Local Ag Commission to compile guidance on selling farm eggs and food-safety steps

The East Haddam Agricultural Commission agreed to assemble guidance this summer to help residents who sell eggs and small produce understand food-safety rules and options for marketing to restaurants.

At the commission's June meeting Chair (S2) read an email from a resident asking for resources; members discussed two distinct issues: basic storage and handling for safe farm-stand sales and the separate technical barriers that can prevent home producers from legally selling eggs to restaurants. "Technically someone with a homestead ... cannot sell eggs to a restaurant. It has to be to the final consumer," said Committee member (S7), who said she had begun researching certification and pasteurization requirements. She described a possible flash‑pasteurization step —"I think it has to be a 130 or a 140 degrees," she said—while acknowledging she had not completed her review.

Why it matters: Many small producers sell directly to neighbors at farm stands but hope to expand into local restaurants; the commission said it would collect clear, practical steps so sellers can evaluate whether they can expand sales without violating food-safety rules.

What the commission will do: Members agreed to draft a short resource list and to contact the local extension agent for technical guidance. "Emily Alger is your extension agent in town," a member noted during the meeting and the group identified the county extension office as the first stop for regulatory guidance.

The commission also discussed offering a workshop or including an explanation in a regular newspaper column to help residents understand safe handling, storage and simple certifications for farm-stand sales, separate from the processing needed to supply restaurants. The commission did not adopt any regulatory change; it assigned follow-up research and outreach to members for the next meeting.