PART ONE: RAW AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES (RAC)
What is a Raw Agricultural Commodity?
A RAC is any food in its natural, unprocessed state as it comes from the farm or garden. RACs are regulated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and your county agricultural commissioner — not by CDPH. In most cases, no cottage food permit, food handler's certificate, or commercial kitchen is required to sell RACs directly to consumers.
Items that qualify as RAC:

• Whole fresh fruits — uncut, whole fruits in their natural state (apples, oranges, peaches, plums, cherries, berries, grapes, melons, mangoes, lemons, limes, etc.). Cutting, slicing, juicing, or combining fruit removes RAC status.

• Whole fresh vegetables — uncut, whole vegetables in their natural state (tomatoes, zucchini, squash, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, beets, carrots, onions, garlic, corn, leafy greens, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.). Cutting, cooking, fermenting, pickling, or packaging with added ingredients removes RAC status.

• Whole nuts (raw / in-shell or freshly shelled) — whole, unprocessed nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamias, chestnuts, pine nuts) that have not been roasted, salted, smoked, flavored, or otherwise processed.

  • Raw, unaltered nuts = RAC 

  • Roasted, salted, candied, smoked, or flavored nuts = Cottage Food (permit required — see Part Two, Category 6).

• Fresh whole herbs — fresh, unprocessed herbs sold as whole sprigs or bunches (basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, oregano, dill, chives, lemongrass, lavender, etc.). Dried, powdered, blended, or packaged herb products are not RAC.

• Fresh mushrooms — whole, unprocessed cultivated mushrooms in their natural state (oyster, shiitake, portobello, cremini, lion's mane, maitake, etc.).

  • Important: Wild-foraged mushrooms require specific county permits and certified-identification in California. Sellers must hold the required permits before listing any wild-harvested variety. Dried, powdered, or processed mushrooms are not RAC.

• Microgreens and sprouts — freshly harvested microgreens (sunflower shoots, pea shoots, radish greens, wheatgrass, brassica greens, etc.) and live sprouts sold fresh and unprocessed.

  • Important: In California, selling food still in soil (including soil-grown microgreens and sprouts) may require a CDFA License to Sell Nursery Stock. Sellers must verify and obtain any required nursery license before listing. Sprouts also carry inherent food-safety risk at production; proper sanitation is the seller's responsibility.

RAC seller requirements at a glance:
RequirementStatus
CDPH Cottage Food permitNot required
Commercial kitchenNot required
Food handler's certificateNot required (recommended)
CDFA nursery licenseMay be required for soil-grown items (microgreens/sprouts)
County ag commissioner registrationMay be required — check with your county
LabelingAccurate representation of product required
Processing or cookingNot permitted — removes RAC status

PART TWO: CALIFORNIA COTTAGE FOODS
What is a Cottage Food?
A Cottage Food is a shelf-stable, non-potentially-hazardous food made in a private home kitchen that appears on the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) approved Cottage Food product list. Cottage Foods are regulated under the California Cottage Food Law (Health & Safety Code §114365 et seq.).
Cottage Foods may be sold directly to the end consumer (Class A permit) or through certain indirect channels (Class B permit). Crop Market operates as a direct-to-consumer marketplace and supports Class A Cottage Food sales.
CDPH-approved Cottage Food categories — sellers must verify that their specific product appears on the current CDPH approved list, which is updated periodically. The CDPH approved list is the controlling document — if your product is not on it, it cannot be sold as a Cottage Food regardless of which category it appears to fit.

1. Baked goods (no cream, custard, or meat fillings) — breads, rolls, biscuits, cookies, brownies, cakes, muffins, scones, pastries, tortillas, etc., with no cream/custard fillings, meat, or ingredients requiring refrigeration. Dry frostings and glazes are generally permitted; cream cheese or whipped-cream frostings are not.

2. Jams, jellies, preserves, and pickles — fruit jams, jellies, preserves, conserves, marmalades, and fruit butters from whole fresh fruits or vegetables; pickled vegetables/fruits and high-acid canned goods prepared per tested, approved recipes (USDA or National Center for Home Food Preservation). Products must be shelf-stable and meet safe acidity standards. Low-acid canned goods are not permitted.

