You should probably talk to your county health department agent. I don't think the certified kitchen rule will apply to non-food products. Every state is a little different, I'm in Illinois, but my grandma built a certified kitchen on her car port. It's not that big of a deal; it just has to be separate from your home's kitchen where you prepare your daily meals.

Dried herbs for cooking is "processed food" and you need a certified kitchen. I know a lot of people who sell dried lavendar, etc. and for non-food use you don't. Fresh herbs are produce, unless they're potted, in which case you can still sell them at market but need to charge sales tax (I know....). If you only have a few - can't define a few, but I sell my extra tomato starts - the state told me "it's like a tag sale" and you don't have to charge sales tax ($100 for permit to collect the tax). Just don't abuse it. It didn't make sense for me to pay $100 for a permit to collect less than $6 of sales tax last year, but if you start getting into selling potted plants (edible or not) big time, you'd better get the (multi-year) permit.

Certified kitchen is a big deal in this state - there is a residential farmer exemption for jams and jellies (acidified foods is quite a bit harder, and doesn't mention dried foods at all). Lots of money.

Where in the state are you? What market are you considering?

I live in New Hartford. And could you elaborate on the "market considering" part? I havent really thought that part through. Honestly, I just figured if I'm allowed to sell the dry herbs somewhere, then eventually people will start buying them. Chances are this isnt the best sort of thinking. But we have a large property so I'll be able to grow a lot of a variety of herbs, so someone is bound to buy something and I'll be able to figure out what's popular.

I wasnt thinking about getting into selling potted plants, but thanks for letting me know about the tax part. That's a whole other area I havent learned anything about yet. But just to clarify, fresh cut herbs dont need to be taxed?

Our property is already labeled as a residential farm, so I know the jam/jelly exemption as long as the fruit is grown and processed here (too bad I dont have any fruits growing). I'm also thinking about selling the stuff while on the property but havent gotten around to looking up what that would entail.

Please don't take this a criticism but one of the things that many people getting into marketing make is not planning out how they are planning on selling. Growing is really the easy part of the equation - but marketing is every bit as important. What good is having a product like your dried herbs if you have not thought out the distribution channel.

Tom

Oh, and if you're selling sachets and things those are "crafts" and will be a business, not a farm AFAIK and you will need to collect sales tax, file a Schedule C, though I don't know if you need to register as a business and get an EIN if you keep it small. My sister has friends who sell a lot of lavendar products, and I know someone who sells soap and knitted (not from her sheep, she only has goats) washcloths and such, I could ask them what they do for those products since they also sell eggs and farm "produce" (edible) - though a lot of people make goats milk soap instead of cheese, etc. b/c there are just so many regulations and expense involved with a dairy.

I also know someone who used to sell at New Hartford market who has a commercial kitchen and does dried herb mixes, bean soup mixes, etc. so you will be competing with established business if you pursue this line. It might be worth looking into a wholesale market (with your acreage, all in herbs?!) with her and/or restaurants, the mom and pop grocery store down on Rte 44, etc.