For any school or urban gardener wishing to sell produce at a Los Angeles County Certified Farmer’s Market a Producer’s Certificate from the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner Weights & Measures Department is mandatory.
First step is to call their South Gate office at 562-622-0402 and arrange for an inspection. An inspector would them come out to view the product and estimate production. If the school or individual then puts in another crop in the Spring, the inspector would then have to come out again to view the crop and estimate production. The annual cost for the certificate is $63.00.
I had several questions regarding this certificate. Ibrahim Abdel, Pest Exclusion & Produce Quality/ Agricultural /Weights & Measures Inspector was kind enough to answer.
1) Is a certificate necessary to sell the produce to a restaurant?
The certificate is not required to sell your products to a restaurant or at school. If you sell the products to a restaurant without having the certificate, then you are not exempt from the standard size and the labeling for the products. If you have a certificate and want to sell the products to a restaurant, you have to provide the restaurant with a receipt showing your name, the commodity, the amount sold and the price in this case, you are exempt from the standard container and the product labeling.
2) Is a certificate necessary to sell the produce at the school?
No, the certificate is only required to sell your products at a certified farmers’ market (CFM).
3) If I have a garden at my home or community garden would I also need a permit to sell at the farmer’s market or am I covered by the Los Angeles City Ordinance 181188 (aka Food and Flower Act)? My understanding is the certificate is only necessary to sell at the farmer’s market. To sell to a restaurant or others I do not need a certificate. Is this correct?
Yes. To sell the products grown at your home at a CFM, you need a certificate.
4) Last question, if a school (or homeowner) is to sell to a restaurant without a certificate how do they compose the standard size and product labeling? What is required?
You can find the requirement for each product in the California Code of Regulations, Title 3, Division 3, Chapter 1.
Basically the following is required:
1) A declaration of identity – the name specified by applicable Federal or State law or regulation, or common name, or generic name or other appropriate description of the commodity.
2) A declaration of responsibility – that includes the name, address, and zip code of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor, however, the street address may be omitted if this is shown in a current city directory or telephone directory.
3) A declaration of quantity – by count or measure.
For further information visit the County of Los Angeles Agricultural Commissioner Weights and Measures website.