3. Dried and dehydrated fruits — whole or sliced fruits dried to a shelf-stable moisture level (raisins, dried apricots, mango, apple rings, figs, cranberries, cherries, etc.). Mixed and sulfite-treated dried fruits are permitted within this category.

4. Candy and confections — shelf-stable candies and confections (hard candy, fudge, caramels, toffee, brittle, lollipops, chocolate bark, shelf-stable truffles, mints, etc.). Chocolate-dipped items are permitted only if the finished product is shelf-stable. Confections with fresh cream, fresh fruit, or other perishable ingredients are not permitted.

5. Granola, cereals, and trail mixes — granola, toasted oat mixes, dry cereals, puffed-grain cereals, and trail mixes (which may include mixed nuts, dried fruit, seeds, chocolate chips, and similar shelf-stable ingredients). All components must be shelf-stable. Products with fresh ingredients or requiring refrigeration are not permitted.

6. Roasted nuts and nut-based products — nuts roasted, toasted, salted, smoked, spiced, candied, or otherwise processed, plus nut brittles, clusters, seasoned mixes, and home-kitchen nut butters.

   • Reminder: raw, unprocessed nuts remain RAC and need no permit. The moment you roast, salt, flavor, or process the nut, it becomes a Cottage Food product.

7. Cottage Food seller requirements — all Cottage Food sellers on Crop Market must:

• Hold a valid California Cottage Food Operator (CFO) permit (Class A) from your local county environmental health department.

• Complete the required CFO food-processor training course from an accredited provider. The course is required within 3 months of registration and is generally valid for 3 years — verify the current requirement.

• Label all Cottage Food products correctly, including:

  • The name of the Cottage Food product

  • The name and registered address of the Cottage Food operation

  • The net weight or volume

  • A complete ingredient list in descending order by weight

  • The statement: "Made in a home kitchen that is not inspected by the state or local health department"

  • All required allergen disclosures (tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, sesame)

• Sell only directly to California consumers — no restaurants, retailers, or resellers, and no out-of-state shipping (see the in-state-only rule in the main Terms).

• Observe the annual gross-sales cap set by California law — verify the current limit with your county, as it changes.

8. Cottage Food seller requirements at a glance:
RequirementStatus
CDPH Cottage Food permit (Class A)Required
CFO food-processor trainingRequired
Commercial kitchenNot required (home kitchen permitted)
CDPH-approved productRequired — must be on current approved list
Proper labelingRequired
Direct-to-consumer, in-state onlyRequired
Annual gross-sales capRequired — verify current limit
WHAT CROP MARKET DOES NOT PERMIT
Regardless of category, the following are not permitted:

• Products requiring refrigeration or temperature-controlled transport for food safety

• Products containing uninspected meat or poultry

• Alcoholic beverages, cannabis, or tobacco

• Eggs and egg products — not permitted as a matter of platform policy, due to California egg-handler registration, 45°F refrigeration, and Proposition 12 cage-free requirements that the Platform cannot verify or enforce.

• Products made in a commercial kitchen without the required commercial food-facility permits

• Cottage Food products not on the current CDPH approved list

• Wild-foraged mushrooms without the required county permits

• Any item misrepresented as to its nature, origin, ingredients, or compliance status

• Any out-of-state sale, shipment, or transport

QUESTIONS?
If you are unsure whether your product qualifies as a RAC or Cottage Food item, contact:

• California Department of Public Health (CDPH) — cdph.ca.gov

• Your County Environmental Health Department — for Cottage Food permits and Class A registration

• Your County Agricultural Commissioner — for RAC and produce questions

• California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) — cdfa.ca.gov

• Crop Market Support — mycropmarket@gmail.com

Crop Market is committed to being a safe, legal, and trustworthy marketplace. Thank you for doing your part to keep the platform compliant.
Crop Market | mycropmarket.com | Effective: June 1, 2026