The Library
Free resources for the cottage baker.
Everything below is free and updated regularly. No email required — though signing up gets you the field guide PDF + occasional baker letters.
National Aggregators
Other authoritative sources
Every state has its own statute and regulating agency. These national aggregators provide cross-cutting research, policy analysis, and updates across all 51 jurisdictions.
Forrager
All 51 jurisdictions, plus alt programs (CA MEHKO, CT Residential Farm, etc.)
The most current commonly-cited consumer-facing resource. Free.
Institute for Justice — Baking Bad
All 51 jurisdictions, ~70 programs (states with multiple paths graded separately)
Updated routinely. Authoritative policy assessment with model legislation reference.
Institute for Justice — Recent Reforms
Reforms since 2015 across all 51 jurisdictions
Best source for tracking which states have expanded laws recently.
Institute for Justice — Flour Power
Survey of 775 cottage food producers across 22 states
Useful for citations on the size and economics of the cottage food industry.
LawAtlas — Cottage Foods
All 51 jurisdictions
Maintained by Temple University Center for Public Health Law Research. As of Sept 2017 — somewhat dated but rigorously coded.
Castiron
All 51 jurisdictions
Commercial site (Castiron is a cottage food e-commerce platform). Updated fairly regularly.
Cottage Foodie
All 51 jurisdictions
Less authoritative but easy to scan.
Pick Your Own — Cottage Food Laws
All 51 jurisdictions
Older format but covers all states.
USDA — Direct Marketing
Federal-level overview, plus farmers market and food hub directories
Useful for cross-referencing direct marketing laws.
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Cottage food and farm-to-consumer law
Especially useful for raw milk and food freedom legal context.
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
All 51 jurisdictions
Authoritative non-profit organization; useful for citations.
Municode (library.municode.com)
~3,500 US municipalities
Search for 'home occupation' or 'cottage food' to find local rules.
eCode360 (General Code)
~3,500 US municipalities, primarily Northeast
Free unauthenticated full-text search.
American Legal Publishing
~3,000 US municipalities, mostly Midwest/West
CodePublishing
Smaller portfolio, mostly West Coast
Specific California cities.
Fine print
None of this is legal advice. Cottage food laws change every year and municipal zoning codes update quarterly. Verify with your state's department of agriculture, your local health department, and your city or county's planning office before relying on any of it. Crosodo is a clothing brand for cottage bakers, not a law firm.