUCER ASSOCIATION'S vision supports a Washington-First Food Model built on:
Food Security Decentralized food production strengthens resilience. A network of thousands of local producers creates redundancy and stability in the food supply.
Local Economic Growth Home-based food businesses provide accessible entry into entrepreneurship, especially in rural communities and underserved neighborhoods.
Agricultural Value Creation Local producers turn Washington agricultural products into value-added goods that keep more economic activity within the state.
Community-Centered Commerce Short supply chains strengthen trust between producers and consumers while reducing environmental impacts.
Entrepreneurial Opportunity A modern legal framework would allow residents to launch food businesses from home without prohibitive barriers.
YOU CAN CONTINUE TO BECOME INFORMED, SPEAK-OUT YOUR PASSION AND CONNECT WITH LIKE-MINDED LOCAL FOOD ADVOCATES as a SUPPORTER OF OUR MEMBERS! YOU CAN ALSO JOIN AS AN ALLIED MEMBER, NO NEED TO BE A FOOD PRODUCER .
AS A HOMEBASED FOOD PRODUCER YOU TOO CAN RAISE YOUR VOICE AND HELP IN REVITALIZING THE FOOD PROCESSING CAPACITY OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES WITH YOUR VOICE AND SHARING THE WASHINGTON FOOD FIRST VISION. SOME OF WASHINGTON'S 850+ COTTAGE FOOD "PROCESSORS" & HOMESTEAD/FARMSTEAD FARMERS ARE LAYING NEW GROUNDWORK TO PROMOTE LOCAL FOOD-SYSTEM NETWORKING ACTIVITIES ACROSS WASHINGTON STATE.
AS WSDA COTTAGE FOOD PERMITTEE:
A COMMITTEE IS NOW FORMING TO PROMOTE THE WASHINGTON COTTAGE FOOD INDUSTRY'S VALUE TO FOOD CONSUMERS BY CONTINUING TO OFFER CULTURALLY AND DIETARILY APPROPRIATE FOODS (WITH LESS PRESERVATIVES) IN YOUR COMMUNITY. COLLECTIVIZE & PLAN AHEAD TO REDUCE COTTAGE FOOD INDUSTRY-WIDE BUSINESS BARRIERS. BATTLE AGAINST ARBITRARY FOOD POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE. HELP THE INDUSTRY GROW THROUGH COLLECTIVE-MARKETING THAT ANNOUNCES THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES & FOOD SECURITY POTENTIALS TO STATE POLICYMAKERS AND FOOD CONSUMERS.
AS A WASHINGTON FOOD CONSUMER
YOU ARE IN A GREAT POSITION TO HELP SUPPORT THE COTTAGE FOOD INDUSTRY'S VALUE TO FOOD CONSUMERS CONTINUALLY-SEEKING CULTURALLY AND DIETARILY APPROPRIATE FOODS (WITH LESS PRESERVATIVES) AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
AS A CONSUMER YOU CAN LEND YOUR SUPPORT IN HELPING REDUCE BUSINESS BARRIERS CAUSED BY ARBRTARY POLICIES OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE. YOU CAN HELP US SUSTAIN & GROW FISCALLY-SUSTAINABLE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM. PLEASE READ MORE ABOUT LEGISLATIVELY-CREATED BARRIERS OUR COTTAGE FOOD INDUSTRY IS FACING AT OUR "4 COTTAGE FOOD CUSTOMERS" PAGE. THANK YOU!
AS A LOCAL FOOD SECURITY ADVOCATE
WASHINGTON'S FOOD SECURITY IS PRECARIOUS, NOT JUST BECAUSE LOSS OF FAMILY FARMS BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF INTRASTATE FOOD PROCESSING. MUCH FOOD PROCESSING IN WASHINGTON IS FOR EXPORT, NOT INTRASTATE CONSUMPTION.
STATE FOOD POLICY BECOMING REFOCUSED ON INTRASTATE FOOD PROCESSING OF WASHINGTON-GROWN AGRICULTURAL-PRODUCTS DESTINED TO WASHINGTON FOOD CONSUMERS IS NEEDED.
INTRASTATE FOOD PROCESSING (INCLUDING COTTAGE FOOD PROCESSING) NEEDS TO RISE TO THE TOP OF THE WASHINGTON FOOD POLICY FORUM'S MISSION & VISION AND SIT BESIDE SMALL, MID-SIZED & BIG AGRICULTURE AS A JOINT-PRIORITY.
INDEED: WASHINGTON FARMERS EXPORTED $7.6 BILLION DOLLARS OF AGRICUTURAL PRODUCTS IN 2024.
MANY OF THESE EXPORTED PRODUCTS WILL BE EVENTUALLY PROCESSED IN OTHER STATES AND/OR COUNTIRES. A MAJORITY OF THESE PRODUCTS WILL NEVER RETURN TO WASHINGTON. THOSE THAT DO WILL RETURN MOSTLY IN A PROCESSED-STATE OF "AFTER-HARVEST" PRESERVATION (INCLUDING CANNED, DRIED, REFRIGERATED AND/OR FROZEN), YES, -- BUT NO WHERE NEAR THE MAJORITY WILL BE ON WASHINGTONIANS PLATES.
AS A SUPPORTER OF DIVERSIFIED LOCAL ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT
Becoming a booster of LOCAL FOOD PROCESSING & SMALL SCALE FARMING (URBAN, SUBURBAN, RURAL) is possible.
WSDA's Cottage Food program began issuing permits in 2012 that allowed the launch of a brand-new type of FOOD PROCESSOR industry in our state. This industry, though needing appropriate deregulation, did open up greater opportunities for fresher foods, less preservatives in foods, value-added processing of foods grown locally or by a Cottage Food producer, and niche food choice experiences by expanding options for more culturally-appropriate foods, food flavors and textures in new ways. for everyone.
The more of your food dollars that can stay local from the soil to the table, by increasing the growing of local produce & local food processing options, the more circulation of local money stays LOCAL and LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT grows too.
AS A LOCAL FARMER/GARDENER
ARE YOU GROWING $1,000 OF PRODUCE FOR RESALE? THEN THE USDA SAYS "YOU'RE A FARMER!" --- GROWING SPECIAL KINDS OF PRODUCE FOR VALUE-ADDED COTTAGE FOOD PRODUCTION OR LOCAL DONATION? THEN YOU'RE A VALUABLE , SPECIALTY-CROP GARDENER ! PLEASE, JOIN OTHERS IN OUR "RAISE YOUR FORK, WASHINGTON!" CAMPAIGN -- WHO, LIKE YOU, ARE BUSY HELPING CREATE MORE FOOD SECURITY FOR WASHINGTON CITIZENS. JOIN TODAY, HELP GROW THE VISION !
F.D.R.: "...you must acknowledge the right of well-managed small business to expect to make reasonable profits...admit that the destruction of this opportunity follows concentration of control of any given industry into a small number of dominating corporations..."
29 APR 1938, Pres. F. D. Roosevelt, on Curbing Monopolies