Despite calling throughout the entire day to the Eau Claire office of DATCP (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection), I never did get through to a person (the line was always busy) and when I tried calling Madison, all I got there was automated list after list of agencies and numbers to press to leave a message for a call-back. I don't think anybody works in government any more. I was completely disgusted. I spent hours trying to find the information I was looking for (what I needed to do in order to legally sell vegetables and eggs to grocery stores or at the farmers market) on what I think is a miserable web site. I did eventually find most of what I was looking for on my own.
In order to sell eggs at a farmers market or a retail store I need to get a "Food Processing Plant License". (I don't need a license if I sell direct to customers from my farm.) Eggs must be clean and kept in a cooler at a constant temperature of 41F. What I still need to find out is what goes on the label, and for that I have to find Wis Administrative Code Chap. 88.08, which I'll do tomorrow when I try to find out where to get the license and how much that is going to put me back.
I am using Google documents to great effect. I really like it even though for some reason there seems to be a delay in formatting changes. I finished a Producer Listing form for the Local Food Guide that I will present to our group at the Feb. 5th meeting, and if it is ok'd by the majority, I'll upload it to the Web and people can download it as a .pdf file, fill it out, and mail it to me along with their fee (right now I'm thinking $25 will do, but I need to get some estimates from a couple of printers for what 1,000 copies will cost to print -- and that will depend on our final format, which I've been struggling with off and on all winter). Tomorrow I will work on a news article for publishing in various local papers as soon as possible to solicit interest in the Guide. I will have to find out how to solicit businesses to place an ad in the Guide. I have no idea what to charge for different sized ads. I also need to talk to Tom at the bank about setting up a checking account to handle the money. Some times I wish I could find someone that would be interested in forming a non-profit corporation with me, but on the other hand, I really want our group to pay its way and be a model for other groups. It will all work out eventually.
Speaking of Google, have you seen their "Sites" application? I may use that for something I have cooking in the back of my mind!
Well, it's getting late so I'll leave off for now. Talk to you soon!
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