Selling dried sourdough starter in Wisconsin
What Wisconsin official sources actually say about selling dried sourdough starter under cottage food law — official source excludes starter or home-drying. Last verified 2026-10-15.
If you keep a jar going in Wisconsin, 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
- Law
- Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 97 Food, §97.29 Food processing plants (cottage food exemption at §97.29(2)(b)2); supplemented by Kivirist v. DATCP court order (2017) for home bakers
- Statute
- Wis. Stat. §97.29
- Agency
- Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
- Dried-starter read
- Official source excludes starter or home-drying
- Annual sales cap
- Tiered
- Registration / permit
- Registration required (statute row): No.
- Kitchen inspection
- Kitchen inspection (statute row): No.
- Food-handler training
- Food-handler training (statute row): No.
- Last verified
- 2026-10-15
Where in-state sales usually go
Sales cap, registration, allowed foods, and every county — free on Crosodo.
From the Crosodo statute row: Home-canned goods must be sold at community or social events or farmers' markets in Wisconsin (§97.29(2)(b)2.b). The Kivirist court order applies to direct-to-consumer sales by home bakers. Products cannot be sold to retail food establishments or distributed through wholesale channels without a license.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Wisconsin state guide and your county page.
Labeling
For home-canned goods (§97.29(2)(b)2): label must include the name and address of the preparer, the date canned, the statement 'This product was made in a private home not subject to state licensing or inspection,' and ingredients in descending order of prominence with major allergen common names listed. A sign at the point of sale must state: 'These canned goods are homemade and not subject to state inspection.' For home bakers under the Kivirist exemption, labeling requirements are not separately codified.
Walk the fields in the Wisconsin 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.
- DATCP licenses and homemade baked goods — last verified 2026-10-15
- Wis. Stat. §97.29
- Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
- DATCP homemade baked goods PDF (05/2025)
- Wisconsin extension
- Wisconsin cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Wisconsin dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has no general cottage-food statute for dry mixes. The Kivirist court orders (DATCP homemade baked goods page, P-DFRS0222, May 2025) apply to baked goods that are not potentially hazardous, sold direct to consumers. DATCP defines baked goods as dry heat above 140°F in a closed chamber (oven). Items dried in a dehydrator are not baked goods. A dried culture is not a baked good under that sentence. Freeze-drying for sale requires a DATCP license on the freeze-drying fact sheet. Confirm with DATCP before you invent a home-kitchen path.
What is the Wisconsin cottage-food sales cap?
Tiered
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Wisconsin under cottage food law?
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.
Crosodo Journal entries are recipe, craft, and cottage-food notes for home bakers. Recipes assume an active starter and basic equipment. Cottage food sales are governed by your state's law — start with the free state directory, check a product with Can I sell this?, or grab a label template. Not legal advice.
