Stony Point, NY Home Business: Cottage Food Operations (2026)

New York regulates home food production under Agriculture and Markets Law §251-z-6 (Home Processor Exemption), administered by the NY Department of Agriculture and Markets Division of Food Safety and Inspection. Permitted products include baked goods (cookies, cakes, muffins), jams, jellies, fruit preserves, candies, dried herbs, granola, popcorn, and other shelf-stable foods. Potentially hazardous foods (meat, dairy-based, acidified canned goods, cream-filled baked goods) are excluded. Annual sales are capped at $50,000 without additional licensing. Home processors must register with NY Ag and Markets (free), pass a home kitchen inspection, and label products with name, address, ingredients, allergens, and net weight per 21 CFR Part 101 and NY regulations. Sales are permitted at farmers markets, directly from the home, online with in-state delivery, and to small retail outlets. Clarkstown, Ramapo, Orangetown, and Haverstraw allow home processing as a permitted home occupation under respective zoning codes, subject to no exterior signage, no employees, and no customer visits in residential zones. The Rockland Farm Alliance supports local food producers.