Dear Friend,

Two New Hampshire bills (HB 1685 and HB 1565) have the potential to make major changes to access to artisanal foods in the state of New Hampshire! A hearing in the house Environmental and Agricultural Committee will be held 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024 at the Legislative Office Building Rooms 301-303.

House Bill 1685, "Redefining "homestead foods" as "artisan foods," creating an artisan food operations exemption, establishing artisan food products sales venues, and allowing the production and sale of artisan food products requiring refrigeration." The bill would increase increases sales venues for homemade foods and poultry, removes prior licensing requirements for producers who exceed an annual sales limit, among other changes.

 House Bill 1565, "Relative to the sale of homestead food to consumers and local food production," redefines homestead food operations for the purpose of exempting such operations from licensing, permitting, inspection, packaging, and labeling laws; allows these operations to sell poultry, poultry byproducts, and other poultry food products raised under the 1,000-bird exemption; and allows products that do not contain meat, poultry, or dairy to be sold directly to consumers and other businesses, which may then resell the product.