Homemade Texas

Homemade Texas has sent a formal letter to the Town of Providence Village in Denton County regarding a Notice of Violation issued to the property owners of a residence associated with a cottage food production operation. The letter raises concerns about the Town’s enforcement of its home occupation zoning ordinance, the lack of specificity in

Fort Worth Orders Cottage Food Producer to Stop Operating From Her Home On September 28, 2026, a Fort Worth cottage food producer received a Code Compliance notice ordering her to “Stop operating a business from a residentially zoned property.” The notice warned that failure to comply could result in fines of up to $2,000 for

Last week, Homemade Texas contacted Haltom City after a cottage food producer received a Notice of Violation instructing her to discontinue operating a bakery from her home. There was just one problem: Texas law expressly prohibits a municipality from using its zoning authority to prohibit the use of a home for a cottage food production

TL;DR: Texas cottage food law does not expressly prohibit unattended or self-service stands, but DSHS interprets the law to prohibit them in most circumstances. That makes this a disputed area, not a green light. Homemade Texas is not telling anyone to operate an unattended stand; we are explaining what the law actually says, what DSHS

In 2025, the Texas Legislature said, essentially, “No permits for cottage food producers. We’re serious this time.” The City of Devine apparently heard, “How about a permit, a $1,000 bond, a criminal background check, three personal references, and a sworn and notarized signature?” Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is how things are going out there

Homemade Texas and FARM Submit Letter to City of Waxahachie Regarding Cottage Food Affidavit Requirement On July 27, 2026, Homemade Texas and the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARM) sent a joint letter to the City of Waxahachie regarding its requirement that cottage food producers complete a sworn, notarized affidavit before operating within the city.

Another advocacy letter went out from Homemade Texas last month; this time to the tiny southwest Texas town of Brackettville. 🤠 I’ve always maintained that the farther you get from Austin, the more likely it is that local officials start making up their own rules when it comes to cottage foods. Unfortunately, this appears to

For years, a persistent rumor has circulated in the cottage food world: “Cake balls are tax exempt, but cake pops are taxable because the stick counts as a utensil.” It sounds official and it gets repeated confidently. And like many good myths, it contains just enough logic to seem believable. But it’s wrong. Where This

Across Texas, we are seeing a growing trend of cities shutting down small front yard and porch sales, often without any clear explanation of why these activities are a problem. These are not large-scale businesses. They are neighbors selling to neighbors. They are low impact, community driven, and often the first step for someone trying

On October 29, 2025, we sent a second letter to the Pasadena Health Department regarding their employees’ improper enforcement of sampling rules for cottage food producers. This time, we received a response. Have you had an incident with a health inspector who doesn’t understand the law? Get it in writing! Contact us at home@homemadetexas.org. Make