Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi guys, I've copied and pasted this as I asked it on an old thread and wondering if that means it won't get any attention, so reposting on a new thread. I hope that's ok. Admin can delete one or the other if they like (FYI it was in one called 'Selling Produce'). Thanks!

We're just beginning a mobile wood fired pizza business and hoping to grow all the tomatoes and capsicums and garlic and whatever else we need ourselves. And just preserve however to use throughout the year (since once the frost comes it will wipe out the summer crops). We will also sell to the public whatever excess we have, just on the corner of our MWFP stall.

Does anyone know if I can do this in NSW without any kind of license? I'm assuming I can, because all my digging hasn't turned up anything apart from this:

http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/ind ... GU7nMn4WKK

That 'list' doesn't apply to us, so I assume we don't need a license. But in the world we live in, full of red tape (and gosh I'm going through my fair share of it with the 'food safety' stuff for the business) then I find it hard to believe I can get away with growing fruit and veg to sell, and then cook and sell, without having to notify someone, have some inspection or pay some fee.

Obviously I'm not talking about using fish from the aquaponics. I know licenses are required for that sort of thing.

Our aquaponics system still isn't mature so only part of the produce will come from that, the rest out of the ground. But we're aiming for in the future to grow all our fruiting and leafy vegies in the aquaponics eventually.

Thanks for any incoming insight.

Sorry, I can't help with the food...

Well, I probably can since I'm a chef and half my life is consumed with food safety regulations. Check your local council regulations, as each council is different with what they consider home food business. Some will make you section off part of your house, or have a seperate room outside. Some will let you use your domestic kitchen.

Most restaurants I've worked at, we've always had a vegie patch out the back, mainly for herbs/chillies. And we've had many health inspectors through without any issues, so I wouldn't worry too much.

If you're too worried, ring up the local health inspector, and ask them directly.

What I wanted to ask. How a home pizza oven business work? A home delivery pizza business? If so, that's where it gets trickier with transporting food. But dominos seem to have dodgy cars driving around delivering, so it must not be too hard.

How does

..
Naturally - it depends on to whom you are supplying/selling..
The bottom line is that if you run a business (ie.. manufacturing and selling) then you need to be registered, and someone knowingly buying from you is guilty of an offense if they know that you are not registered..
When registered, (ABN) then you would likely have some rules associated with food production..
It might be that it is a LOCAL government (Council) issue at a basic level..

but my reading of that NSW Govt. site, would make me think that it does cover you, in that technically, you are supplying yourself a raw product..
Some may be preserved, but that only means a value-adding processing..

Look - you might get away with it, but be prepared..
When your come under consideration for producing Pizza's, I would BET they would ask about the origin of raw materials..

The silly part is that you could buy the produce from COLES and there would be no further issue..
..
.

Dont need a license to sell fresh fruit and veg but if you are going to cook or prepare it them you do need a registered kitchen or equivalent.

Thanks everyone.

We won't be selling pizza from our home. The oven is mounted on a trailer. We'll go to events, or set up at a local park a couple nights per week (we have council permission and have to rent the space and pay for electricity etc).

The prep of food has to be in an approved kitchen, yes. We will begin prepping in our friend's butchery which is approved. We hope to convert a caravan into a commercial kitchen, once we've made some money back. The other option is re-doing our own kitchen, but we may be selling in the next 2 years or less so want to be able to take the commercial grade kitchen with us (caravan) and also, I don't really want a commercial kitchen in my home for various reasons.

So the only question really is about the selling, or cooking and selling, of the vegetables themselves.

I've asked my contact on the council but haven't heard back. I'm pretty sure she'd just refer me to that link I linked in the last message anyway.

Unless I'm told otherwise, I'll go ahead with it. I wouldn't say that unless I was almost certain because I do not like to take the rules lightly, however ridiculous they might be at times.

Thanks again.

We have just been talking about the fruit and veg.

Fish is a whole other matter.

However from my understanding in Victoria you could sell the fish if they were transported live to the registered kitchen and you could then sell them cooked under your licence with the council. You couldn't sell them fresh though because then you need a retail seafood license.