ABSTRACT
Kentucky passed farmer friendly legislation in 2003 allowing farmers to process value added food products in their home kitchens with the emphasis on community economic development and farm to table concepts. A unique partnership between the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and Farm Bureau allows farmers to sell home canned foods from the farm, farmers market, or certified roadside stand. The value-added products must contain a fruit, vegetable, or nut grown by the Kentucky processor. Farmers processing low risk products simply register. Over 289 farms in Kentucky are selling items such as pumpkin bread, blueberry jam, and pear preserves. To produce low acid or acidified products, farmers must attend a workshop, have recipes approved by a process authority, develop a label, and make application for a fee. Over 200 farmers have been trained with 36 farmers producing diverse products such as salsa, pickled squash, and corn relish. These products allow farmers to add economic value to their raw produce, reduce waste, and use blemished but otherwise quality produce. Extending the selling season allows the opportunity to strengthen the farm to table link within the community. Without the large capital outlay of a permitted kitchen, farmers can also find which products may be successful for commercial market venues. Data indicates farmers are promoting these concepts within their communities by going beyond traditional marketing of fresh produce and participating in homebased microprocessing to promote value-added products.
