I’ve spent so much time understanding liquour licensing, meat processing, planning schemes, waste water regulation, carbon emissions and the bloody like I hadn’t considered the need for a permit to sell fruit and veg.
Turns out you need a license. If you want to do anything to the fruit and veg its an expensive licence.
Permit (from the council) to sell fruit and veg at a farmers market or indeed anywhere $46.50 per year.
If you want to do anything to it before you sell it $499.50 per year. Plus a $250 site visit and inspection.
I’ve been trying to raise the money for Fish Farmers for a while now. At the moment we look like we are close but there are no cigars until we are beyond close and the money is in the bank.
So I’ve been considering other things I could do to generate some cash flow as a fall back position but that still fits within the overall aims of my projects. Above all I don’t want to return to consulting. It pays well but my soul is not up to it.
A few months ago I met an orchardist that was getting stuff all for their 3rd grade apples. Nothing wrong with them but they are not pretty. So I thought…..
“I can afford to buy them for way more than they are getting from the juice factory and still earn a decent amount for myself.”
If I take our scratter and build a new bigger press I could buy their apples and sell the fresh juice.
In addition to the fees there are a whole stack of other things you have to do.
You not only need to pay the 750 bucks for the license and inspection you also have to dual sink hand washing station connected to HOT running water plus commercial grade sanitisers for you and all your equipment.
Don’t let any of that equipment be wood or you have a fight on your hands. It is a FACT that plastic utensils and chopping boards provide an ideal environment for bacterial growth. It is also a fact that stainless steel is only more hygienic than wood when its brand new (that is the subject of a whole other post). Despite this government officials think that both stainless steel and plastic are superior materials for food preparation.
Double Press. One side can be pressing while the other is being loaded. This press will be able to process about 350L of apple pulp per side. If we run it flat out we might be able to keep up with the scratters rate of through put of 1.5t of apples per hour.
That is the law in Victoria.
However…..the permit for a “Wine and Beer Producers License” presents some possibilities. Turns out the application fee is $450 but the renewal is only $250. You have to do some additional training but I’ve already done that. What’s more the use of wood in the production of various brews is kind of a standard practice. So being a clever chap I thought…..
“If I’m making cider as distinct from juice that might cover me.”
Oh what I would give for a cellar like this.
However, there is a catch. The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation only regulates and licenses the sale of alcohol. Not production! Yeah I was surprised by that as well. Technically the production side of things is covered by the environmental health officers of your local government. Turns out the majority of wine makers and brewers don’t know this. At the moment it’s not a problem because most environmental health officers don’t know it either.
I’m writing this blog to show people how I think, what I think and what I want to do with what I think. I’m pretty good at what I do but I’d be better working with a team that shared my vision. Having the capital we need would also help. So if you like what you have read why don’t you sign up to our mailing list to stay in touch and if you are feeling inspired see how you can help. You can also support my work via Patreon and save me from going ten rounds with the council about the safety of using a wooden apple press.
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