Selling dried sourdough starter in Vermont

If you keep a jar going in Vermont, selling dried sourdough starter is a different cottage-food question than selling bread. The product is flour and water that you fermented, then dried. Official pages almost never use the words “dried starter.” This post only repeats what the current statute, agency page, or extension guide actually says — and where that source is silent.

Dried starter is not automatically a baked good

A loaf is baked. Dried starter is a dry culture. Some states publish a closed allowed-foods list (baked goods, jams, dried herbs). Some allow non-TCS / non-potentially-hazardous foods as a class. A few name baking mixes, dry mixtures, or — in Kansas — dehydrated sourdough starter. We do not stretch a baked-goods line into a dry-culture line unless a source supports that read.

The quick facts

Where in-state sales usually go

From the Crosodo statute row: Food made under a license exemption cannot be sold to restaurants or other licensed food establishments. Sales must be direct to final consumers. Exempt producers must file an annual attestation with the Vermont Department of Health by January 15 each year and complete online food safety training.

County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Vermont state guide and your county page.

Labeling

Labels must include: name and address of producer, name of food product, ingredients in descending order, net weight/volume, allergen information per federal requirements, and the statement 'Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the Vermont Department of Health' in at least 10-point font in a contrasting color. Nutritional labels required only if nutrient content or health claims are made.

Walk the fields in the Vermont cottage food labeling guide. Do not copy another state's disclaimer.

Interstate / shipping across state lines

Cottage-food / homemade-food exemptions are in-state instruments. They do not, by themselves, authorize interstate commerce. Confirm manufactured-food licensing with the state agency and FDA facility registration for your facts. We do not invent a permit name or a fee.

Cottage-food exemptions are state instruments. They do not replace federal rules that apply when food enters interstate commerce. If you want to ship out of state, ask the state manufactured-food program and confirm FDA facility registration for your situation. We do not invent a license name or a fee here.

Official sources

Every number and product claim on this page is tied to a source opened on 2026-10-15, plus the Crosodo statute row and — where we have them — the regulations library notes for Maryland, Colorado, and Virginia.

• Vermont home-based food license — last verified 2026-10-15
• 18 V.S.A. §4351; Act 42 (2025) cottage food operator exemption
• Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets; Vermont Department of Health (Food & Lodging Program)
• Vermont extension
• Vermont cottage food state guide
• Selling cottage food in Vermont
• Vermont labeling guide
• All 50 states — dried starter hub